Once darkening the skies in North America by the billions, these birds were hunted to extinction in the early 1900s, a stark reminder of the consequences of unchecked human impact.
Nicknamed the "Thylacine," this Australian marsupial resembled a wolf-like dog with stripes. Competition with introduced predators and hunting sealed its fate in the 1930s.
Imagine a giant, gentle marine mammal related to the manatee but reaching lengths of up to 30 feet! Sadly, Steller's sea cows were hunted to extinction within 27 years of their discovery in the 1740s.
A close relative of the zebra, the quagga had unique striped markings only on the front half of its body. Excessive hunting for meat and hides in South Africa led to their disappearance by the late 19th century.
This flightless bird from Mauritius became an icon of extinction. Its plump body and comical gait made it easy prey for humans and introduced animals. The last dodo is believed to have died sometime in the 17th century.
These iconic giants of the Ice Age roamed the Earth for thousands of years. Climate change and possibly human hunting are thought to have contributed to their extinction around 10,000 years ago.
Sabre-toothed cats were apex predators during their reign, but their specialized hunting style may not have adapted well to changing prey populations, leading to their extinction around 10,000 years ago.
Also known as the Chinese River Dolphin, this unique freshwater dolphin was tragically declared extinct in 2007. Habitat loss due to pollution and dam construction are thought to be the main culprits.
This flightless bird resembled a giant penguin and was once abundant in the North Atlantic. Easy to hunt on land and at sea, the Great Auk was driven to extinction by the mid-1800s.
This wild goat subspecies from Spain met an unfortunate end in 2000. Down to a single individual due to overhunting and disease, a scientific attempt to clone the ibex using frozen tissue sadly failed.