List of Antillian and Bermudan animals extinct in the Holocene

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Admiralty chart of the West Indies, with Bermuda northwest

This is a list of Antillian and Bermudan animals extinct in the Holocene that covers

Bermuda Islands, collectively known as the West Indies
.

The indigenous fauna of the West Indies collapsed in the

Bahamas.[3]

The

domestic animals, and large escale deforestation that erradicated many of the native animals and those introduced by indigenous peoples alike. The most recent extinctions happened after the late 19th century, following the introduction of the small Indian mongoose for rat control.[2]

Many extinction dates are unknown due to a lack of relevant information.

Mammals (class
Mammalia
)

Anteaters and sloths (order Pilosa)

Antillian sloths (family Megalocnidae)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Cuban sloth[6] Acratocnus antillensis Cuba Most recent remains dated to 5050-4050 BCE.[4] Acratocnus antillensis
Puerto Rican sloth[6] Acratocnus odontrigonus Puerto Rico[6] Most recent remains dated to 1738–1500 BCE. However this date was not obtained directly from bones, nor calibrated, and the remains could be older.[7]
Haitian Macaya sloth[6] Acratocnus ye Hispaniola Most recent remains dated to 8540–1590 BCE (uncalibrated age).[2]
Cuban giant sloth[6] Megalocnus rodens Cuba Most recent remains dated to 2280-2200 BCE.[2] Megalocnus rodens
Lesser Haitian ground sloth[6] Neocnus comes Hispaniola Most recent remains dated to 2480–2400 BCE.[2] Neocnus comes
Haitian pine forest sloth[6] Neocnus dousman Most recent remains dated to 5226-5156 BCE.[8]
Cuban rodent-like sloth[6] Neocnus gliriformis Cuba Most recent remains dated to 5050-4050 BCE.[4]
Neocnus major Known from remains dating to either the late Pleistocene or early Holocene.[2] Possibly a synonym of N. gliriformis, with differences owing to sexual dimorphism, but this is rejected by other researchers.[6]
Haitian rak bwa sloth[6] Neocnus toupiti Massif de la Hotte, Haiti[6] Most recent remains dated to 8540–1590 BCE (uncalibrated age).[2]
Matthew's ground sloth[6] Parocnus brownii Cuba Most recent remains dated to 3290-2730 BCE.[2] Parocnus serus
Parocnus dominicanus Southeastern Dominican Republic Known from remains dating to either the late Pleistocene or early Holocene.[9]
Greater Haitian ground sloth[6] Parocnus serus Hispaniola, Tortuga, and Gonâve Island[6] Most recent remains dated to 8540–1590 BCE (uncalibrated age).[2]

Rodents (order Rodentia)

Hamsters, voles, lemmings, muskrats, and New World rats and mice (family Cricetidae)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Barbuda giant rice rat Megalomys audreyae Barbuda Most recent remains dated to 1173–1385 CE.[7]
Martinique giant rice rat Megalomys desmarestii Martinique Last recorded in 1897. Presumed to have become extinct as a result of mongoose predation, or the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée.[10]
Saint Lucia giant rice rat Megalomys luciae Saint Lucia Last recorded before 1881. Likely extinct because of predation by introduced mongooses.[11]
Megalomys sp. Anguilla Extinct after European contact.[2]
Megalomys sp. Antigua
Saint Vincent pygmy rice rat Oligoryzomys victus Saint Vincent Last recorded before 1892. Probably extinct due to predation by introduced black rats, brown rats, or mongooses.[12]
Jamaican rice rat Oryzomys antillarum Jamaica Last recorded in 1877, five years after the introduction of mongooses.[13]
Oryzomys curasoae Curaçao Extinct after European contact.[2]
Oryzomys hypenemus Antigua and Barbuda
Oryzomys sp. Barbados Last recorded before 1890.[2]
Oryzomys spp. Grenada Two different species extinct after European contact.[2]
Nevis rice rat Pennatomys nivalis Saint Kitts and Nevis and Sint Eustatius Described from subfossil remains. Historical references to an "unusual-looking", edible rat from the colonial period to the 1930s may refer to this species. It likely disappeared due to predation by introduced black rats or mongooses.[14]

Neotropical spiny rats (family Echimyidae)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Oriente cave rat Boromys offella Cuba Extinct after European contact.[2]
Torre's cave rat Boromys torrei Possibly extinct after European contact.[2]
Brotomys contractus
 		Hispaniola
Hispaniolan edible rat Brotomys voratus Most recent remains dated to 1550-1670 CE.[2]
Capromys latus Cuba Extinct in the late Pleistocene or early Holocene.[2]
Capromys pilorides lewisi Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, Cayman Islands Most recently dated in Grand Cayman to 1439-1643 and in Cayman Brac to 1440-1624. A 1585 reference by Francis Drake to "coneys" and cat-sized "little beasts" on the islands could refer to this animal.[15]
Geocapromys caymanensis Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands Most recently dated at Cayman Brac to 666-857 CE.[15]
Cuban coney Geocapromys columbianus Cuba Extinct after European contact.[2]
Little Swan Island hutia Geocapromys thoracatus Little Swan Island, Honduras Last recorded in the early 1950s. It disappeared due to predation by cats introduced around the same time, though a
hurricane in 1955 may have speeded up the process.[16]
Geocapromys pleistocenicus Cuba Extinct after European contact.[2]
Antillean cave rat Heteropsomys antillensis Puerto Rico Possibly extinct after European contact.[2]
Insular cave rat Heteropsomys insulans Most recent remains dated to 772–870 CE.[17]
Imposter hutia Hexolobodon phenax Hispaniola Extinct after European contact.[2]
Hexolobodon
 sp. 		Southern Hispaniola Possibly extinct after European contact.[2]
Montane hutia Isolobodon montanus Hispaniola Extinct after European contact.[2]
Puerto Rican hutia Isolobodon portoricensis Hispaniola and Gonâve Remains most recently dated to 1270-1390 CE, but likely disappeared after European contact. It was
Vieques, and the Virgin Islands. Likely one of the animals mentioned by Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés in 1535.[2]
Macrocapromys acevedo Cuba Most recent remains dated to around 450 BCE.[4]
Mesocapromys barbouri Extinct in the late Pleistocene or early Holocene.[2]
Mesocapromys beatrizae
Mesocapromys gracilis
Mesocapromys kraglievichi Most recent remains dated after around 450 BCE.[4]
Mesocapromys minimus Extinct in the late Pleistocene or early Holocene.[2]
Plagiodontia araeum Hispaniola Extinct in the Holocene.[2]
Samana hutia
 Plagiodontia ipnaeum Extinct after European contact.[2]
Lemke's hutia Rhizoplagiodontia lemkei Massif de la Hotte, Haiti[6]
Possibly extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Dwarf hutia Mesocapromys nanus Ciénaga de Zapata, Cuba Last collected in 1951; a nest and pellets were found in 1978. The species is threatened by introduced predators (black rat,
feral dog, feral cat, mongoose), fires (sometimes set for mosquito control), and deforestation for charcoal production.[18]
San Felipe hutia Mesocapromys sanfelipensis Key Juan García, Cuba Last collected in 1978. It likely declined due to hunting after a military base was built on the island, fires set up by fishermen (both accidentally and for mosquito control), and predation by introduced black rats, cats, and dogs.[19]

Giant hutias (family Heptaxodontidae)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Plate-toothed giant hutia Elasmodontomys obliquus Puerto Rico Most recent remains dated to 511–407 BCE.[17]
Twisted-toothed mouse Quemisia gravis Hispaniola Extinct after European contact. Although not dated, remains were found along with introduced Rattus and there are probable references to it in early colonial literature.[2]
Tainotherium valei Puerto Rico Known from an undated femur from either the late Pleistocene or early Holocene. Its morphology suggests
arboreality, making unlikely that it became extinct when forests expanded in the Holocene. It might have become extinct due to human-induced habitat loss instead.[20]
Diminute Jamaican hutia[6] Xaymaca fulvopulvis Jamaica Most recent remains dated to 9390–8220 BCE.[2]

Primates
(order Primates)

Titis, sakis, and uakaris (family Pitheciidae)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Hispaniola monkey Antillothrix bernensis Hispaniola Most recent remains dated to 2035–1735 BCE. Possible monkey depictions in petroglyphs, indigenous pottery and other artifacts of Cuba and Hispaniola may indicate later survival.[2]
La Hotte monkey Insulacebus toussaintiana Massif de la Hotte, Haiti[6] Described from undated remains, but presumed to be late Holocene because of its state of conservation similar to the other species.[21]
Jamaican monkey Xenothrix mcgregori Jamaica Most recent remains dated to 439–473 CE.[22]

True insectivores (order Eulipotyphla)

West Indies shrews (family
Nesophontidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Puerto Rican nesophontes
 Nesophontes edithae Puerto Rico Most recently dated to 1015–1147 CE[17] but believed extinct after European contact. No nesophontes species was hunted as they were too small.[2]
Cayman nesophontes
 Nesophontes hemicingulus Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands Most recently dated at Cayman Brac to 666–857 CE[15] but believed extinct after European contact.[2]
Atalaye nesophontes
 Nesophontes hypomicrus Hispaniola Most recently dated to 1175–1295 CE[23] but believed extinct after European contact.[2]
Greater Cuban nesophontes Nesophontes major Cuba Most recent remains dated to around 10 BCE at Cueva de los Nesofontes,[24] but believed extinct after European contact.[2]
Western Cuban nesophontes Nesophontes micrus Most recently dated to 1310–1410 CE but believed extinct after European contact.[2]
St. Michel nesophontes Nesophontes paramicrus Hispaniola Most recently dated to 1265–1400 CE[23] but believed extinct after European contact.[2]
Haitian nesophontes Nesophontes zamicrus Most recently dated to 1295–1430 CE[7] but believed extinct after European contact.[2]

Solenodons (family
Solenodontidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Giant solenodon Solenodon arredondoi Cuba Extinct in the late Pleistocene or early Holocene.[2]
Marcano's solenodon Solenodon marcanoi Hispaniola Extinct after European contact.[2]

Bats (order
Chiroptera
)

Mustached, ghost-faced, and naked-backed bats (family Mormoopidae)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Giant ghost-faced bat Mormoops magna Cuba Most recent remains dated to 7043–6503 BCE.[7]
Locally extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Ghost-faced bat Mormoops megalophylla Mexico to Trinidad and the Ecuadorian Andes Most recent remains in Cuba dated near European arrival.[4]

Leaf-nosed bats (family
Phyllostomidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Anthony's fruit-eating bat Artibeus anthonyi Cuba Most recent remains dated to 1957–1993 CE.[25]
Puerto Rican long-nosed bat Monophyllus plethodon frater Puerto Rico Possibly extinct between 1851 and 1900 as a result of extensive clearing for agriculture.[26]
Puerto Rican flower bat Phyllonycteris major Puerto Rico and Antigua Most recent remains dated to around 1500 BCE at Burma Quarry, Antigua.[27]
Lesser falcate-winged bat Phyllops vetus Cuba and Juventud Most recent remains dated to around 10 BCE at Cueva de los Nesofontes, Cuba.[24]
Locally extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Common vampire bat Desmodus rotundus From Mexico and Cuba to Uruguay Most recent remains in Cuba dated to 1957–1993 CE.[25]

Carnivorans (order Carnivora)

Earless seals (family
Phocidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Caribbean monk seal Neomonachus tropicalis Caribbean Sea, Bahamas, and Gulf of Mexico Last recorded at Serranilla Bank in 1952. It was hunted for its skin, oil, and to remove competition for fishermen.[28]

Birds (class
Aves
)

Nightjars (order
Caprimulgiformes
)

Typical nightjars (family
Caprimulgidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Cuban pauraque Siphonorhis daiquiri Cuba Most recent remains dated to 7043–6507 BCE.[7]
Possibly extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Jamaican poorwill Siphonorhis americana Jamaica Last recorded in 1860. Probably extinct due to habitat destruction, predation by introduced mongooses and rats.[29]

Swifts, treeswifts, and hummingbirds (order Apodiformes)

Hummingbirds (family
Trochillidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Brace's emerald Riccordia bracei New Providence, Bahamas Only known from the holotype collected in 1877, though subfossil bones of hummingbirds found in the island probably belong to the same species. The causes of extinction are unknown but presumably human-induced.[30]
Gould's emerald Riccordia elegans unknown; possibly Jamaica or the northern Bahamas Only known from the holotype collected in 1860. The reasons of extinction are unknown.[31]

Pigeons and doves (order Columbiformes)

Pigeons and doves (family Columbidae)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Puerto Rican quail-dove Geotrygon larva Puerto Rico Known from subfossil remains, extinct after human settlement.[32]

Rails and cranes (order Gruiformes)

Rails (family
Rallidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Jamaican wood rail Amaurolimnas concolor concolor Jamaica Last collected in 1881. Mongoose predation has been suggested as the cause of extinction, but the species coexisted with mongooses, cats, and rats for a prolonged time.[32]
Antillean cave rail Nesotrochis debooyi Puerto Rico Described from subfossil remains in Pre-Columbian kitchen middens, though a 1943 report of a "flightless hen" in Virgin Gorda could have been this species.[33] It was introduced to Mona and the Virgin Islands by indigenous peoples.[5]
Cuban cave rail Nesotrochis picapicensis Cuba Most recent remains dated to near European arrival.[4]
Haitian cave rail Nesotrochis steganinos Hispaniola Most recent remains dated to 5474-5339 BCE.[34]

Cranes (family
Gruidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Cuban flightless crane Antigone cubensis Cuba Known from Late Quaternary remains.[35][b]

Shorebirds (order Charadriiformes)

Thick-knees (family
Burhinidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Dwarf thick-knee Burhinus nanus Bahamas Most recent remains in the Middle Caicos dated to 1460-1660 CE. Sometimes considered a subspecies of the double-striped thick-knee.[3]
Locally extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Double-striped thick-knee Burhinus bistriatus Central America, northern South America and the Caribbean Extirpated from Cuba, where it is known from Late Quaternary remains.[35] Survives in parts of Hispaniola, Trinidad and Tobago. May occur as vagrant in Barbados.[36]

Sandpipers (family Scolopacidae)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Bahama snipe[3] Gallinago kakuki Greater Antilles, Bahamas, and Caymans Known from Late Quaternary remains.[35]
Hispaniola woodcock Scolopax brachycarpa Hispaniola Most recent remains at Trouing Jean Paul, Haiti dated to 1270–1380 CE.[37]
Possibly extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Eskimo curlew Numenius borealis Americas Last collected in Barbados in 1963. Declined due to hunting, conversion of prairies for agriculture, and the suppression of the fire regime.[38]

Albatrosses and petrels (order Procellariiformes)

Petrels and shearwaters (family Procellariidae)

Possibly extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Jamaican petrel Pterodroma caribbaea Jamaica; possibly Dominica, Guadeloupe, and Bahamas Last recorded with certainty in 1880. An unconfirmed sighting was made west of
sea bird.[39]

Storks and allies (order
Ciconiiformes
)

Storks (family
Ciconiidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Asphalt stork Ciconia lydekkeri Contiguous United States to Argentina Known from Late Quaternary remains in Cienfuegos, Cuba.[35]
Ciconia sp. Las Breas de San Felipe, Matanzas, Cuba Remains not dated directly; the site is dated to 10350-2730 BCE.[35]
Wetmore's stork Mycteria wetmorei Southern United States and Cuba Remains found in San Felipe along with Ciconia sp.[35]

Pelicans, herons, and ibises (order Pelecaniformes)

Ibises and spoonbills (family Threskiornithidae)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Jamaican ibis Xenicibis xympithecus Jamaica Most recent remains at Long Mile Cave dated to 787 BCE – 320 CE.[7]

Herons (family Ardeidae)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Bermuda night heron Nyctanassa carcinocatactes Bermuda Last recorded in 1610. Likely extinct due to introduced cats, hunting, and perhaps shortage of prey.[40]
Locally extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Bare-throated tiger heron Tigrisoma mexicanum Coastal Central America and Cuba Extirpated from Cuba, where Late Quaternary remains are known (possibly representing an endemic subspecies).[35]

New World vultures (order Cathartiformes)

New World vultures and condors (family
Cathartidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Emslie's vulture Cathartes emsliei Cuba Most recent remains at Las Breas de San Felipe dated to 10350-2730 BCE. The island was colonized by the turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) and the black vulture (Coragyps atratus) after its extinction.[41]
cf. Cathartes sp. A different Late Quaternary species, likely belonging to another genus.[35]
Cuban condor
 Gymnogyps varonai Known from Late Quaternary remains.[35]

Teratorns (family Teratornithidae)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Cuban teratorn Oscaravis olsoni Cuba Known from Late Quaternary remains.[35]

Hawks and relatives (order Accipitriformes)

Hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures (family Accipitridae)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Woodward's eagle Amplibuteo woodwardi California to Florida and the Caribbean Known from Late Quaternary remains.[35]
Bermuda hawk Bermuteo avivorus Bermuda Last recorded in 1603. Possibly extinct due to hunting and predation by introduced mammals including feral pigs.[42]
Cuban titan-hawk Buteogallus borrasi Cuba Most recent remains dated to 5050-4050 BCE.[4]
Suarez's giant eagle Gigantohierax suarezi Known from Late Quaternary remains.[35]
Locally extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Images
Red-shouldered hawk Buteo lineatus Northeastern Mexico, eastern United States and Canada, Cuba, and Bahamas Extirpated from the Caribbean, where they are known from Late Quaternary remains.[35]
Black-chested buzzard-eagle Geranoaetus melanoleucus South America and Cuba

Owls (order
Strigiformes
)

True owls (family
Strigidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Bermuda saw-whet owl Aegolius gradyi Bermuda Last recorded in 1609–1610. Likely extinct due to habitat destruction and introduced predatory mammals.[32]
Antiguan burrowing owl Athene cunicularia amaura Antigua and Barbuda Extinct in the late 19th century.[43]
Guadeloupe burrowing owl Athene cunicularia guadeloupensis Guadeloupe
Cuban horned owl Bubo osvaldoi Cuba Known from Late Quaternary remains.[35]
Cuban cursorial owl Ornimegalonyx oteroi Most recent remains dated to 5050-4050 BCE.[4] The species O. acevedoi, O. minor, and O. gigas are likely the same and represent only size differences due to sexual dimorphism, chrono-temporal or individual variation.[35]
Cuban spectacled owl Pulsatrix arredondoi Most recent remains dated to 530–590 CE.[35]
Possibly extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Virgin Islands screech owl Gymnasio nudipes newtoni Virgin Islands Last confirmed record in 1936 in Saint Croix, with an unconfirmed one on Guana Island in 1985. Likely extinct due to forest clearance for agriculture.[32]

Barn-owls (family
Tytonidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Puerto Rican barn owl Tyto cavatica Puerto Rico Described from subfossil remains. 1912 reports of cave-nesting owls may refer to this species.[32]
Noel's barn owl Tyto noeli Cuba, Jamaica, and Barbuda Most recent remains at Drum Cave, Jamaica dated to 1900–1600 BCE.
invasive animals, and loss of prey.[32]
Hispaniolan giant barn owl Tyto ostologa Haiti and southern Dominican Republic A 1788 description of a call and feathers at Pic la Selle may refer to this species. There was also an unconfirmed sighting in the 1970s.[32]
Bahaman giant barn owl Tyto pollens Cuba and Bahamas Described from subfossil remains but may have survived until the 16th century.[32]
Tyto sp. Pinar del Río, Cuba A small, undescribed species known from Late Quaternary remains.[35]

Falcons (order Falconiformes)

Falcons and caracaras (family Falconidae)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Bahaman caracara Caracara creightoni Cuba and Bahamas Most recent remains dated in Bahamas to 470-410 BCE, and in Cuba to 290-430 CE.[35]
Cuban kestrel
 Falco kurochkini Cuba Known from Late Quaternary remains.[35]
Milvago carbo Known from Late Quaternary remains at the San Felipe tar pits.[35]
Milvago sp. Similar to the Yellow-headed caracara. Known from fragmentary Late Quaternary remains at the San Felipe tar pits.[35]
Locally extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Aplomado falcon Falco femoralis New Mexico to Patagonia Extirpated from Cuba, where it is known from Late Quaternary remains.[35]

Woodpeckers and allies (order Piciformes)

Woodpeckers (family
Picidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Bermuda flicker Colaptes oceanicus Bermuda Last recorded in 1623; the decimation of local birds by feral cats was also noted.[44]
Possibly extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Cuban ivory-billed woodpecker Campephilus principalis bairdii Cuba Last confirmed record in 1987. Possible calls were heard on the Sierra Maestra in 1998, but the area is considered too high and outside the historical range of this species.[45]

Parrots (order Psittaciformes)

Holotropical parrots (family Psittacidae)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Aruba amazon Amazona barbadensis canifrons Aruba Presumed extinct between 1944 and 1947 due to poisoning by fruit farmers and capture for the exotic pet trade, though it might have survived after this date. There are also doubts about the validity of this subspecies due to variability within the yellow-shouldered amazon species.[32]
Martinique amazon Amazona martinicana Martinique Last recorded in 1779. They were intensely hunted for their meat.[32]
Guadeloupe amazon Amazona violacea Guadeloupe
Culebra Island amazon Amazona vittata gracilipes
Culebra Island
of Puerto Rico 		Last collected in 1899. Likely extinct due to persecution as a crop pest and increased mortality by
hurricanes as a consequence of deforestation. Another extinct population on Vieques may be a different, undescribed subspecies.[32]
Amazona
 sp. 		Antigua Most recent remains dated to around 1500 BCE at Burma Quarry.[27]
St. Croix macaw Ara autocthones Puerto Rico and Saint Croix Known from pre-Columbian subfossil remains.[5]
Lesser Antillean macaw Ara guadeloupensis Guadeloupe Last recorded in Guadeloupe in 1742. Known mostly from written accounts, illustrations, and possible
subfossil remains. A 1779 plate possibly represents a captive animal in Europe.[32]
Martinique macaw Ara martinicus Martinique
Jesuit Jacques Bouton, though another short 1658 description of "Ara erythrura" is likely the same animal. Some authors consider these introduced blue-and-yellow macaws from South America, while others identify a slightly different macaw painted by Roelant Savery in 1626 as a representation of this species and thus evidence that it actually existed. However, there is no information about the origin of the bird depicted by Savery.[32]
Cuban macaw Ara tricolor Cuba and Juventud Last animals were shot (with reservations) in central Cuba in 1889. Probably extinct due to hunting (though it was recorded as foul-tasting), capture as pets, and habitat destruction. The Jamaican red macaw ("Ara gossei"), named from a single 18th century description and illustration, was likely an introduced Cuban macaw.[32]
Guadeloupe parakeet Psittacara labati Guadeloupe Last recorded in 1742. The causes of extinction are unknown.[32]
Puerto Rican parakeet Psittacara maugei Puerto Rico, Vieques, and Mona Island Last collected on Mona in 1892.[32]

Perching birds (order
Passeriformes
)

Chat-tanagers (family
Calyptophilidae
)

Possibly extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Gonâve eastern chat-tanager Calyptophilus frugivorus abbotti Gonâve Island, Haiti Last recorded in 1977. Likely extinct due to deforestation.[32]
Samaná eastern chat-tanager Calyptophilus frugivorus frugivorus Samaná Peninsula, Dominican Republic Last recorded in 1982. Likely extinct due to deforestation.[32]

Tanagers (family
Thraupidae
)

Possibly extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
St. Kitts bullfinch Melopyrrha grandis Saint Kitts Last collected in 1929. There was an unconfirmed sighting in 1994 and a possible song recorded in 2021. The species could have suffered from hurricanes devastating its mountain forest refugia in 1899, 1924, and 1929, and inability to recover in the lowlands due to deforestation for agriculture, competition with the Lesser Antillean bullfinch, and predation by introduced rats, cats, small Indian mongooses, and green monkeys.[46]

Swallows (family
Hirundinidae
)

Possibly extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Jamaican golden swallow Tachycineta euchrysea euchrysea Jamaica Last recorded with certainty in 1989, two years after its last major roosting site was destroyed. Likely declined due to deforestation for agriculture.[32]

New World blackbirds (family
Icteridae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Dolichonyx kruegeri Cuba Known from now lost Late Quaternary remains. Possibly the same as the bobolink (D. oryzivorus), which flies over Cuba during migration but doesn't reside on it.[35]
Grand Cayman oriole Icterus leucopteryx bairdi Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands Last recorded in 1967.[32]

New World sparrows (family
Passerellidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Bermuda towhee Pipilio naufragus Bermuda Last recorded in 1609–1610.[32]

Tapaculos (family
Rhinocryptidae
)

Scientific name Range Comments
Scytalopus sp. Cuba Known from Late Quaternary remains.[35]

Wrens (family
Troglodytidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Guadeloupe house wren Troglodytes aedon guadeloupensis Guadeloupe Last recorded in 1973. Extinct due to deforestation.[32]
Martinique house wren Troglodytes aedon martinicensis Martinique Last collected in 1886. The causes of extinction are unknown.[32]

Thrushes (family
Turdidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Grand Cayman thrush Turdus ravidus Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands Last recorded in 1938.[47]

New World warblers (family
Parulidae
)

Possibly extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
New Providence yellowthroat Geothlypis rostrata rostrata New Providence, Bahamas Last recorded in the 1990s.[32]
Semper's warbler Leucopeza semperi Saint Lucia mountains Last recorded in 1961. Likely extinct due to predation by the small Indian mongoose.[32]
Bachman's warbler Vermivora bachmanii Southeastern United States and Cuba Last confirmed record in Cuba in 1984, though unconfirmed footage was taken in
marshland draining, followed by intensive hunting by bird collectionists as it became rare.[32]

Reptiles (class
Reptilia
)

Crocodilians (order Crocodilia)

Crocodiles (family
Crocodylidae
)

Locally extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Cuban crocodile Crocodylus rhombifer Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, and the Cayman Islands; possibly also Jamaica Most recent remains in Hispaniola dated to 5480-5370 BCE,
Great Inagua, Bahamas in 1886 likely refer to this species. Only survives in the Zapata Swamp of southern Cuba and the Lanier Swamp of Juventud.[49]

Squamates (order Squamata)

Whiptails (family Teiidae)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Guadeloupe ameiva Pholidoscelis cineraceus Guadeloupe Last recorded in 1914. Likely extinct due to hunting and introduced predators.[51]
Possibly extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Martinique giant ameiva Pholidoscelis major Petite Terre Islands off Guadeloupe Last collected before 1825. The causes of extinction are unknown.[52]

Curly-tailed lizards (family
Leiocephalidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Leeward Islands curlytail Leiocephalus cuneus Antigua and Barbuda Most recent remains dated to around 1500 BCE at Burma Quarry, Antigua.[27]
Navassa curly-tailed lizard Leiocephalus eremitus Navassa Island Not recorded since its description in 1868. The causes of extinction are unknown.[53]
Martinique curlytail lizard Leiocephalus herminieri Martinique Last collected in 1837. The causes of extinction are unknown.[54]

Galliwasps (family Diploglossidae)

Possibly extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Jamaica giant galliwasp
 Celestus occiduus Bluefields, Jamaica Last recorded in 1851. Likely declined due to predation by the introduced small Indian mongoose, and destruction of its woody swamp habitat for logging, agriculture, and residential development.[55]

Iguanas and chuckwallas (family Iguanidae)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Navassa Island iguana Cyclura cornuta onchiopsis Navassa Island Last recorded in 1878. Probably extinct due to hunting by miners, predation by introduced cats, and competition for vegetation with feral goats.[56]

Anoles (family Dactyloidae)

Possibly extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Virgin Islands giant anole
 Anolis roosevelti Vieques,
Culebra, Saint John, and Tortola
 Last collected in 1932. The causes of extinction are unknown.[57]

Boas (family Boidae)

Scientific name Range Comments
cf. Boidae Antigua Most recent remains dated to around 1500 BCE at Burma Quarry.[27]

Colubrids (family Colubridae)

Possibly extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Saint Croix racer Borikenophis sanctaecrucis Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Last recorded in the late 19th or early 20th century. Likely extinct due to deforestation and predation by introduced mongooses.[58]

Dwarf boas (family Tropidophiidae)

Possibly extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Navassa Island dwarf boa
 Tropidophis bucculentus Navassa Island Only known from four specimens collected in the 19th century. The causes of extinction are unknown but may include habitat modification for mining, persecution, and predation by introduced rats and cats.[59]

Turtles and tortoises (order Testudines)

Tortoises (family
Testudinidae
)

Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Abaco tortoise[60] Chelonoidis alburyorum Abaco Islands, Bahamas Most recent remains dated to around 1170 AD.[61]
Cuban giant tortoise[60] Chelonoidis cubensis Cuba Most recent remains dated to 5050-4050 BCE.[4]
Chelonoidis gersoni Hispaniola Known from remains from the late Pleistocene or early Holocene.[62]
Chelonoidis marcanoi
Mona tortoise Chelonoidis monensis Mona Island of Puerto Rico Most recent remains dated to around 1050 BCE.[60]
Caicos giant tortoise Chelonoidis sp. Middle Caicos Most recent remains dated to around 1400 CE.[60]
Turks tortoise Chelonoidis sp. Grand Turk Island Most recent remains dated to around 1200 CE.[60]

Amphibians (class
Amphibia
)

Frogs (order Anura)

Rain frogs (family Eleutherodactylidae)

Possibly extinct
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Golden coquí Eleutherodactylus jasperi
Sierra de Cayey
, Puerto Rico 		Last recorded in 1981. Probably declined due to chytridiomycosis and less likely to predation by introduced black rats.[63]
Web-footed coquí Eleutherodactylus karlschmidti Puerto Rican mountains Last recorded in 1976. The causes of extinction are unknown, though most specimens collected and preserved in the 1960s were later found to have suffered from chytridiomycosis. Predation by small Indian mongooses and black rats is also possible.[64]

Insects (class
Insecta
)

Butterflies (order Lepidoptera)

Swallowtail butterflies (family
Papilionidae
)

Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Battus polydamas antiquus Antigua Only known from a painting made in 1770.[27]

Family Uraniidae

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Sloane's Urania butterfly Urania sloanus Jamaica lowlands Last collected in 1908.[65]

Arachnids (class
Arachnida
)

Order Mesostigmata

Family Halarachnidae

Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Caribbean monk seal nasal mite
 Halarachne americana Caribbean Sea Extinct with its host.[66]

Scorpions (order
Scorpiones
)

Family Buthidae

Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Tityus exstinctus Northern range of Martinique Only known from the holotype collected in 1884. Possibly disappeared due to human activity or the Mount Pelée eruption in 1902.[67]

Slugs and snails (class Gastropoda)

Family Neocyclotidae

Scientific name Range
Amphicyclotulus guadeloupensis Guadeloupe[68]
Incerticyclus cinereus Martinique[69]
Incerticyclus martinicensis Martinique[70]

Family Oleacinidae

Scientific name Range
Oleacina guadeloupensis Guadeloupe[71]

Family Pleurodontidae

Scientific name Range Comments
Pleurodonte desidens Martinique Not recorded since its description in 1834.[72]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The source gives "11,700 calendar yr b2k (before CE 2000)". But "BP" means "before CE 1950". Therefore, the Holocene began 11,650 BP. Doing the math, that is c. 9700 BCE.
  2. ^ This and many other species in this source have no datation beyond "Late Quaternary"; some may actually represent Pleistocene extinctions. Nevertheless, the author considers that "[m]ost species seem to have become extinct in Cuba, probably during the Late Holocene."[35]

References

  1. doi:10.1002/jqs.1227. Archived
    (PDF) from the original on 2013-11-04. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao MacPhee, R. D. E. (2009). Insulae infortunatae: establishing a chronology for Late Quaternary mammal extinctions in the West Indies. In American megafaunal extinctions at the end of the Pleistocene (pp. 169–193). Springer, Dordrecht.
  3. ^ a b c Oswald, J. A., & Steadman, D. W. (2018). The late Quaternary bird community of New Providence, Bahamas. The Auk: Ornithological Advances, 135(2), 359–377.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Orihuela, J., Viñola, L. W., Vázquez, O. J., Mychajliw, A. M., de Lara, O. H., Lorenzo, L., & Soto-Centeno, J. A. (2020). Assessing the role of humans in Greater Antillean land vertebrate extinctions: New insights from Cuba. Quaternary Science Reviews, 249, 106597.
  5. ^ a b c Olson, S. L., & López, E. J. M. (2008). New evidence of Ara autochthones from an archeological site in Puerto Rico: a valid species of West Indian macaw of unknown geographical origin (Aves: Psittacidae). Caribbean Journal of Science, 44(2), 215-222.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Borroto-Páez, R., Mancina, C. A., Woods, C. A., & Kilpatrick, C. W. (2012) Updated checklist of endemic terrestrial mammals of the West Indies. In: Borroto-Páez, R., Woods, C.A., Sergile, F.E. (eds) Terrestrial mammals of the West Indies: Contributions. Wacahoota Press/ University of Vermont, Burlington.
  7. ^
    ISBN 978-0-19-953509-5
    . Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  8. ^ de Alvarenga Araujo, B. B. (2013) Pleistocene-Holocene extinctions: distinguishing between anthropic and climatic causes.
  9. ^ McAfee, R., Beery, S., Rimoli, R., Almonte, J., Lehman, P., & Cooke, S. (2021). New species of the ground sloth Parocnus from the late Pleistocene-early Holocene of Hispaniola. Vertebrate Anatomy, Morphology, Palaeontology, 9(1).
  10. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T12980A22377057.en
    . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  11. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T12981A22377126.en
    . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  12. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T15255A22357957.en
    . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  13. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T136540A22388029.en
    . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  14. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T199838A9129524.en
    . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  15. ^ a b c Morgan, Gary S., et al. "Late Quaternary fossil mammals from the Cayman Islands, West Indies." Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2019.428 (2019): 1–82.
  16. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T9003A22186735.en
    . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  17. ^
    PMID 17251123
    .
  18. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T13217A166518354.en
    . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  19. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T13218A22186444.en
    . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  20. ^ Turvey, S. T., Grady, F. V., & Rye, P. (2006). A new genus and species of ‘giant hutia’(Tainotherium valei) from the Quaternary of Puerto Rico: an extinct arboreal quadruped?. Journal of Zoology, 270(4), 585-594.
  21. ^ Cooke, S. B., Rosenberger, A. L., & Turvey, S. (2011). An extinct monkey from Haiti and the origins of the Greater Antillean primates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(7), 2699–2704.
  22. ^ Cooke, S. B., Mychajliw, A. M., Southon, J., & MacPhee, R. D. (2017). The extinction of Xenothrix mcgregori, Jamaica's last monkey. Journal of Mammalogy, 98(4), 937–949.
  23. ^ a b MacPhee, Ross DE, Clare Flemming, and Darrin P. Lunde. ""Last occurrence" of the Antillean insectivoran Nesophontes: new radiometric dates and their interpretation. American Museum novitates; no. 3261." (1999).
  24. ^ a b Orihuela, J., Orozco, L. P., Licourt, J. L. Á., Muñoz, R. A. V., & Barani, C. S. (2020). Late Holocene land vertebrate fauna from Cueva de los Nesofontes, Western Cuba: stratigraphy, last appearance dates, diversity and paleoecology. bioRxiv.
  25. ^ a b Orihuela, J. (2010). Late Holocene fauna from a cave deposit in Western Cuba: post-Columbian occurrence of the vampire bat Desmodus rotundus (Phyllostomidae: Desmodontinae). Caribbean Journal of Science, 46(2–3), 297–312.
  26. ^ Westermann, J.H. (1953) Nature preservation in the Caribbean: A review of literature of the destruction and preservation of flora and fauna in the Caribbean area. Foundation for Scientific Research in Surinam and the Netherlands Antilles, 106 pages.
  27. ^ a b c d e Steadman, D. W., Pregill, G. K., & Olson, S. L. (1984). Fossil vertebrates from Antigua, Lesser Antilles: evidence for late Holocene human-caused extinctions in the West Indies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 81(14), 4448–4451.
  28. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T13655A45228171.en
    . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  29. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22689738A178420953.en
    . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  30. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22687333A93148138.en
    . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  31. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22728709A94994346.en
    . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  32. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Hume, J.P. (2017) Extinct Birds. Bloomsbury Publishing, 560 pages.
  33. ^ Olson, S. L. (1974). A new species of Nesotrochis from Hispaniola, with notes on other fossil rails from the West Indies (Aves: Rallidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
  34. ^ Oswald, J. A., Terrill, R. S., Stucky, B. J., LeFebvre, M. J., Steadman, D. W., Guralnick, R. P., & Allen, J. M. (2021). Ancient DNA from the extinct Haitian cave-rail (Nesotrochis steganinos) suggests a biogeographic connection between the Caribbean and Old World. Biology letters, 17(3), 20200760.
  35. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Orihuela, J. (2019). An annotated list of Late Quaternary extinct birds of Cuba. Ornitología Neotropical, 30, 57–67.
  36. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22693594A163320186.en
    . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  37. ^ Steadman, D. W., & Takano, O. M. (2013). A late-Holocene bird community from Hispaniola: refining the chronology of vertebrate extinction in the West Indies. The Holocene, 23(7), 936–944.
  38. ^ "Eskimo Curlew Species Profile". Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  39. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22698097A132625182.en
    . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  40. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T62286255A119207935.en
    . Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  41. ^ Suárez, W., & Olson, S. L. (2020). A new fossil vulture (Cathartidae: Cathartes) from Quaternary asphalt and cave deposits in Cuba. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club, 140(3), 335-343.
  42. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T62183030A119208276.en
    . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  43. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22689353A93227732.en
  44. ^ Quote In: Lefroy, J. H. (1981). Memorials of the discovery and early settlement of the Bermudas or Somers Islands 1515–1685. Second reprinting, volume 1. Bermuda Historical Society, Hamilton, p. 330
  45. ^ BirdLife International (2020). "Campephilus principalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22681425A182588014. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  46. ^ BirdLife International. 2022. Melopyrrha grandis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T216918514A217577217. Accessed on 15 December 2022.
  47. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22708835A129654803.en
    . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  48. ^ Morgan, G. S., Albury, N. A., Rímoli, R., Lehman, P., Rosenberger, A. L., & Cooke, S. B. (2018). The Cuban crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer) from Late Quaternary underwater cave deposits in the Dominican Republic. American Museum Novitates, 2018(3916), 1-56.
  49. ^ a b Morgan, G. S., & Albury, N. A. (2013). The Cuban crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer) from late Quaternary fossil deposits in the Bahamas and Cayman Islands (pp. 161-236). University of Florida.
  50. ^ Steadman, D. W., Singleton, H. M., Delancy, K. M., Albury, N. A., Soto-Centeno, J. A., Gough, H., ... & Keegan, W. F. (2017). Late Holocene historical ecology: The timing of vertebrate extirpation on Crooked Island, Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 12(4), 572-584.
  51. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T1119A121639617.en
    . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  52. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T1120A121642128.en
    . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  53. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T11388A71739619.en
    . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  54. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T11389A71739645.en
    . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  55. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T4097A181348221.en
    . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  56. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T173001A6955940.en
    . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  57. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T1319A18967413.en
    . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  58. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T40791A71740001.en
    . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  59. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T75606372A75607979.en
    . Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  60. ^ a b c d e Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. A.G.J. Rhodin, P.C.H. Pritchard, P.P. van Dijk, R.A. Saumure, K.A. Buhlmann, J.B. Iverson, and R.A. Mittermeier, Eds. Chelonian Research Monographs (ISSN 1088-7105) No. 5, doi:10.3854/crm.5.000e.fossil.checklist.v1.2015
  61. ^ Kehlmaier, C., Barlow, A., Hastings, A. K., Vamberger, M., Paijmans, J. L., Steadman, D. W., ... & Fritz, U. (2017). Tropical ancient DNA reveals relationships of the extinct Bahamian giant tortoise Chelonoidis alburyorum. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284(1846), 20162235.
  62. ^ Viñola-López, L. W., & Almonte, J. N. (2022). Revision of the fossil land tortoises (Testudines: Testudinidae) from Hispaniola with the description of a new species. Novitates Caribaea, (20), 11-29.
  63. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T7142A172793582.en
    . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  64. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T7146A172793731.en
    . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  65. ^ Vinciguerra, R. (2009). Osservazioni su Urania sloanus (Cramer, 1779)(Lepidoptera: Uraniidae). SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterología, 37(147), 307-311.
  66. ^ Seal, West Indian Monk. Published 13 July 2004 by the American Society of Mammalogists.
  67. ^ Lourenço, W. R. (1995). The remarkable discovery of a new and extinct species of Tityus from Martinique in Lesser Antilles (Chelicerata, Scorpiones, Buthidae). Anales de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Serie Zoológica, 66(1), 27–32.
  68. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T1164A3300027.en
    . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  69. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T10815A3218955.en
    . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  70. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T10815A3218955.en
    . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  71. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T15191A4501196.en
    . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  72. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2000.RLTS.T17708A7352120.en
    . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Antillian_and_Bermudan_animals_extinct_in_the_Holocene&oldid=1207648712"