In ecology and conservation biology, extinction and extirpation are distinct but related processes describing biodiversity loss at different spatial scales. Extinction denotes the complete and irreversible disappearance of a species, subspecies, or other taxon from the entire planet, eliminating its genetic lineage and ecological functions globally. Extirpation, by contrast, refers to the local or regional disappearance of a taxon from a specific area while it persists elsewhere within its range. These processes are quantified using demographic, distributional, and phylogenetic data, and are central topics in assessing population viability, metapopulation dynamics, habitat fragmentation effects, and the design of conservation and reintroduction strategies.
University of Queensland researchers say Australia's reptiles are at risk of extinction because a little understood fungus is infecting species throughout the environment. Associate Professor Celine Frere from UQ's School ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 3, 2026
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More than 150 giant tortoises have been reintroduced to Floreana Island in Ecuador's famed Galapagos archipelago where they disappeared more than a century ago, the environment ministry said Friday.
Ecology
Feb 21, 2026
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72
New research has revealed the biggest threats driving species toward extinction in northern San José, Costa Rica. Led by Newcastle University, the study found that the greatest potential to reduce species extinction risk ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 16, 2026
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Imagine an asteroid striking Earth and wiping out most of the human population. Even if some lucky people survived the impact, Homo sapiens might still face extinction, because the social networks humans rely on would collapse.
Plants & Animals
Feb 5, 2026
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Less than a year ago, United States company Colossal Biosciences announced it had "resurrected" the dire wolf, a megafauna-hunting wolf species that had been extinct for 10,000 years.
Ecology
Feb 2, 2026
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22
Mass extinctions are extremely catastrophic events on Earth. Throughout Earth's evolutionary history, numerous mass extinctions have occurred, with five major mass extinctions being particularly representative. These extinctions ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 27, 2026
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It might be less visible than dwindling lion populations or vanishing pandas, but the quiet crisis of small mammal extinction is arguably worse for biodiversity. These species are crucial indicators of environmental health, ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 27, 2026
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125
Millions of years of isolation have shaped Australia's extraordinary mammal fauna into species unlike anywhere else in the world, from platypus to koalas and wombats. Tragically, Australia is the world leader in mammal extinctions.
Plants & Animals
Jan 25, 2026
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The asteroid that struck the Earth 66 million years ago devastated life across the planet, wiping out the dinosaurs and other organisms in a hail of fire and catastrophic climate change. But new research shows that it also ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 22, 2026
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193
Citizen science platforms, including iNaturalist, are leading to major new discoveries and are becoming crucial to the work of scientists. How do we make them even better?
Plants & Animals
Jan 19, 2026
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