Extinction
Find out everything there is to know about extinction and stay updated on the latest extinction news with the comprehensive articles, interactive features and pictures at LiveScience. Learn more about amazing discoveries scientists are making as they uncover the causes and other details of mass extinctions throughout history.
Latest about Extinct Species
32,000-year-old mummified woolly rhino half-eaten by predators unearthed in Siberia
By Sascha Pare published
Researchers found the carcass in August 2020 in Russia's Sakha Republic, and the discovery has revealed a never-before-seen characteristic of woolly rhinos: a fatty hump on the animal's back.
Pollen allergies drove woolly mammoths to extinction, study claims
By Sascha Pare published
A boom in vegetation at the end of the last ice age may have created so much pollen, it blocked mammoths' sense of smell. A new study suggests this drove the beasts to extinction, but not everyone agrees.
Duck-billed dino with absolutely enormous honker unearthed in Mexico
By Sierra Bouchér published
The newly named dinosaur is unique to Mexico, and it's helping change scientists' understanding of dinosaur ranges across the Americas.
80 million-year-old sea monster jaw filled with giant globular teeth for crushing prey discovered in Texas
By Richard Pallardy published
Rare fossils of the mosasaur Globidens alabamaensis — a 20 foot predator with strange, mushroom-shaped teeth — unearthed in northeastern Texas.
Fossils of bone-crushing and meat-slashing Tasmanian tiger ancestors discovered in Australia
By Sierra Bouchér published
Three newfound thylacine relatives recently unearthed in Australia suggest that marsupial predators were more widespread in ancient Australia than previously thought.
Tasmanian tiger: Facts about the extinct thylacine
By Tia Ghose published
Discover interesting facts about where the Tasmanian tiger lived, what it ate, why and when it went extinct, and whether we could ever bring one back.
Woolly mammoths: Facts about these extinct, shaggy beasts that once roamed the Arctic
By Tia Ghose last updated
The woolly mammoth, a cousin of today's elephants, died out about 10,000 years ago. It may be possible to bring them back by cloning, but should we?
'Closer than people think': Woolly mammoth 'de-extinction' is nearing reality — and we have no idea what happens next
By Sascha Pare published
Scientists are getting very close to bringing a few iconic species, like woolly mammoths and dodos, back from extinction. That may not be a good thing.
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