List of Antillian and Bermudan animals extinct in the Holocene explained

This is a list of Antillian and Bermudan animals extinct in the Holocene that covers extinctions from the Holocene epoch, a geologic epoch that began about 11,650 years before present (about 9700 BCE) and continues to the present day.[1] This list includes the Antilles archipelago and the Bermuda Islands, collectively known as the West Indies.

The indigenous fauna of the West Indies collapsed in the Late Quaternary, with the rate of extinction for terrestrial mammals approaching 79-84%, one of the highest in the world. However, and in stark contrast to the American continent, radiocarbon dating indicates that mammals survived the end of the Pleistocene with no apparent, or minimal losses despite localized sea level rise and climate change, though the same caused some bird extirpations and extinctions on the Bahamas.

The indigenous peoples of the Caribbean arrived in the middle Holocene and introduced guinea pigs, agoutis, and Native American dogs. While they accelerated the process, it was still not to the extent predicted by the "blitzkrieg" model of Pleistocene extinctions. For example, Caribbean sloths coexisted with humans for up to 400 years, even the largest species, which might indicate that they weren't commonly hunted. Some rodents, like the Puerto Rican hutia and Desmarest's hutia, and even flightless birds like the Antillean cave rail adapted well to human predation and were introduced to new islands by humans. European colonization, beginning with the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, brought in Old World rats, mice, domestic animals, and large-scale 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.

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 nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Cuban sloth[2] Acratocnus antillensisCubaMost recent remains dated to 5050-4050 BCE.
Puerto Rican slothAcratocnus odontrigonusPuerto RicoMost recent remains dated to 1738–1500 BCE. However this date was not obtained directly from bones, nor calibrated, and the remains could be older.[3]
Haitian Macaya slothAcratocnus yeHispaniolaMost recent remains dated to 8540–1590 BCE (uncalibrated age).
Cuban giant slothMegalocnus rodensCubaMost recent remains dated to 2280-2200 BCE.
Lesser Haitian ground slothNeocnus comesHispaniolaMost recent remains dated to 2480–2400 BCE.
Haitian pine forest slothNeocnus dousmanMost recent remains dated to 5226-5156 BCE.[4]
Cuban rodent-like slothNeocnus gliriformisCubaMost recent remains dated to 5050-4050 BCE.
Neocnus majorKnown from remains dating to either the late Pleistocene or early Holocene. Possibly a synonym of N. gliriformis, with differences owing to sexual dimorphism, but this is rejected by other researchers.
Haitian rak bwa slothNeocnus toupitiMassif de la Hotte, HaitiMost recent remains dated to 8540–1590 BCE (uncalibrated age).
Matthew's ground slothParocnus browniiCubaMost recent remains dated to 3290-2730 BCE.
Parocnus dominicanusSoutheastern Dominican RepublicKnown from remains dating to either the late Pleistocene or early Holocene.[5]
Greater Haitian ground slothParocnus serusHispaniola, Tortuga, and Gonâve IslandMost recent remains dated to 8540–1590 BCE (uncalibrated age).

Rodents (order Rodentia)

Neotropical spiny rats (family Echimyidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Oriente cave ratBoromys offellaCubaExtinct after European contact.
Torre's cave ratBoromys torreiPossibly extinct after European contact.
Brotomys contractusHispaniola
Hispaniolan edible ratBrotomys voratusMost recent remains dated to 1550-1670 CE.
Capromys latusCubaExtinct in the late Pleistocene or early Holocene.
Capromys pilorides lewisiGrand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, Cayman IslandsMost 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.
Geocapromys caymanensisGrand Cayman and Cayman Brac, Cayman IslandsMost recently dated at Cayman Brac to 666-857 CE.[6]
Cuban coneyGeocapromys columbianusCubaExtinct after European contact.
Little Swan Island hutiaGeocapromys thoracatusLittle Swan Island, HondurasLast 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.[7]
Geocapromys pleistocenicusCubaExtinct after European contact.
Antillean cave ratHeteropsomys antillensisPuerto RicoPossibly extinct after European contact.
Insular cave ratHeteropsomys insulansMost recent remains dated to 772–870 CE.
Imposter hutiaHexolobodon phenaxHispaniolaExtinct after European contact.
Hexolobodon sp.Southern HispaniolaPossibly extinct after European contact.
Montane hutiaIsolobodon montanusHispaniolaExtinct after European contact.
Puerto Rican hutiaIsolobodon portoricensisHispaniola and GonâveRemains most recently dated to 1270-1390 CE, but likely disappeared after European contact. It was domesticated to some extent by Native Americans and introduced to Puerto Rico, Mona Island, Vieques, and the Virgin Islands. Likely one of the animals mentioned by Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés in 1535.
Macrocapromys acevedoCubaMost recent remains dated to around 450 BCE.
Mesocapromys barbouriExtinct in the late Pleistocene or early Holocene.
Mesocapromys beatrizae
Mesocapromys gracilis
Mesocapromys kraglievichiMost recent remains dated after around 450 BCE.
Mesocapromys minimusExtinct in the late Pleistocene or early Holocene.
Plagiodontia araeumHispaniolaExtinct in the Holocene.
Samana hutiaPlagiodontia ipnaeumExtinct after European contact.
Lemke's hutiaRhizoplagiodontia lemkeiMassif de la Hotte, Haiti
Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Dwarf hutiaMesocapromys nanusCiénaga de Zapata, CubaLast 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.[8]
San Felipe hutiaMesocapromys sanfelipensisKey Juan García, CubaLast 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.[9]

Giant hutias (family Heptaxodontidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Plate-toothed giant hutiaElasmodontomys obliquusPuerto RicoMost recent remains dated to 511–407 BCE.[10]
Twisted-toothed mouseQuemisia gravisHispaniolaExtinct after European contact. Although not dated, remains were found along with introduced Rattus and there are probable references to it in early colonial literature.
Tainotherium valeiPuerto RicoKnown 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.[11]
Diminute Jamaican hutiaXaymaca fulvopulvisJamaicaMost recent remains dated to 9390–8220 BCE.

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

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Barbuda giant rice ratMegalomys audreyaeBarbudaMost recent remains dated to 1173–1385 CE.
Martinique giant rice ratMegalomys desmarestiiMartiniqueLast recorded in 1897. Presumed to have become extinct as a result of mongoose predation, or the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée.[12]
Saint Lucia giant rice ratMegalomys luciaeSaint LuciaLast recorded before 1881. Likely extinct because of predation by introduced mongooses.[13]
Megalomys sp.AnguillaExtinct after European contact.
Megalomys sp.Antigua
Saint Vincent pygmy rice ratOligoryzomys victusSaint VincentLast recorded before 1892. Probably extinct due to predation by introduced black rats, brown rats, or mongooses.[14]
Jamaican rice ratOryzomys antillarumJamaicaLast recorded in 1877, five years after the introduction of mongooses.[15]
Oryzomys curasoaeCuraçaoExtinct after European contact.
Oryzomys hypenemusAntigua and Barbuda
Oryzomys sp.BarbadosLast recorded before 1890.
Oryzomys spp.GrenadaTwo different species extinct after European contact.
Nevis rice ratPennatomys nivalisSaint Kitts and Nevis and Sint EustatiusDescribed 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.[16]

Primates (order Primates)

Titis, sakis, and uakaris (family Pitheciidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Hispaniola monkeyAntillothrix bernensisHispaniolaMost 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.[17]
La Hotte monkeyInsulacebus toussaintianaMassif de la Hotte, HaitiDescribed from undated remains, but presumed to be late Holocene because of its state of conservation similar to the other species.[18]
Jamaican monkeyXenothrix mcgregoriJamaicaMost recent remains dated to 439–473 CE.[19]

True insectivores (order Eulipotyphla)

West Indies shrews (family Nesophontidae)

-- sortable-->"Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Puerto Rican nesophontesNesophontes edithaePuerto RicoMost recently dated to 1015–1147 CE but believed extinct after European contact. No nesophontes species was hunted as they were too small.
Cayman nesophontesNesophontes hemicingulusGrand Cayman and Cayman Brac, Cayman IslandsMost recently dated at Cayman Brac to 666–857 CE but believed extinct after European contact.
Atalaye nesophontesNesophontes hypomicrusHispaniolaMost recently dated to 1175–1295 CE[20] but believed extinct after European contact.
Greater Cuban nesophontesNesophontes majorCubaMost recent remains dated to around 10 BCE at Cueva de los Nesofontes, but believed extinct after European contact.
Western Cuban nesophontesNesophontes micrusMost recently dated to 1310–1410 CE but believed extinct after European contact.
St. Michel nesophontesNesophontes paramicrusHispaniolaMost recently dated to 1265–1400 CE but believed extinct after European contact.
Haitian nesophontesNesophontes zamicrusMost recently dated to 1295–1430 CE but believed extinct after European contact.

Solenodons (family Solenodontidae)

-- sortable-->"Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Giant solenodonSolenodon arredondoiCubaExtinct in the late Pleistocene or early Holocene.
Marcano's solenodonSolenodon marcanoiHispaniolaExtinct after European contact.

Bats (order Chiroptera)

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

Locally extinct

Leaf-nosed bats (family Phyllostomidae)

-- sortable-->"Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Anthony's fruit-eating batArtibeus anthonyiCubaMost recent remains dated to 1957–1993 CE.[21]
Puerto Rican long-nosed batMonophyllus plethodon fraterPuerto RicoPossibly extinct between 1851 and 1900 as a result of extensive clearing for agriculture.[22]
Puerto Rican flower batPhyllonycteris majorPuerto Rico and AntiguaMost recent remains dated to around 1500 BCE at Burma Quarry, Antigua.[23]
Lesser falcate-winged batPhyllops vetusCuba and JuventudMost recent remains dated to around 10 BCE at Cueva de los Nesofontes, Cuba.[24]
Locally extinct

Carnivorans (order Carnivora)

Earless seals (family Phocidae)

Birds (class Aves)

Nightjars (order Caprimulgiformes)

Typical nightjars (family Caprimulgidae)

Possibly extinct

Swifts, treeswifts, and hummingbirds (order Apodiformes)

Hummingbirds (family Trochillidae)

-- sortable-->"Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Brace's emeraldRiccordia braceiNew Providence, BahamasOnly 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.[27]
Gould's emeraldRiccordia elegansunknown; possibly Jamaica or the northern BahamasOnly known from the holotype collected in 1860. The reasons of extinction are unknown.[28]

Pigeons and doves (order Columbiformes)

Pigeons and doves (family Columbidae)

Rails and cranes (order Gruiformes)

Rails (family Rallidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Jamaican wood railAmaurolimnas concolor concolorJamaicaLast 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.
Antillean cave railNesotrochis debooyiPuerto RicoDescribed from subfossil remains in Pre-Columbian kitchen middens, though a 1943 report of a "flightless hen" in Virgin Gorda could have been this species.[29] It was introduced to Mona and the Virgin Islands by indigenous peoples.
Cuban cave railNesotrochis picapicensisCubaMost recent remains dated to near European arrival.
Haitian cave railNesotrochis steganinosHispaniolaMost recent remains dated to 5474-5339 BCE.[30]

Cranes (family Gruidae)

Shorebirds (order Charadriiformes)

Thick-knees (family Burhinidae)

Locally extinct

Sandpipers (family Scolopacidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Bahama snipeGallinago kakukiGreater Antilles, Bahamas, and CaymansKnown from Late Quaternary remains.
Hispaniola woodcockScolopax brachycarpaHispaniolaMost recent remains at Trouing Jean Paul, Haiti dated to 1270–1380 CE.[34]
Possibly extinct

Albatrosses and petrels (order Procellariiformes)

Petrels and shearwaters (family Procellariidae)

Possibly extinct

Storks and allies (order Ciconiiformes)

Storks (family Ciconiidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Asphalt storkCiconia lydekkeriContiguous United States to ArgentinaKnown from Late Quaternary remains in Cienfuegos, Cuba.
Ciconia sp.Las Breas de San Felipe, Matanzas, CubaRemains not dated directly; the site is dated to 10350-2730 BCE.
Wetmore's storkMycteria wetmoreiSouthern United States and CubaRemains found in San Felipe along with Ciconia sp.

Pelicans, herons, and ibises (order Pelecaniformes)

Herons (family Ardeidae)

Locally extinct

New World vultures (order Cathartiformes)

New World vultures and condors (family Cathartidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Emslie's vultureCathartes emslieiCubaMost 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.[38]
cf. Cathartes sp.A different Late Quaternary species, likely belonging to another genus.
Cuban condorGymnogyps varonaiKnown from Late Quaternary remains.

Teratorns (family Teratornithidae)

Hawks and relatives (order Accipitriformes)

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

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Woodward's eagleAmplibuteo woodwardiCalifornia to Florida and the CaribbeanKnown from Late Quaternary remains.
Bermuda hawkBermuteo avivorusBermudaLast recorded in 1603. Possibly extinct due to hunting and predation by introduced mammals including feral pigs.[39]
Cuban titan-hawkButeogallus borrasiCubaMost recent remains dated to 5050-4050 BCE.
Suarez's giant eagleGigantohierax suareziKnown from Late Quaternary remains.
Locally extinct
-- sortable-->"Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsImages
Red-shouldered hawkButeo lineatusNortheastern Mexico, eastern United States and Canada, Cuba, and Bahamas Extirpated from the Caribbean, where they are known from Late Quaternary remains.
Black-chested buzzard-eagleGeranoaetus melanoleucusSouth America and Cuba

Owls (order Strigiformes)

True owls (family Strigidae)

-- sortable-->"Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Bermuda saw-whet owlAegolius gradyiBermudaLast recorded in 1609–1610. Likely extinct due to habitat destruction and introduced predatory mammals.[40]
Antiguan burrowing owlAthene cunicularia amauraAntigua and BarbudaExtinct in the late 19th century.[41]
Guadeloupe burrowing owlAthene cunicularia guadeloupensis Guadeloupe
Cuban horned owlBubo osvaldoiCubaKnown from Late Quaternary remains.
Cuban cursorial owlOrnimegalonyx oteroiMost recent remains dated to 5050-4050 BCE. 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.
Cuban spectacled owlPulsatrix arredondoiMost recent remains dated to 530–590 CE.
Possibly extinct

Barn-owls (family Tytonidae)

-- sortable-->"Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Puerto Rican barn owlTyto cavaticaPuerto RicoDescribed from subfossil remains. 1912 reports of cave-nesting owls may refer to this species.
Noel's barn owlTyto noeliCuba, Jamaica, and BarbudaMost recent remains at Drum Cave, Jamaica dated to 1900–1600 BCE. Extinct due to deforestation, invasive animals, and loss of prey.
Hispaniolan giant barn owlTyto ostologaHaiti and southern Dominican RepublicA 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.
Bahaman giant barn owlTyto pollensCuba and BahamasDescribed from subfossil remains but may have survived until the 16th century.
Tyto sp.Pinar del Río, CubaA small, undescribed species known from Late Quaternary remains.

Falcons (order Falconiformes)

Falcons and caracaras (family Falconidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Bahaman caracaraCaracara creightoniCuba and BahamasMost recent remains dated in Bahamas to 470-410 BCE, and in Cuba to 290-430 CE.
Cuban kestrelFalco kurochkiniCubaKnown from Late Quaternary remains.
Milvago carboKnown from Late Quaternary remains at the San Felipe tar pits.
Milvago sp.Similar to the Yellow-headed caracara. Known from fragmentary Late Quaternary remains at the San Felipe tar pits.
Locally extinct

Woodpeckers and allies (order Piciformes)

Woodpeckers (family Picidae)

Possibly extinct

Parrots (order Psittaciformes)

Holotropical parrots (family Psittacidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Aruba amazonAmazona barbadensis canifronsArubaPresumed 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.
Martinique amazonAmazona martinicanaMartiniqueLast recorded in 1779. They were intensely hunted for their meat.
Guadeloupe amazonAmazona violaceaGuadeloupe
Culebra Island amazonAmazona vittata gracilipesCulebra Island of Puerto RicoLast 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.
Amazona sp.AntiguaMost recent remains dated to around 1500 BCE at Burma Quarry.
St. Croix macawAra autocthonesPuerto Rico and Saint CroixKnown from pre-Columbian subfossil remains.[44]
Lesser Antillean macawAra guadeloupensisGuadeloupeLast 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.
Martinique macawAra martinicusMartiniqueHypothetical species only known from a short 1630s description by 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.
Cuban macawAra tricolorCuba and JuventudLast 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.
Guadeloupe parakeetPsittacara labatiGuadeloupeLast recorded in 1742. The causes of extinction are unknown.
Puerto Rican parakeetPsittacara maugeiPuerto Rico, Vieques, and Mona IslandLast collected on Mona in 1892.

Perching birds (order Passeriformes)

Chat-tanagers (family Calyptophilidae)

Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Gonâve eastern chat-tanagerCalyptophilus frugivorus abbottiGonâve Island, HaitiLast recorded in 1977. Likely extinct due to deforestation.
Samaná eastern chat-tanagerCalyptophilus frugivorus frugivorusSamaná Peninsula, Dominican RepublicLast recorded in 1982. Likely extinct due to deforestation.

Tanagers (family Thraupidae)

Possibly extinct

Swallows (family Hirundinidae)

Possibly extinct

New World blackbirds (family Icteridae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Dolichonyx kruegeriCubaKnown 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.
Grand Cayman orioleIcterus leucopteryx bairdiGrand Cayman, Cayman IslandsLast recorded in 1967.

Wrens (family Troglodytidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Guadeloupe house wrenTroglodytes aedon guadeloupensisGuadeloupeLast recorded in 1973. Extinct due to deforestation.
Martinique house wrenTroglodytes aedon martinicensisMartiniqueLast collected in 1886. The causes of extinction are unknown.

New World warblers (family Parulidae)

Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
New Providence yellowthroatGeothlypis rostrata rostrataNew Providence, BahamasLast recorded in the 1990s.
Semper's warblerLeucopeza semperiSaint Lucia mountainsLast recorded in 1961. Likely extinct due to predation by the small Indian mongoose.
Bachman's warblerVermivora bachmaniiSoutheastern United States and CubaLast confirmed record in Cuba in 1984, though unconfirmed footage was taken in Guardalavaca in 2002. Declined due to habitat loss caused by deforestation and marshland draining, followed by intensive hunting by bird collectionists as it became rare.

Reptiles (class Reptilia)

Crocodilians (order Crocodilia)

Crocodiles (family Crocodylidae)

Locally extinct

Squamates (order Squamata)

Whiptails (family Teiidae)

Possibly extinct

Curly-tailed lizards (family Leiocephalidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Leeward Islands curlytailLeiocephalus cuneusAntigua and BarbudaMost recent remains dated to around 1500 BCE at Burma Quarry, Antigua.
Navassa curly-tailed lizardLeiocephalus eremitusNavassa IslandNot recorded since its description in 1868. The causes of extinction are unknown.[52]
Martinique curlytail lizardLeiocephalus herminieriMartiniqueLast collected in 1837. The causes of extinction are unknown.[53]

Galliwasps (family Diploglossidae)

Possibly extinct

Anoles (family Dactyloidae)

Possibly extinct

Colubrid snakes (family Colubridae)

Possibly extinct

Dwarf boas (family Tropidophiidae)

Possibly extinct

Turtles and tortoises (order Testudines)

Tortoises (family Testudinidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Abaco tortoiseChelonoidis alburyorumAbaco Islands, BahamasMost recent remains dated to around 1170 AD.[59]
Cuban giant tortoiseChelonoidis cubensisCubaMost recent remains dated to 5050-4050 BCE.[60]
Chelonoidis gersoniHispaniolaKnown from remains from the late Pleistocene or early Holocene.[61]
Chelonoidis marcanoi
Mona tortoiseChelonoidis monensisMona Island of Puerto RicoMost recent remains dated to around 1050 BCE.[62]
Caicos giant tortoiseChelonoidis sp.Middle CaicosMost recent remains dated to around 1400 CE.
Turks tortoiseChelonoidis sp.Grand Turk IslandMost recent remains dated to around 1200 CE.

Amphibians (class Amphibia)

Frogs (order Anura)

Rain frogs (family Eleutherodactylidae)

Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Golden coquíEleutherodactylus jasperiSierra de Cayey, Puerto RicoLast recorded in 1981. Probably declined due to chytridiomycosis and less likely to predation by introduced black rats.[63]
Web-footed coquíEleutherodactylus karlschmidtiPuerto Rican mountainsLast 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)

Arachnids (class Arachnida)

Scorpions (order Scorpiones)

Slugs and snails (class Gastropoda)

Scientific nameRange
Amphicyclotulus guadeloupensisGuadeloupe[68]
Incerticyclus cinereusMartinique[69]
Incerticyclus martinicensisMartinique[70]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Walker . Mike . Johnsen . Sigfus . Rasmussen . Sune Olander . Popp . Trevor . Steffensen . Jorgen-Peder . Gibrard . Phil . Hoek . Wim . Lowe . John . Andrews . John . Bjo Rck . Svante . Cwynar . Les C. . Hughen . Konrad . Kersahw . Peter . Kromer . Bernd . Litt . Thomas . 2009 . Formal definition and dating of the GSSP (Global Stratotype Section and Point) for the base of the Holocene using the Greenland NGRIP ice core, and selected auxiliary records . live . . 24 . 1 . 3–17 . 2009JQS....24....3W . 10.1002/jqs.1227 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131104131948/http://www.stratigraphy.org/GSSP/Holocene.pdf . 2013-11-04 . 2022-04-24 . free . David J. . Lowe . Takeshi . Nakagawa . Rewi . Newnham . Jakob . Schwander.
  2. 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.
  3. Book: Turvey, Sam. Holocene extinctions. 2009. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-953509-5. 29 February 2012.
  4. de Alvarenga Araujo, B. B. (2013) Pleistocene-Holocene extinctions: distinguishing between anthropic and climatic causes.
  5. 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).
  6. 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.
  7. Turvey, S.T. . Helgen, K. . 2018 . Geocapromys thoracatus . 2018 . e.T9003A22186735 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T9003A22186735.en . 8 August 2021.
  8. Young, R. . Kennerley, R. . Turvey, S.T. . Borotto-Páez, R. . 2020 . Mesocapromys nanus . 2018 . 2020 . e.T13217A166518354 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T13217A166518354.en . 8 August 2021.
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