Endangered Quaternery Animals
The Quaternary period is the time when most animals on land became extinct; the changing climate and overkill by humans meant that many large mammals, like the woolly mammoth and saber-toothed tiger, were wiped out. A number of mammal families date back to the Quaternary period, and some species still survive but face endangerment.
African Elephant
Some piano keys are made of ivory from the African elephant's trunk.
During the Quaternary period, many species of mammals became extinct in Africa, particularly because the first humans originated from the continent. Several species of elephants became extinct, including Loxodonta adaurora and Elephas recki. The African elephant (known as Loxodonta Africana) is today the largest land animal on earth and lives in Central and South Africa. It's endangered because of habitat loss and poaching; their ivory tusks are used in jewelry and piano keys, while their meat is used by local people. Although ivory trade has been banned since 1989, the black market for trading can be very profitable, which is why the African elephant is endangered.
Fin, Sei and Blue Whale
Whales and sharks dominated the seas during the Quaternary period, usually hunting for otter, seal and other fish. During the climate change of the period many species of whales became extinct because the animals they ate didn't survive the changing climate. Today three types of whales are considered endangered species; the fin whale, Sei whale and blue whale. Although they were rarely targeted by hunters in early times, with technology today they are being over-killed. The whales' threat also comes from seismic operations, entanglement in fishing nets and pollution.
Rhinoceroses
The rhinoceros species can be traced back to Northern Eurasia, and as land masses changed, they eventually settled in Africa. Species like the woolly rhinoceros and Merk's rhinoceros became extinct during the Quaternary period, and those species of rhinos that have survived are facing extinction today. The black rhinoceros and white rhinoceros live in very small numbers in Africa. Their numbers have fallen dramatically in the last three centuries mainly due to loss of habitat and hunting. Asia has a large black market for rhino horns, which are ground up and used in traditional medicines. According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, less than 3,000 black rhinos survive in the world, meaning they are very close to extinction.
Pygmy Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus gorgops, a giant hippopotamus, became extinct as the climate changed in Africa at the start of the Ice Age. The pygmy hippopotamus is a descendant species of the animal that is very much endangered. It only lives in Liberia, Guinea and the Ivory Coast (West Africa). The loss of their habitat due to the timber industry has kept their numbers extremely low in the wild, especially since they prefer swampy forests for their home. They are often killed by local people because of the damage their teeth do to riverside gardens. An estimated 2,000 or fewer pygmy hippopotamuses are left in the wild, according to Smithsonian National Zoological Park.
Tags: became extinct, Quaternary period, African elephant, black market, changing climate
