The Zoological Society of London has announced a campaign to help prevent the extinctions of EDGE species: “Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered.”
The slender loris or vangu, a shy nocturnal primate. Loris tardigradus malabaricus
Articles abour the EDGE campaign: The Gaurdian MSNBC January 16, 2007
Breaking News -- heartbreaking:
"A Fellow Mammal Leaves the Planet" December 26, 2006
"Yangtze dolphin extinct" August 8, 2007
Yangtze River dolphin, Lipotes vexillifer, commonly called baiji, considered gone forever.
“It is of interest to note that while some dolphins are reported to have learned English -- up to fifty words used in correct context -- no human being has been reported to have learned dolphinese.” ~Carl Sagan
How many species are going extinct?
The Independent January 2, 2007 provides current estimates.
Mass Extinction Underway
Possibly the most comprehensive listing of links to sites about extinctions available.
Earth Witness Community
Lists of extinct species
N.C. Heywood's research on extinctions.
Color-coded charts and graphs explain pre-historic and historic (1650 to present) extinctions.
The Typewrtten Book of the Not-So-Grateful Dead.
Entertaining essays about specific recently-extinct species. The ivory-billed woodpecker has been found again since this essay was written.
Articles:
"Mass extinction rate 'faster than dinosaurs'" May 2, 2006
"The Sixth Great Extinction" March 2, 2004
The World Resources Institute:
"Species extinctions: Causes and consequences"
"A history of extinction"
"Losses of biodiversity and their causes"
"Mechanisms for the loss of biodiversity"
North American extinctions after invasion by Homo sapiens:
Overkill hypothesis
"A Multispecies Overkill Simulation of the End-Pleistocene Megafaunal Mass Extinction"
by John Alroy Published in Science June 8, 2001
Australian extinctions after invasion by Homo sapiens:
"Half-million year fossil record exonerates climate change as cause of megafauna extinction" December 22, 2006
"Ancient people sparked die-offs down under." January 9, 1999
"Humans ‘killed’ prehistoric kangaroos" December 27, 2006
"Researchers: Giant, prehistoric animals in Australia likely driven to extinction by humans" December 26. 2006
Previous mass extinctions:
"Fifth Worst Mass Extinction Linked to Asteroid Impact" May 11, 2001
"Marine Life Leaped From Simple to Complex After Greatest Mass Extinction" November 26, 2006