This list of South American animals extinct in the Holocene features animals known to have become extinct in the last 12,000 years on the South American continent.
Many extinction dates are unknown due to a lack of relevant information.
Common name/scientific name | Range | Image |
---|---|---|
Ahytherium aureum | Bahia, Brazil | |
Northern glyptodont Glyptotherium sp. |
Florida and Texas to northeastern Brazil | ![]() |
Holmesina majus | Minas Gerais and Ceará, Brazil | ![]() |
Lestodon armatus | Southern Brazil | |
Giant capybara Neochoerus sp. |
Middle Brazil | ![]() |
Nothrotherium maquinense | Eastern Brazil | |
Pachyarmatherium brasiliense | Eastern Brazil | ![]() |
Pampatherium sp. | Brazil | ![]() |
Panochthus tuberculatus | Luján, Buenos Aires, Argentina | ![]() |
Xenorhinotherium bahiense | North and east South America |
Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Dire wolf Aenocyon dirus |
7320-6840 BCE[4] | North America and western South America | ![]() |
Antifer ultra | c. 7950 BCE[5] | Río de la Plata Basin and central Chile | |
Arctotherium tarijense | 8470-8320 BCE[6] | Argentina | ![]() |
Arctotherium wingei | 14825-6840 BCE[7] | Northeastern South America | |
Catonyx cuvieri | 7830-7430 BCE[6] | Eastern South America | ![]() |
Highland gomphothere Cuvieronius hyodon |
9790 BCE[8] | Northern and central Andes | ![]() |
Club-tailed glyptodont Doedicurus clavicaudatus |
4765-4445 BCE[9] | South American Pampas | ![]() |
Equus neogeus | 6660-4880 BCE[10] | South America | ![]() |
Panamerican ground sloth Eremotherium laurillardi |
7800-7740 BCE[11] | Southern United States to Brazil | ![]() |
Eutatus seguini | 6389-6060 BCE[12] | Northern Argentina and Uruguay | |
Glossotherium sp. | 6810-6650 BCE[10] | South America | ![]() |
Glyptodon sp.[upper-alpha 1] | 6660-4880 BCE[10] | Eastern South America | ![]() |
Hippidion saldiasi | 8059 BCE[14] | Eastern South America | ![]() |
Hoplophorus euphractus | 6660-4880 BCE[10] | Eastern Brazil | ![]() |
Macrauchenia patachonica | 9381-9281 BCE[15] | Southwestern South America | ![]() |
Giant ground sloth Megatherium americanum |
5270-4310 BCE[9] | Temperate South America and the Andes | ![]() |
Morenelaphus brachyceros | 8050-5845 BCE[16] | Temperate South America | |
Darwin's ground sloth Mylodon darwini |
6689 BCE[17] | Pampas and Patagonia | ![]() |
Neosclerocalyptus paskoensis | 5120 BCE[13] | Southern South America | ![]() |
Lowland gomphothere Notiomastodon platensis |
4170-4050 BCE[18] | South America | ![]() |
Stout-legged llama Palaeolama major |
6660-4880 BCE[10] | North and east South America | |
Patagonian panther Panthera onca mesembrina |
9705-9545 BCE[6] | Patagonia | ![]() |
Propraopus sulcatus | 6660-4880 BCE[10] | Eastern South America | |
Scelidodon chiliensis | 7160-6760 BCE[10] | Western South America | |
Scelidotherium leptocephalum | 5660-5540 BCE[19] | Southern South America | ![]() |
South American saber-toothed cat Smilodon populator |
7330-7030 BCE[10] | Eastern South America | ![]() |
Toxodon platensis | 4650-1450 BCE[10] | South America | ![]() |
Valgipes bucklandi | 9110-9030 BCE[20] | Intertropical region of Brazil[1] | ![]() |
Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Red-bellied gracile opossum Cryptonanus ignitus |
1962[21] | Jujuy, Argentina | |
Giant vampire bat Desmodus draculae |
1675-1755[22] | Eastern South America | |
Falkland Islands wolf Dusicyon australis |
1876[23] | Falkland Islands | ![]() |
Dusicyon avus | 1454-1626[24] | Argentina and Uruguay | |
Candango mouse Juscelinomys candango |
1960[25] | Brasilia, Brazil | ![]() |
Galápagos giant rat Megaoryzomys curioi |
1520-1950[26] | Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador | |
Caribbean monk seal Neomonachus tropicalis |
17th century[27] | Caribbean Sea, Bahamas, and Gulf of Mexico | ![]() |
Darwin's Galápagos mouse Nesoryzomys darwini |
1930[28] | Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador | |
Indefatigable Galápagos mouse Nesoryzomys indefessus |
1934[29] | Santa Cruz and Baltra, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador | |
Vespucci's giant rat Noronhomys vespuccii |
1503[30] | Fernando de Noronha Island, Brazil |
Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range |
---|---|---|
Zuniga's dark rice rat Melanomys zunigae |
1949[31] | Lomas de Atocongo, near Lima, Peru |
One-striped opossum Monodelphis unistriata |
1899[32] | Southeastern Brazil and northeastern Argentina |
Pacific degu Octodon pacificus |
1994[33] | Mocha Island, Chile |
Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Niceforo's pintail Anas georgica niceforoi |
1952[34] | Central Colombia | |
Magdalena tinamou Crypturellus erythropus saltuarius |
1990s[34] | Magdalena River Valley, Colombia | |
Darwin's ground finch Geospiza magnirostris magnirostris |
1835[34] | Floreana and San Cristóbal, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador | ![]() |
Antioquia brown-banded antpitta Grallaria milleri gilesi |
1878[34] | Santa Helena, Antioquia Department, Colombia | |
Bogotá sunangel Heliantelus zusii |
1909[34] | Northern Andes? | |
Alagoas foliage-gleaner Philydor novaesi |
2011[34] | Alagoas and Pernambuco, Brazil | |
Colombian grebe Podiceps andinus |
1977[35] | Bogotá wetlands, Colombia | |
San Cristóbal flycatcher Pyrocephalus dubius |
1987[36] | San Cristóbal, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador | |
Alejandro Selkirk Island firecrown Sephanoides fernandensis leyboldi |
1908[34] | Alejandro Selkirk Island?, Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile | ![]() |
Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Glaucous macaw Anodorhynchus glaucus |
2001[37] | Border area of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay | ![]() |
Letitia's thorntail Discosura letitiae |
1852[34] | Bolivia | ![]() |
Turquoise-throated puffleg Eriocnemis godini |
1850[38] | Northern Ecuador | ![]() |
Eskimo curlew Numenius borealis |
1939[39] | Northwestern Canada and Alaska, and Southern Cone | ![]() |
Sinú parakeet Pyrrhura subandina |
1949[40] | Sinú Valley, Córdoba Department, Colombia |
Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range | Reintroduction | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|
Spix's macaw Cyanopsitta spixii |
2000[41] | Sao Francisco River, Bahia, Brazil | ![]() | |
Alagoas curassow Mitu mitu |
1988[42] | Alagoas and Pernambuco, Brazil | 2019[43] | ![]() |
Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Pinta Island tortoise Chelonoidis abingdonii |
2012[44] | Pinta, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador | ![]() |
Floreana giant tortoise Chelonoidis niger |
c. 1850[45] | Floreana, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador | ![]() |
Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range |
---|---|---|
Maracay harlequin frog Atelopus vogli |
1957[46] | Güey River, Aragua, Venezuela |
Spiny-knee leaf frog Phrynomedusa fimbriata |
1898[47] | Paranapiacaba, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil |
Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range |
---|---|---|
Green and red venter harlequin toad Atelopus pinangoi |
1997[48] | Mérida state, Venezuela |
Aragua robber frog Pristimantis anotis |
1974[49] | Henri Pittier National Park, Aragua, Venezuela |
Chile Darwin's frog Rhinoderma rufum |
1981[50] | Valparaíso and Biobío Regions, Chile |
Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Galápagos damsel Azurina eupalama |
1982-1983[51] | Galápagos Islands, Ecuador | ![]() |
Titicaca orestias Orestias cuvieri |
unknown[52] | Lake Titicaca | ![]() |
Greasefish Rhizosomichthys totae |
1958[53] | Tota Lake, Colombia | ![]() |
Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range |
---|---|---|
24-rayed sunstar Heliaster solaris |
1983[54] | Galápagos Islands, Ecuador |
Common name/scientific name | Range |
---|---|
Megadytes ducalis | Brazil[55] |
Rhantus orbignyi | Argentina and Brazil[56] |
Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range |
---|---|---|
Rhinodrilus fafner | 1912[57] | Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil |
Common name/scientific name | Range | Image |
---|---|---|
Littoridina gaudichaudii | Ecuador[58] | ![]() |
Megalobulimus cardosoi | Brazil[59] | |
Tomigerus gibberulus | Brazil[60] | |
Tomigerus turbinatus | Brazil[61] | ![]() |
Common name/scientific name | Range |
---|---|
Aylacostoma chloroticum | Paraná River[62] |
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