Anthropocene

Anthropogenic Recovery/Brink of Extinction

California Condor

Ink on paper (2022)

Anthropogenic Extinction/Cascading Effects

Passenger Pigeon/American Burying Beetle

Ink on paper (2021)

Passenger pigeons were once the most abundant bird species in North America. Colonial settlers described flocks migrating west as "infinite multitudes" that were a mile long and took hours to pass. European colonialism led to their eventual extinction from over-hunting and widespread deforestation that destroyed their natural habitat.

The biomass of these birds moving across ecosystems provided critical value to species across the continent that are dispersed by feces (like plants) or feed on carcasses (like many insect species). The carrion-feeding American burying beetle experienced a critical population decline during the pigeon's extinction because it relied on the steady supply of passenger pigeon carcasses during their migration. The combinatorial effects of habitat destruction and widespread pesticide use have put American burying beetles at risk of extinction. They are currently critically endangered, with some of their last populations located in Oklahoma, where the efforts to protect their habitats are in constant threat. The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in 2021, challenging the downlisting of the beetle from endangered to threatened. The downlisting was in response to a petition by the Independent Petroleum Association of America. Delisting the species would allow oil and gas companies to develop on land that protects vital for many species. For more information visit The Center for Biological Diversity.

We are currently in the age of human-mediated extinctions. Passenger pigeons are just one of many examples of how humans impact ecosystems and the rippling effects of the loss of one species.