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How much time must pass before a species is considered extinct? |
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well, i dont really think there is an amount of time that must pass before a species can be considered extinct. I think it is just that it has to be proven that all creatures of that species are dead and there is no hope for them.
It's a matter of scientific consensus, and there is almost always somebody who rejects the consensus. And sometimes, the contrarians are proven correct! For example, the ivory billed woodpecker was considered extinct for decades, but evidence for its existence turned up just a couple of years ago. The evidence is a bit sketchy, and many experts are not convinced, but the consensus is not as solid as it once was.
Also consider the coelacanth. It was known only from fossils, and very old fossils, until it turned up alive and well in the 1940s.
First answer by ID1087098238. Last edit by Chuckbonner. Contributor trust: 115 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 38 [recommend question]
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