There is no doubt that the news of the birth of Romulus and Remus, a species extinct 10 thousand years ago, has reminded us about the different extinct animals of Mexico, which one would you revive?
Don’t you know what we are talking about? Time magazine announced the birth of two pups of Aenocyon dirus, a species of wolf that inhabited the Americas more than 10,000 years ago before becoming extinct.
Everything was possible thanks to the work of the company Colossal Biosciences, which combined the ancient DNA with the genetic code of a common gray wolf, very Jurassic Park style, right? The puppies are currently six months old and have been trending because of the incredible and controversial nature of the issue.
We have not been able to stop thinking about what would happen if some extinct animals from Mexico were to return to the earth, so we will mention some of them that you surely did not know.
Extinct animals of Mexico
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Mexican Grizzly Bear
Also known as the Mexican grizzly, this was a subspecies of brown bear that inhabited northern Mexico. Although their habitat was pine forests, they adapted quite well to the Sonoran Desert. However, it was declared extinct in 1964 due to hunting.
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Caribbean monk seal
Unfortunately this is the only seal species extinct due to human causes. This little seal used to inhabit between the Yucatan Peninsula and Quintana Roo. However, during colonial times they were hunted for food and blubber. It was last seen in 1952 and was finally declared extinct in 1994.
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Imperial woodpecker
The Mexican imperial woodpecker was the largest of the species among the various woodpeckers that exist in the country. It inhabited north-central Mexico and measured between 50 and 56 centimeters. It was declared extinct in 1957 as a result of deforestation.
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Zanate de Lerma
This endemic bird of Mexico inhabited the area of the Lerma River, with shiny black plumage. However, it was last seen in 1910 and was declared extinct in 1939 because of pollution and drought in the wetlands it used to inhabit.
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California Condor
The California Condor had been an emblematic bird of North America. However, between 1930 and 1940 the last sighting of a condor in the wild was recorded, which had marked its existence in Mexican territory.
However, after years of effort and hard collaborative work between conservation specialists, local communities and others, the species has been reintroduced into its natural habitat. Currently, it is estimated that about 40 specimens fly free in the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park region, in Baja California.