WikiProject Palaeontology covers organisms which became extinct before the arrival of modern humans (>100,000-50,000 years ago, depending on location).
A few Wikipedians have gotten together to discuss how we might organize data in extinction-related articles. These are only suggestions, things to give you focus and to get you going, and you shouldn't feel obligated in the least to follow them. But if you don't know what to write or where to begin, following the below guidelines may be helpful. Mainly, we just want you to write articles! Please feel free to add yourself to the list of participants below.
Detailed taxonomic information, including notes on how taxa are defined and how they vary between different systems, belongs in the article proper. Where possible, however, a standard table will be provided to allow easier navigation between related groups and quick identification of what sort of organisms are being discussed. These are called taxoboxes. A typical taxobox is shown at right (it belongs on the top right of the page Dodo). For extinct plants see Hymenaea protera.
There are three main sections to the taxobox:
A header showing the name of the group, sometimes followed by a representative image.
A table showing the placement of the group in a typical classification system.
A footer, whose content varies, showing the binomial name or a species, or a list of subgroups for higher taxa.
Some items that are often included, but are not (necessarily) standardized, include:
Three different statuses can be used for extinct species:
| status = Fossil
| status = Prehistoric
| status = EX
Position: The taxobox generally belongs at the top right corner of the article, unless it has been decided otherwise on the relevant talk page - for instance, if the article is not primarily about the biological group.
This article is a part of WikiProject Extinction, an attempt at creating a standardized, informative, comprehensive and easy-to-use resource on extinction and extinct organisms. If you would like to participate, you can choose to edit this article, or visit the project page for more information.ExtinctionWikipedia:WikiProject ExtinctionTemplate:WikiProject ExtinctionExtinction articles
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The {{WikiProject Extinction}} project banner template should be added (not subst:ed) to the talk page of every article within the scope of the project.
Here some internet resources with information on extinction or extinct species. Be Aware! Texts and images are most likely copyrighted and can not be used (unless otherwise stated). Write your own texts and use your own images or images that are in the public domain.
Here are some recommended books and reference works about Extinct Species
Allen, Glover M. - Extinct and vanishing mammals of the western hemisphere, with the marine species of all the oceans Online Version
Balouet, Jean-Christophe, Alibert, Eric, & Hollyman K. J. - Extinct Species of the World
Bille, Matthew A. - Rumors of Existence: Newly Discovered, Supposedly Extinct, and Unconfirmed Inhabitants of the Animal Kingdom
Burton, John A. & Barber, James - Extinct Animals (actually for children but also informative for all who are interested in the subject of extinct species)
Cheke, Anthony & Hume, Julian Pender - Lost Land of the Dodo (comprehensive account about the extinct birdlife of the Mascarenes)
Cokinos, Christopher - Hope is a Thing with Feathers (stories about the Carolina Parakeet, the Passenger Pigeon, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, the Heath Hen, the Labrador Duck and the Great Auk)
Day, David - The Doomsday Book of Animals
Flannery, Tim & Schouten, Peter - A Gap in Nature
Fuller, Errol - Extinct Birds
Greenway, James C. - Extinct and Vanishing Birds of the World (2nd edition should be used always, and note many typographical errors. Very comprehensive treatment though
Halliday, Tim - Vanishing Birds. Their natural history and conservation
Harper, Francis - Extinct and Vanishing Mammals of the Old World Online Version
Hume, Julian P. & Walters, Michael : Extinct Birds (covers all known extinct species and subspecies of birds from the holocene as well as dubious and hypothetical taxa)
King, Warren B. - Red Data Book 2: Aves (2nd edition). IUCN, Morges, Switzerland. (with several accounts on extinct birds)
Lambrecht, Kálmán - Handbuch der Palaeornithologie (early German standard work on the Avian Paleontology in the 20th Century)
Luther, Dieter - Die ausgestorbenen Vögel der Welt: Die neue Brehm-Bücherei 424 (a good German book, and while some are missing it treats many extinct bird subspecies)
MacPhee, R. D. E., Sues, Hans-Dieter - Extinctions in Near Time: Causes, Contexts, and Consequences
Quammen, David - Song of the Dodo (interesting book about extinctions on Islands)
Rothschild, Lionel Walter - Extinct Birds. Online Version
Steadman, David W. - Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds (2006 standard work on the topic, treats many taxa not hitherto reported in the literature)
Tennyson, Alan - Extinct Birds of New Zealand (comprehensive account about the extinct birdlife of New Zealand)
Turvey, Samuel - Holocene Extinctions (scientific account about the Holocene extinction events)
Wolff Purcell, Rosamond - Swift as a Shadow (with beautiful photographes of extinct species from the Leiden Museum, Netherlands)
Woods, Charles A. &, Sergile, Florence E. - Biogeography of the West Indies: Patterns and Perspectives (with several accounts of extinct mammals and birds from the West Indies.)
Worthy, Trevor H. & Holdaway, Richard N. - The lost world of the Moa (comprehensive work on the extinct Avian fauna of New Zealand)
Do you want to participate? Just add your name to the list!
TH Worthy - if someone asks I can provide them with papers that will allow update of relative fields eg flamingoes are missing many taxa etc (TH Worthy)