Global Scans · Extinction · Weekly Summary

• [New] Demand for scales has made pangolins the most highly trafficked mammals in the world and placed them at serious risk of extinction. SciTechDaily
• [New] The artificial egg technology could one day be scaled up to genetically tweak living birds to resemble New Zealand's extinct South Island giant moa, whose eggs are 80 times the size of a chicken's and would be difficult for any modern bird to lay. Fortune
• Globally about one third of all known species are threatened with extinction. National Wildlife Federation
• Roughly one million of the planet's estimated eight million plant and animal species face extinction risks. DataDrivenInvestor
• Economic systems centered on continuous growth are accelerating global biodiversity loss, with roughly one million of the planet's estimated eight million plant and animal species facing extinction risks. DataDrivenInvestor
• The U.S. Interior Department on Friday canceled a rule meant to protect plants and animals that are determined to be threatened with extinction, the latest step by President Donald Trump's administration to dismantle key provisions of the landmark Endangered Species Act at the behest of industry. WKMG News 6 & ClickOrlando
• Around 63 to 65% of primate species are classed as threatened with extinction by the IUCN. Awareness Days
• The current rate of species extinction is estimated to be 100 to 1,000 times higher than the natural background rate, prompting scientists to warn that the Earth may be on the brink of a sixth mass extinction. DataDrivenInvestor
• More than 48,000 species are currently at risk of extinction, and assessments suggest that close to half of all migratory species are in decline. Awareness Days
• As with many other insect species, butterflies and moths in the U.S. are experiencing significant declines: 19% are at risk of extinction - including species with special habitat needs and generalist species that were once widespread. Xerces Society
• One weak but notable signal is the rediscovery of a species considered extinct: a Bolivian killifish, found alive amid a critical biodiversity hotspot threatened by deforestation. Shaping Tomorrow
• An IUCN update in April declared emperor penguins officially in danger of extinction owing to the mass drowning of chicks as sea ice is melted by the climate crisis. The Guardian
• Over 120 artisanal disciplines related to interior decor are at risk of extinction, with fewer than 20 master practitioners remaining in fields such as hand-blown glass and hand-carved marquetry. Market Data Forecast
• Globally, nearly one million species are currently threatened with extinction, highlighting the need for more efficient solutions to biological conservation. PubMed Central (PMC)
• Northern Ireland is regarded as one of the most nature-depleted parts of the world, with 12% of species at risk of extinction. BBC News
• Over one-third of plants and animals in the US are at risk of extinction, in large part due to human activities that destroy habitat, overexploit and kill species, pollute water systems, and speed up climate change. Sierra Club
• The US government is partnering with Texas-based de-extinction company Colossal Biosciences to build a national repository of genetic material from endangered and threatened species. Wired
• 31% of Earth's cactus species were threatened with extinction. Center for Invasive Species Prevention
• An uphill shift is predicted in Europe, while about 60% of mountain species face local or global extinction. Nature
• The jeopardy facing crucial pollinators was revealed by scientific studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species, which found that at least 172 bee species out of 1,928 were at risk of extinction in Europe. The Guardian
• The low-ice future that biologists said would doom polar bears to extinction by 2050 has already happened in 8 out of the last 10 years. polarbearscience

Last updated: 16 August 2026