Zoochat "A Gap In Nature" Extinct Taxon Challenge (Redux)

[CarnotaurusSastrei]

Probably a weird question, but would artifacts made using body parts of extinct animals, for instance the horn of the last known aurochs bull on display in Stockholm's Livrustkammaren or 'ahu 'ula made using ʻōʻō and mamo feathers, be acceptable entries for the purposes of this challenge?

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Probably a weird question, but would artifacts made using body parts of extinct animals, for instance the horn of the last known aurochs bull on display in Stockholm's Livrustkammaren or 'ahu 'ula made using ʻōʻō and mamo feathers, be acceptable entries for the purposes of this challenge?

I'm inclined to say no for the latter item given its conglomerate nature - but the former item would be significant enough to count, I reckon, especially as it derives from a single individual.

 

[CarnotaurusSastrei]

Apologies in advance, this list mostly includes taxa presumed to be extinct, so feel free to let me know if I should remove any of these from my overall list

Field Museum of Natural History - 3/21/25
Taxon #11: Ivory-Billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis), 2 specimens (both taxidermy). Technically listed as CR by the IUCN, but there have been no universally recognized sightings since 1987
View attachment 777795

Taxa #12 - 24: O'ahu tree snails (Achatinella sp., see list below). Many of these are technically listed as Critically Endangered, but the IUCN's records for the genus as a whole seem to be severely outdated (last updated in 1996), so I used NatureServe as an alternate reference point for these taxa. The US Fish and Wildlife Service apparently started a 5-year status review for the genus as a whole in 2022, and as such their findings will almost certainly impact this list (hopefully shortening it, but I have an unfortunate feeling this list will only get longer)

• #12 - Achatinella abbreviata (1 shell). Last sighting was in 2008
• #13 - Achatinella apexfulva (3 shells). Technically listed as CR, but the last known specimen died in 2019
• #14 - Achatinella bellula (2 shells). Technically listed as CR, but the last sighting of the species was in 1981
• #15 - Achatinella cestus (1 shell). Technically listed as CR, but the last sighting of the species seems to have been in 1966
• #16 - Achatinella decora (1 shell). Species suspected to have gone extinct some time in the 1900s
• #17 - Achatinella elegans (1 shell). Last sightings were in 1952
• #18 - Achatinella juddii (1 shell). Last sighting was in 1958
• #19 - Achatinella rosea/Achatinella bulimoides rosea (1 shell). Last sighting was in 1949
• #20 - Achatinella stewartii (1 shell). Technically listed as CR, but the last sighting of the species was in the 1970s
• #21 - Achatinella taeniolata (1 shell). Technically listed as CR, but the last sighting of the species was in 1978
• #22 - Achatinella turgida (2 shells, including A. swiftii). Technically listed as CR, but the last sighting of the species was in 1974
• #23 - Achatinella viridans (1 shell). Technically listed as CR, but the last sighting of the species was in 1979
  
• #24 - Achatinella vulpina (1 shell). Technically listed as CR, but the last sighting of the species was in 1965

View attachment 777796

While the museum's display does also include Achatinella livida, which is currently listed as Extinct by the IUCN, I have excluded it from this list because there seems to be evidence for the existence of an extant wild population.

Also, it seems that the Field only has 2 Heath Hens on display, one in a case alongside other recently extinct birds and another in a display alongside other phasianids

I've been quite busy in the UK, but it's about time that I finally get around to updating my list
Natural History Museum, London - Several visits

Previously-listed Taxa
1) Passenger Pigeon - 2 taxidermied specimens


5) Carolina Parakeet - 1 taxidermied specimen


9) Great Auk - 1 taxidermied specimen


11) Ivory-Billed Woodpecker - 2 taxidermied specimens


New Entries
25) Aurochs (Bos primigenius) - 1 skull, 2 teeth



26) Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) - 1 taxidermied individual


27) Huia (Heteralocha acutirostris) - 3 taxidermied specimens (1 complete individual, 2 heads (not pictured))


28) ʻŌʻū (Psittirostra psittacea) - 1 taxidermied individual


29) Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) - 1 composite subfossil skeleton

 

[CarnotaurusSastrei]

I've been quite busy in the UK, but it's about time that I finally get around to updating my list
Natural History Museum, London - Several visits

Previously-listed Taxa
1) Passenger Pigeon - 2 taxidermied specimens
View attachment 841590

5) Carolina Parakeet - 1 taxidermied specimen
View attachment 841591

9) Great Auk - 1 taxidermied specimen
View attachment 841592

11) Ivory-Billed Woodpecker - 2 taxidermied specimens
View attachment 841593

New Entries
25) Aurochs (Bos primigenius) - 1 skull, 2 teeth
View attachment 841595
View attachment 841594

26) Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) - 1 taxidermied individual
View attachment 841596

27) Huia (Heteralocha acutirostris) - 3 taxidermied specimens (1 complete individual, 2 heads (not pictured))
View attachment 841597

28) ʻŌʻū (Psittirostra psittacea) - 1 taxidermied individual
View attachment 841598

29) Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) - 1 composite subfossil skeleton
View attachment 841599

Oxford University Museum of Natural History - 10/4/25
25) Aurochs - 1 thigh bone, 1 horn core, 1 molar (not photographed)



26) Thylacine - 1 skull


New
30) Rodrigues Solitaire (Pezophaps solitaria) - skeleton of 1 leg

 

[CarnotaurusSastrei]

Oxford University Museum of Natural History - 10/4/25
25) Aurochs - 1 thigh bone, 1 horn core, 1 molar (not photographed)
View attachment 841603
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26) Thylacine - 1 skull
View attachment 841605

New
30) Rodrigues Solitaire (Pezophaps solitaria) - skeleton of 1 leg
View attachment 841606

Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences - 10/11/25
25) Aurochs - 1 mandible, 1 partially articulated foot, and 2 miscellaneous bones




Cambridge University Museum of Zoology - 10/11/25
Note: the lower level was closed off when I visited (and still seems to be as of the time I write this), so I'll probably try to revisit at some point to see if there are any taxa down there that I can add to my list

9) Great Auk - 1 skeleton


27) Huia - 2 taxidermied individuals


29) Dodo - 1 composite skeleton


30) Rodrigues Solitaire - 1 skeleton

 

[CarnotaurusSastrei]

Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences - 10/11/25
25) Aurochs - 1 mandible, 1 partially articulated foot, and 2 miscellaneous bones
View attachment 841609
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View attachment 841610

Cambridge University Museum of Zoology - 10/11/25
Note: the lower level was closed off when I visited (and still seems to be as of the time I write this), so I'll probably try to revisit at some point to see if there are any taxa down there that I can add to my list

9) Great Auk - 1 skeleton
View attachment 841612

27) Huia - 2 taxidermied individuals
View attachment 841614

29) Dodo - 1 composite skeleton
View attachment 841611

30) Rodrigues Solitaire - 1 skeleton
View attachment 841613

Grant Museum of Zoology, University College London - 10/15/25
26) Thylacine - 1 complete skeleton, 1 complete skull, 1 bisected skull, 1 wet specimen





29) Dodo - 1 composite specimen (box of bones)


New
31) Quagga (Equus quagga quagga) - 1 skeleton


32) Crescent Nail-Tail Wallaby (Onychogalea lunata) - 1 wet specimen

 

[CarnotaurusSastrei]

Grant Museum of Zoology, University College London - 10/15/25
26) Thylacine - 1 complete skeleton, 1 complete skull, 1 bisected skull, 1 wet specimen
View attachment 841628
View attachment 841629
View attachment 841627
View attachment 841626

29) Dodo - 1 composite specimen (box of bones)
View attachment 841631

New
31) Quagga (Equus quagga quagga) - 1 skeleton
View attachment 841632

32) Crescent Nail-Tail Wallaby (Onychogalea lunata) - 1 wet specimen
View attachment 841630

World Museum, Liverpool - 11/8/25
As with Cambridge's zoology museum, one of the main sections was closed off when I visited, so I'll probably try and swing by again at some point next year to see if there are any other applicable species to add

9) Great Auk - 1 taxidermied specimen


Natural History Museum, Tring - 11/13/25
To be quite honest, this was a very brief, spur-of-the-moment, visit, and as such I did not go in with the mindset of meticulously searching for extinct taxa. At the end of the day, it's another entry on the "try to revisit" list

Previously-listed
1) Passenger Pigeon - 1 taxidermied specimen


5) Carolina Parakeet - 1 taxidermied specimen


9) Great Auk - 1 taxidermied specimen


26) Thylacine - 1 taxidermied specimen, 1 skeleton


31) Quagga - 1 taxidermied specimen


New
33) Upland Moa (Megalapteryx didinus) - 1 skeleton*

*note: I'm not 100% sure if this is an actual specimen or a cast, though I imagine they'd mention if it was a cast given that they label one of their Dinornis robustus skeletons in the same display as a cast. If it turns out to be a cast, feel free to let me know and I'll make sure to strike it from my record-keeping sheet