extinction
Total biological disappearance
Extinction is the state of no longer existing—when every member of a species has died, leaving none alive: The dodo was hunted to extinction.
The word extends beyond biology: extinction of a debt means paying it off completely, and behavioral extinction occurs when a response disappears after reinforcement stops.
To face extinction is to face complete elimination: Without intervention, the language faces extinction within a generation.
Fixed without end
- irreversibleCannot be undone
- irrevocableCannot be undone
- terminalAt the endpoint
- absoluteTotal, without qualification
finality · obliteration · annihilation · eradication · disappearance · demise · elimination · extirpation
Preserved ancient organism
- dinosaurExtinct Mesozoic reptile
- trilobiteExtinct segmented marine arthropod
- ammoniteExtinct spiral-shelled cephalopod
- mastodonExtinct elephantine Pleistocene mammal
megafauna · saber-toothed · tyrannosaurus · pterodactyl · mammoth · cretaceous · amber · petrified
Finest taxonomic rank
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- endangeredAt risk of extinction
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
conservation · deforestation · poaching · overhunting · overfishing · ecosystem · wildlife · climate change
Total civilizational collapse
- collapseSudden structural failure
- catastropheDevastating, large-scale misfortune
- die-offRapid population disappearance
- wipeoutComplete, catastrophic failure
decimation · Permian · asteroid · volcanic · climate shift · Anthropocene
Learned behavioral adaptation
- behaviorManner of conducting oneself
- unlearningAbandoning acquired beliefs
- responseAnswer to stimulus
- stimulusWhat prompts a reaction
habituation · desensitization · Pavlovian · reinforcement · fading · suppression
Differential reproductive success
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- speciationFormation of distinct species
- survival of the fittestAdaptive advantage perpetuates species
- genetic driftRandom allele frequency change
phylogeny · dead end · bottleneck · common ancestor · fitness · diversification · lineage · descent
permanent
Fixed without end
- irreversibleCannot be undone
- irrevocableCannot be undone
- terminalAt the endpoint
absolute · finality · obliteration · annihilation · eradication · disappearance · demise · elimination · extirpation · loss
fossil
Preserved ancient organism
- dinosaurExtinct Mesozoic reptile
- trilobiteExtinct segmented marine arthropod
- ammoniteExtinct spiral-shelled cephalopod
mastodon · megafauna · saber-toothed · tyrannosaurus · pterodactyl · mammoth · cretaceous · amber · petrified · paleontology
species
Finest taxonomic rank
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- endangeredAt risk of extinction
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
habitat · conservation · deforestation · poaching · overhunting · overfishing · ecosystem · wildlife · climate change · invasive species
apocalypse
Total civilizational collapse
- collapseSudden structural failure
- catastropheDevastating, large-scale misfortune
- die-offRapid population disappearance
wipeout · decimation · Permian · asteroid · volcanic · climate shift · Anthropocene
conditioning
Learned behavioral adaptation
- behaviorManner of conducting oneself
- unlearningAbandoning acquired beliefs
- responseAnswer to stimulus
stimulus · habituation · desensitization · Pavlovian · reinforcement · fading · suppression
natural selection
Differential reproductive success
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- speciationFormation of distinct species
- survival of the fittestAdaptive advantage perpetuates species
genetic drift · phylogeny · dead end · bottleneck · common ancestor · fitness · diversification · lineage · descent
- ecologyhabitat, ecosystem, balance, niche, food webs
- environmental harmair pollution, water pollution, pollution, oil spills, acid rain
- Environmental problemsair pollution, water pollution, climate change, global warming, habitat loss
- Environmental Topicsconservation, biodiversity, climate change, habitat loss, pollution
- environmentalismecology, conservationism, recycling bins, campaigner, environmentalism
- evolutionevolution, natural selection, mutation, adaptation, speciation
extinctionsurvival
Remaining alive against odds
continuance · existence · persistence · perpetuation · continuation
extinctionconservation
Preventing waste or loss
preservation · protection · salvation · saving · rescue
- facing extinctionApproaching complete disappearance
- mass extinctionLarge-scale species elimination
- mass extinction eventWidespread rapid species loss
- species extinctionPermanent end of a lineage
- dinosaur extinctionEnd of giant reptiles
- back from extinction