Extinct Species in Alaska

Prehistoric species

Prehistoric species that resided in what is now the state of Alaska included the mammoth, mastodon, dire wolf, saber-toothed tiger, and long-horned bison. All of these species became extinct approximately 10,000 – 14,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age.

Modern species

Spectacled Cormorant (Phalacrocorax perspicillatus)

Year Declared Extinct: 1850

Causes of decline/extinction: Hunted for food and feathers by whalers, fur traders, and Aleut Natives

Steller’s Sea Cow (Hydrodamalis gigas)

Year Declared Extinct: 1768

Causes of decline/extinction: Hunted for food and skins by sailors, seal hunters, and fur traders