THE LOST MESSENGER
Class : Aves
Order : Columbiformes
Family : Columbidae
Genus : Ectopistes
Species: Ectopistes migratorius
This year, 2014, marks the hundred year anniversary of the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon or the Wild Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius). During the 1800s, North Americans saw numerous flocks of these birds consisting of millions of individual birds. The species lived until early 20th century, when hunting and habitat destruction led to its demise.
The flight of a flock could take hours to pass overhead and span hundreds of miles long. The legacy of the passenger pigeon may be the conservation methods and legislation established after its demise as a species. The bird is one of the top candidates for de-extinction, the scientific and controversial topic of bringing a species back to life.
After the last passenger pigeon died in zoo in 1914, a number of legal movements that would protect animals began. The first was established in 1918 and was the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This act was a protection of migratory flocks from hunters without permits. Ultimately, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was passed in 1973 after being signed into law by President Richard Nixon.
A number of research teams are attempting to use DNA gathered from museum specimens to see if it may be possible to bring the passenger pigeon back from extinction. According to zoologist Ross MacPhee from the American Museum of Natural History, the de-extinction may be possible within the next several years.
Courtesy: http://www.theguardian.com, http://www.wikipedia.com
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