New research reveals that a famous 1980s mass extinction event in Ecuador’s Centinela cloud forest never actually happened.
Why it matters: This discovery challenges a long-held narrative in conservation biology and offers hope for endangered species protection. It demonstrates how improved research methods and persistent investigation can overturn accepted environmental disasters.
- The Centinela case had been used for decades as a cautionary tale about rapid tropical forest destruction.
Key finding: Of 90 plant species previously thought extinct, only one remains undiscovered, with most surviving in tiny forest fragments.
“It’s a miracle. Many of Centinela’s plants are still on the brink of extinction, but fortunately the reports of their demise were exaggerated.”
Dawson White, postdoctoral researcher, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard
The process:
- Researchers spent years examining museum collections and databases
- Conducted extensive field surveys of remaining forest fragments
- Found previously overlooked patches of original forest
Keep in mind: While this specific extinction event was disproven, global biodiversity loss remains a critical threat, with over 45,000 species currently endangered.
Real-world impact: This finding has sparked new conservation initiatives, including satellite imaging projects and motivated botanical gardens to establish collections of rare plants.
- Revealed eight new plant species, including a rare canopy tree
TL;DR
- The infamous Centinela extinction event was largely incorrect, with most “extinct” species rediscovered.
- Tiny forest fragments can preserve significant biodiversity, even in heavily degraded landscapes.
- Modern research tools and persistent fieldwork can overturn historical assumptions about species loss.
Dive Deeper
Read the Paper: Refuting the hypothesis of Centinelan extinction at its place of origin
News Release: Modern mass extinction in an Ecuadorean cloud forest found to be a mirage