Alejandro’s Cerion Snail was described in 2019 on the basis of subfossil shells that had been collected from deposits at a place named El Júcaro, near the Ramón de Antillas beach in the Holguín Province of Cuba.
The shells reach sizes of about 2,3 to 2,49 cm in height; they have a rather barrel-shaped form. [1]
The species apparently disappeared at the beginning of the Holocene du to naturally occurring changes in the local climate.
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References:
[1] Alexis Suárez: Descripción de dos especies nuevas de Cerion (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Cerionidae) en estado subfósil, para Holguín, Cuba. Novitates Caribaea 14: 121-127. 2019
The La Brea Stork was described in 1910, originally based on fossil bones that were recovered from the rich La Brea Tar Pits in California, USA; however, the species was for more widespread and is now known to also have occurred in other parts of what today is the USA.
The species already appears in Late Pliocene deposits and disappeared at the end of the Pleistocene, but the population that inhabited the island of Cuba apparently survived well into the Holocene era and may even have been eradicated by the first human settlers.
This form, which may be identical to the Hispaniola Dominican Triel (Hesperoburhinus bistriatus ssp. dominicensis (Cory)), is only known from subfossil bones.
It was probably hunted and exterminated by the first human settlers.
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References:
[1] Storrs L. Olson: Fossil Birds of the Bahamas. Bahamas Naturalis 6(1):33-37. 1982 [2] Sam T. Turvey: Holocene Extinctions. Oxford University Press, USA 2009
This species is known only from a small region near Playa El Morrillo in the Pinar del Río Province on the northwestern coast of Cuba.
The species’ name appears in listings of extinct species, thus it is mentioned here as well, unfortunately I could not find out any further information so far.
The Linear-leaved Begonia was described in 1991, the species was apparently restricted to the vicinity of Santiago de Cuba, the second-largest city of Cuba.
The species appears in lists of extinct species and is thus also mentioned here, any additional information, however, is very welcome! [1]
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syn. Begonia stenophylla J. Sierra
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References:
[1] R. Berazaín: The extinct Flora of Cuba. Bissea 3(2). 2009
The Cuban Cave Rail was described (originally as a species of coot) in 1971 from Pleistocene deposits from the Pío Domingo cave in the Pinar del Río province of Cuba. [1]
The species very likely survived into Holocene times.
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References:
[1] Storrs L. Olson: A new species of Nesotrochis from Hispaniola, with notes on other fossil rails from the West Indies (Aves: Rallidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 87(38): 439-450. 1974 [2] Jessica A. Oswald; Ryan S. Terrill; Brian J. Stucky; Michelle J. LeFebvre; David W. Steadman; Robert P. Guralnick: Supplementary material from “Ancient DNA from the extinct Haitian cave-rail (Nesotrochis steganinos) suggests a biogeographic connection between the Caribbean and Old World”. Biological Letters 17(3). 2021
The Cuban Caracara was described in 2003 based on subfossil bones found on the island of Cuba. [1]
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References:
[1] W. Suárez; S. L. Olson: A new species of caracara (Milvago) from Quaternary asphalt deposits in Cuba, with notes on new material of Caracara creightoni Brodkorb (Aves: Falconidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 116(2): 301-307. 2003
The genus Hyperbaena contains about 70 species of trees that are distributed over the Caribbean, as well as over Central- and South America.
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The Egg-leaved Hyperbaena, described in 1925, was restricted to the Provinces of Guantánamo and Holguín in the east of Cuba. The species is now considered extinct. [1]
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References:
[1] R. Berazaín: The extinct Flora of Cuba. Bissea 3(2). 2009
The Western Cuban Nesophontes was described in 1917 based on subfossil remains that were recovered from cave deposits on the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola.
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Photo from: ‘G. M. Allen: Fossil Mammals from Cuba. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College 62: 131-148. 1918’
The West Indian Snipe was described in 2016, its fossil or subfossil remains were recovered from Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene deposits on several islands and island groups including the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The West Indian Snipe was a volant species but probably had quite short wings, this can be assumed from the shape of its wing bones. [1][2]
***
The species probably died out for more or less natural reasons, following changing environmental conditions due to changes in the height of the sea level after the beginning of the Holocene. The last remaining populations were then probably extirpated by the first Amerindian settlers.
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References:
[1] William Suárez: The enigmatic snipe Capella sp. (Aves: Scolopacidae) in the fossil record of cuba. Caribbean Journal of science 40(1): 155-157. 2004 [2] David W. Steadman; Oona M. Takano: A new extinct species of Snipe (Aves: Scolopacidae: Gallinago) from the West Indies. Zootaxa 4109(3): 345-358. 2016
The Bahamian Giant Owl, described in 1936 based on subfossil remains, was formerly thought to have been endemic to the Bahaman islands but is now known to have also occurred on the island of Cuba.
It was the largest species within its genus, and its remains are by far the rarest to be found, especially on Cuba.
The Bahamian Giant Barn Owl is known to have preferably preyed upon the Bahamian Hutia (Geocapromys ingrahami (J. A. Allen)), a large, nocturnal rodent species that still inhabits some of the Bahamian islands today. [2]
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At least two additional species can be added to this list. Tyto pollens was a flightless, 1-m-tall congener of barn owls that likely occurred in old-growth Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea) barrens of Andros Island, Bahamas, in association with early human settlers (see figs. 6-9). It probably gave rise to local lore of chickcharnies, a mischievous leprechaunlike, nocturnal imp said to have three toes and the ability to turn its head all the way around. If disturbed, chickcharnies would impart terrible misfortune. It is possible that territorial defense behaviors of a meter-tall Tyto could give rise to such legends. [1]
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References:
[1] Bruce G. Marcot: Owls of old forests of the world. General Technicl Reports. Portland, Oregon: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station 1-64. 1995 [2] William Suárez; Storrs L. Olson: Systematics and distribution of the giant fossil barn owls of the West Indies (Aves: Strigiformes: Tytonidae). Zootaxa 4020 (3): 533-553. 2015
This species is known only from the type material, which was found in the damp sand of a lagoon near the village of Mordazo in the Cuban Province of Villa Clara.
The plant reached a height of 2 to 3 cm.
The species was scientifically described in the year 1925, but, however, was never found again.
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References:
[1] R. Berazaín: The extinct Flora of Cuba. Bissea 3(2). 2009
Isle of Pines Solitaire (Myadestes elisabeth ssp. retrusus)
The Cuban Solitaire (Myadestes elisabeth (Lembeye)) [see photo] is endemic to the island of Cuba, where it apparently inhabits moist montane forests.
The species also inhabited Isla de la Juventud off the southern coast of Cuba, these birds, however differed from the Cuban birds and thus were described in 1905 as a distinct subspecies.
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“Similar to M. e. elizabeth, but still smaller, narrower, and more pointed, and coloration clearer and grayer, the upper parts nearly mouse gray instead of deep hair brown or olive, the under parts nearly pure white passing into very pale clear gray on chest and sides of breast.” [1]
***
The bird reached a length of about 17,5 cm.
The Isle of Pines Solitaire disappeared due to the destruction of its habitat, an ill fate that now also seems to befall the Cuban Solitaire which is officially listed as ‘Near Threatened’.
[1] Robert Ridgway: The birds of North and Middle America: A descriptive catalogue of the higher groups, genera, species, and subspecies of birds known to occur in North America, from the arctic lands to the isthmus of Panama, the West Indies and other islands of the Caribbean sea, and the Galapagos Archipelago. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 50(4). 1907
The Banao Psychotria is or was apparently endemic to a place named Banao, a mountainous area east of the Agabama River in the Sancti Spíritus Province in central Cuba.
The habitat is rather dry and harbors a semi-deciduous forest. [1]
The species is now considered extinct. [2]
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References:
[1] A. Borhidi; O. Muñiz: The phytogeographic survey of Cuba. Acta Bonatnica Hungarica 32(1-4): 3-48. 1986 [2] R. Berazaín: The extinct Flora of Cuba. Bissea 3(2). 2009
The Bahaman Caracara was described in 1959 based on fossil or subfossil bones, the oldest can be dated to a Pleistocene age, however, some are of Holocene origin and are only several thousand years old and even contain nearly complete mitochondrial DNA. [1]
The species inhabited the islands of the Bahamas as well as Cuba, it reached asize of about 60 cm, it had short wings and appears to have had only weak flying abilities.
The Bahaman Caracara clearly disappeared due to human interference.
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References:
[1] Jessica A. Oswald; Julia M. Allen; Kelsey E. Witt; Ryan A. Folk; Nancy A. Albury; David W. Steadman; Robert P. Guralnick: Ancient DNA from a 2,500-year-old Caribbean fossil places an extinct bird (Caracara creightoni) in a phylogenetic context”. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 140: 106576. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2019.106576. 2019
Woodward’s Giant Buzzard was originally known from fossil bones recovered from the late Pleistocene deposits of the tar pits at Rancho La Brea in California, USA, however, in 2004 subfossil bones found in Cuba were assigned to the same species.
The species appears to have survived in Cuba into the early Holocene period, when it was already extinct on the North American mainland. [1]
***
Woodward’s Giant Buzzard or Woodward’s Eagle was one of the largest species of bird of prey known to have existed.
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References:
[1] William Suárez: The Identity of the Fossil Raptor of the Genus Amplibuteo (Aves: Accipitridae) from the Quaternary of Cuba. Caribbean Journal of Science 40(1): 120-125. 2004
Noel’s Giant Barn Owl was described in 1972 on the basis of subfossil and fossil remains that had been found at abundant cave sites on the island of Cuba, as well as some very few remains found on Jamaica.
The species occurred also on Barbuda, were its remains originally had been described as a distinct species (Tyto neddi Steadman & Hilgartner) in 1999, but were later assigned to this species.
The Noel’s Giant Barn Owl survived well into the Holocene, the remains that had been found on Jamaica could be dated to an age of about 3700 years.
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References:
[1] William Suárez; Storrs L. Olson: Systematics and distribution of the giant fossil barn owls of the West Indies (Aves: Strigiformes: Tytonidae). Zootaxa 4020 (3): 533-553. 2015
Just like its next relative, the Oriente Cave Rat (Boromys offella Miller), this smaller spiny rat species is known only from subfossil bone remains, that had been found in several caves on the island of Cuba and on the Isla de la Juventud.
The reasons for its extinction are exactly the same as for its larger relative. [1]
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References:
[1] A. van der Geer; G. Lyras; J. de Vos; M. Dermitzakis: Evolution of Island Mammals: Adaptation and Extinction of Placental Mammals on Islands. John Wiley & Sons 2010
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Photo from: ‘G. M. Allen: Fossil Mammals from Cuba. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College 62: 131-148. 1918’
This species was described in the year 1916 from subfossil bones that had been found on the island of Cuba and on the Isla de la Juventud.
The Oriente Cave Rat seems to have survived long enough to see the arrival of the first Europeans on the American double continent, because its bones were found in deposits that also contained bones of rats, which again reached Cuba for the first time together with the European discoverers.
These rats then again obviously played a big role in the extinction of this endemic rodent species. [1]
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References:
[1] A. van der Geer; G. Lyras; J. de Vos; M. Dermitzakis: Evolution of Island Mammals: Adaptation and Extinction of Placental Mammals on Islands. John Wiley & Sons 2010
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Photo from: ‘G. M. Allen: Fossil Mammals from Cuba. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College 62: 131-148. 1918’
Silva’s Leaf-nosed Bat was described in 2005 based on (sub)fossil remains recovered from the deposits of a cave in the Pinar del Río province of Cuba; these remains, however, may be of Late Pleistocene age, and the species is so far just mentioned here for the sake of completeness. [1]
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References:
[1] Carlos A. Mancina; Lainet García-Rivera: New genus and species of fossil bat (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) from Cuba. Caribbean Journal of Science 41(1): 22-27. 2005
This species is known only from the type material which was collected sometimes prior 1938 (the date of its description) near the city of Puerto Padre in central Cuba.
The species is now most likely extinct.
***
The photo below shows a closely related species, the Palo de Ramón (Banara vanderbiltii Urban) from Puerto Rico.
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Palo de Ramón (Banara vanderbiltii)
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region
The Cuban Angostura was described in 1822; it is known only from the type specimen and a single additional specimen which was collected some years later.
The species was restricted to the island of Cuba, where it was known as Quina del país.
The indigenous people of South America and the Antillean islands formerly used the bark of congeneric species to produce a stimulant tonic, it is still used as a source of antipyretics; it is thus very likely that the populations of this species were highly reduced by collecting of their bark. [1]
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References:
[1] Christa Beurton: Angostura ossana (Rutaceae), a component of the Cuban flora. Willdenowia 34: 277-289. 2004
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Depiction from: ‘M. de Candolle: Mémoire sur la tribu des Cuspariées. Mémoires du Muséum d’histoire naturelle 9: 139-145. 1822’
The Lesser Cuban Fig-eating Bat, also known as Lesser Falcate-winged Bat, was described in 1919 based on subfossil remains collected from a cave named Cueva de los Indios on the island of Cuba.
The species was somewhat similar to the still living Cuban Fig-eating Bat (Phyllops falcatus (Gray)) but was noticeably smaller. [1]
***
Fossils that are assignable to this species were later also recovered from cave depostis on the Isla de la Juventud offshore the southern coast of Cuba.
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References:
[1] H. E. Anthony: Mammals collected in eastern Cuba in 1917: with descriptions of two new species. Bulletin of American Museum of Natural History 41: 625-643. 1919
The Linear-leaved Maytenus is or was an up to 4 m tall shrub or little tree endemic to the Pinar del Río Province of Cuba and is now regarded as extinct. [1]
The species was locally known as Nazareno or Nazareno morado.
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References:
[1] R. Berazaín: The extinct Flora of Cuba. Bissea 3(2). 2009
This species was described in 2003; it is known from fossil remains that can be dated to a Late Pleistocene age, the species, however, might well have survived into the Holocene era.
The island of Cuba still harbors at least one surviving congeneric species, the Cuban Fig-eating Bat (Phyllops falcatus (Gray)).
The Giant Cuban Tortoise was endemic to the island of Cuba; the species disappeared sometimes during the Holocene, very likely due direct hunting pressure by the first human settlers.
This form is known from fossil bones only that were found in the Las Breas de San Felipe tar pits in the Matanzas Province of Cuba in the Caribbean.
The Cuban Stork lived in sympatry with another now extinct congeneric species, the La Brea Stork (Ciconia maltha Miller), which, however, was not restricted to the island of Cuba but also inhabited large parts of what today is the USA.
The Amphicarpic Paspalum Grass was described in 1942, it appears to be endemic to the western regions of Cuba: the type was collected in 1923 at the edge of a pool near Laguna de Piedras in the Province of Pinar del Río [it might actually also occur in South America, I wasn’t able to find out yet].
This is a glabrous, widely creeping aquatic or subaquatic perennial with ascending branches, it is furthermore known to produce subterranean spikes with cleistogame (self-pollinating) flowers as well as normal aerial inflorescences. [1][2]
***
The species’ name appears in lists of extinct species, so is extinct at least on the island of Cuba to which it might have been endemic.
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References: [1] Agnes Chase: The North American species of Paspalum. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 28(1): 1-317. 1942 [2] H. E. Connor: Breeding systems in the grasses: a survey. New Zealand Journal of Botany 17: 547-574. 1979
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Depiction from: ‘Agnes Chase: The North American species of Paspalum. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 28(1): 1-317. 1942’
The Cuban Flightless Crane was described in 1971, it is actually a Pleistocene species, but since it is thought to have well survived into the beginning of the Holocene, it is briefly mentioned here.
The Cuban Rodent-like Sloth was described 1931 based on fossil bones that date to Late Pleistocene in age; the species, however, might well have survived into the Early Holocene.
Several forms that formerly had been described as distinct species, are now included here.
The tapaculos are a strictly South American family of about 35 terrestrial, small to middle-sized birds, some are nearly flightless.
These birds do not appear to have any capability for dispersal over water, yet at least one genus appears to have reached at least the Greater Antilles.
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The Cuban Tapaculo is known so far from only two subfossil respectively fossil remains; a humerus, recovered from cave deposits on the Isla de Juventud, and a tibiotarsus collected in the Camagüey Province.
The humerus from the Isla de Juventud is probably of Holocene age, as it was found together with bones of rats (Rattus spp.). The tibiotarsus from the Camagüey Province, however, appears to be older, being from a deposit that also contained many bones of mammals that are now extinct but lacked bones of post-Colombian mice and rats.
The species very likely disappeared shortly after the arrival of the first Europeans in the 15th century, it may have been eliminated by the introduced predatory mammals, for which such a small, nearly or even fully flightless bird probably was an easy target.
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References:
[1] Storrs L. Olson; Evgeny N. Kurochkin: Fossil evidence of a tapaculo in the Quaternary of Cuba (Aves: Passeriformes: Scytalopodidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 100(2): 353-357. 1987
This species, which is endemic to the island of Cuba, is considered most likely extinct.
There appear to exist several herbarium specimens, however, which apparently were collected in an previously unreported locality that is still insufficiently explored, so there is a slight chance that some undiscovered populations still exist.
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References:
[1] R. Berazaín: The extinct Flora of Cuba. Bisea 3(2). 2009
The Zapata Rail is a very poorly-known water bird endemic to Cuba, and today a relict species from the Zapata Swamp in western Cuba. The bird’s elusive nature has caused confusion within the ornithological community as to its status – confusion that may have unwittingly provided a smoke screen to a very real threat that may be driving the species to extinction.
The Zapata Rail was discovered near Santo Tomás in 1927 by Fermin Cervera (a Spanish entomologist and bird collector). James Bond (Caribbean ornithologist extraordinaire) had no difficulty finding the bird at this same locality in 1931. However, the species was not then seen for several decades. In fact, the bird has probably been seen less than 15 times since the 1930s, with all of these records coming from just two or three localities. In the 1970s the voice of the rail was recorded and published (by George Reynard and Orlando Garrido). This seemed to unlock the mystery – birds sounding the same as the recording, or indeed responding to playback of the voice were heard at a number of new localities. Many new records, often of multiple individuals, were documented in the 1970s and during the 1990s as a new wave of research focused on the Caribbean’s largest wetland.
However, in 2001, Arturo Kirkconnell (co-author with Garrido of the 2000 Field guide to the birds of Cuba book) discovered that the recording people had been using for 25 years was in fact of the widespread Spotted Rail (Pardirallus maculatus (Boddaert)). From that point, none of the previous records of “heard but not seen” birds could be counted within our knowledge-base for the species. The vocalisation of the Zapata Rail is still a mystery although at the time of its discovery it was described as a loud “kwowk”, like a Limpkin.
2001 was a bad year for the Zapata Rail. In November that year, hurricane “Michelle” hit the region and damaged a facility that was breeding African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus (Burchell)). As a result of the hurricane this alien invasive fish reached the Zapata Swamp region where it has since been thriving and severely impacting the fragile underwater flora and fauna. Young Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus (L.)) and Purple Gallinules (Porphyrio martinica L.) have been found in the stomach contents of catfish from the swamp, so we know that the catfish are depleting local populations of rallidae species. Worryingly, Arturo’s work in Zapata that has involved over 100 trips in the last 20 years, suggests that areas where he was recording large numbers of rails (Spotted Rail, King Rail (Rallus elegans Audubon) and Sora (Porzana carolina (L.))) during the 1990s now hold few, if any birds.
“The populations of Spotted Rail and King Rail in the Zapata Swamp declined dramatically – 50-60%, or possibly even more – after the catfish found their way into the Zapata Swamp in 2001.” – Arturo Kirkconnell, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural
Due to its extremely small known range and an apparent catastrophic decline in related species due to the recent arrival of the invasive predatory catfish, the Zapata Rail was uplisted by BirdLife to Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Being potentially close to extinction, there is an urgent need for a reliable assessment of the species’ range and population on which to base conservation actions. BirdLife, working in collaboration with Centro Nacional de Areas Protegidas (CNAP, BirdLife in Cuba) and Cuba’s Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, is actively seeking funding to support such an assessment.
Article by David C. Wege; reproduced with kind permission of David C. Wege, the original article can be found here.:
This species was described in 1979 based on subfossil remains that were found in a cave named Cueva de Paredones near the town of San Antonio de los Baños in the Artemisa Province, Cuba.
The species most probably disappeared sometimes after the colonization of the Antilles by Caribbean tribes.
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This species is somewhat questionable and in need of a revision.
The Caribbean may once have been home for numerous parrot species, including several endemic macaw species, whose former existence, however, is still somewhat questionable; yet the Cuban Macaw is the only Caribbean macaw whose actual existence cannot be doubted.
There are at least 19 museum specimens and some subfossil material to prove the former existence of this small macaw species. [1]
***
The Cuban Macaw was only about 50 cm long, it was mainly red, had a yellow neck and blue wings and a blue tipped tail.
The bird inhabited the main island and the Isla de la Juventud offshore Cuba’s southwest coast, and it is in fact quite possible that this species also inhabited to islands of Hispaniola and Jamaica.
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The Cuban Macaw was already restricted to the Zapata Peninsula and to the Isla de la Juventud, when it was discovered by European scientists.
The last records date to the 1850s.
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The bird was a host of several species of parasites, including the feather mite Distigmesikya extincta Pineda & Ortiz and the feather louse Psittacobrosus bechsteini Mey, which were obviously restricted to this single species and which are now extinct together with their only host. [1]
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References:
[1] James W. Wiley; Guy M. Kirwan: The extinct macaws of the West Indies, with special reference to Cuban Macaw Ara tricolor. Bulletin of the British Ornithologist’s Club 133(2): 125-156. 2013
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Depiction from: ‘François Le Vaillant: Histoire naturelle des perroquets. Paris Levrault, Schoell & Cie, An IX-XII. 1801–1805’
