Select the correct match from the following: Extinct animal / Country

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 4: Steller's sea cow - Russia

The pair **Steller's sea cow - Russia** is the only correct match in the context of the extinct animal and its native country or primary region of existence. The Steller's sea cow (*Hydrodamalis gigas*) was an exceptionally large, herbivorous marine mammal, a relative of modern-day manatees and dugongs, and the largest sirenian to have ever lived. It was first scientifically documented in 1741 by the German naturalist Georg Steller during a Russian expedition. Its population was confined to the shallow coastal waters around the Commander Islands in the Bering Sea, a territory that is part of Russia. Unfortunately, due to its docile nature, large size, and tendency to stay near the surface, it was ruthlessly hunted by fur traders and sailors for its meat, fat, and hide, leading to its complete extinction just 27 years after its discovery in 1768.

The incorrect option is 1: Thylacine - Africa

The Thylacine, famously known as the Tasmanian Tiger, was an extinct carnivorous marsupial, not a native of Africa. Its primary and final geographic range was the island of Tasmania, which is a part of **Australia**. Although it once ranged across the Australian mainland and New Guinea, the mainland populations disappeared thousands of years ago. European settlers drove the remaining Tasmanian population to extinction, with the last known individual dying in a zoo in 1936. Therefore, matching the Thylacine with Africa is factually incorrect, as its entire known modern history is tied to the Australian continent.

The incorrect option is 2: Quagga - Mauritius

The Quagga (*Equus quagga quagga*) was a subspecies of the plains zebra and was native to the continent of **Africa**, specifically South Africa. It was distinguished by having stripes only on its head, neck, and forebody, with its rear section being plain brown. It was heavily hunted for its meat and hide, and the last wild Quagga was shot in the 1870s, with the last captive individual dying in Amsterdam in 1883. This makes the pairing with Mauritius incorrect; the island of Mauritius is the native home of the Dodo, a completely different, flightless bird species.

The incorrect option is 3: Dodo - Australia

The Dodo (*Raphus cucullatus*) was a large, flightless bird that was endemic to the island of **Mauritius** in the Indian Ocean. Its extinction in the late 17th century made it one of the earliest and most famous examples of human-caused extinction. The bird evolved in the absence of significant predators, making it tame and easy prey for the sailors who arrived on the island, as well as the introduced animals like pigs and monkeys that destroyed its nests. The pairing of the Dodo with Australia is incorrect; the Dodo was never found in Australia.