# constellation # hemisphere # common name # latin name # extinct time # URL # optional story desmodus n Giant Vampire Bat Desmodus draculae Pleistocene or early Holocene https://www.thoughtco.com/recently-extinct-shrews-bats-and-rodents-1092147 It is thought that each night Desmodus flies up against the dome of the sky, looking for a way to escape. aplonis n mysterious bird of Ulieta Aplonis ulietensis 1774-1850 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raiatea_starling corvina s Kosrae starling Aplonis corvina mid 19th century https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosrae_starling spelaea s Eurasian cave lion Panthera leo spelaea 12,400 years ago https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panthera_leo_spelaea pinta sw Pinta Island tortoise Chelonoidis abingdonii 24 June 2012 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinta_Island_tortoise The last of its kind, a male named Lonesome George, died in 2012. pipilo b Bermuda towhee Pipilo naufragus Pleistocene, Holocene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermuda_towhee A rare flocking constellation. These towhees cross hemispheres and keep the Glyptodon company. bolyeria n Round Island Burrowing boa Bolyeria multocarinata 1975 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_Island_burrowing_boa ursus n Cave bear Ursus spelaeus 24,000 years ago https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_bear klekowskii b Colossus penguin Palaeeudyptes klekowskii late Eocene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palaeeudyptes_klekowskii cervus b Eastern elk Cervus canadensis canadensis 1 September 1877 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_elk The last elk was shot in Pennsylvania. Oops. pecatonica b Pecatonica River mayfly Acanthametropus pecatonica - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthametropus_pecatonica The mayfly loves to pester Raphus, the Dodo bird. He is too worried about guarding his eggs to pay attention to Pecatonica, though. palaeoaldrovanda s - Palaeoaldrovanda splendens late Cretaceous https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palaeoaldrovanda Rumor has it Palaeoaldrovanda was related to the carnivorous plant genus Aldrovanda! Xerces is seen flying nearby. He must be careful. mammuthus n Woolly mammoth Mammuthus primigenius Pleistocene, early Holocene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolly_mammoth pinguinus n Great auk Pinguinus impennis 1852 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_auk ectopistes n Passenger pigeon Ectopistes migratorius 1 September 1914 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_pigeon The last pidgeon, Martha, died in 1914 at the Cincinanati zoo. What a place to leave the earth from, eh? incilius n Golden toad Incilius periglenes 15 May 1989 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_toad Toads are studied by herpetologists. I'd love to be one just so that I can say that word at a party. O'ahu 'akepa s O'ahu 'akepa Loxops wolstenholmei 1990s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O%CA%BBahu_%CA%BBakepa Like Pipilo, the O'ahu 'akepa is the only other multi-part constellation. Here, a pair of akepas are chatting and spreading rumors about Tadorna. porzana s Laysan rail Porzana palmeri 1944 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laysan_rail Tiny guys in the corner. alloperla n Robert's Stonefly Alloperla roberti ? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alloperla_roberti traversia b Stephens Island wren Traversia lyalli 1895? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephens_Island_wren Pleorotus b Pleorotus Pleorotus braueri 1894 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleorotus basilosaurus s king lizard Basilosaurus cetoides late Eocene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilosaurus The king lizard dives into the depths of the sky at the very tip of the south hemisphere. Some say that he is chasing the South star, `\alpha` Basilosaurus. whĒkau n Laughing owl Sceloglaux albifacies 1914 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laughing_owl Some say that whēkau can still be heard. Perhaps the joke is on us? hoopoe s hoopoe starling Fregilupus varius 1850s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoopoe_starling rodhocetus s - Rodhocetus kasrani Lutetian https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodhocetus Fleeing from the giant Megalodon, Rodhocetus was an early whale that possessed land mammal characteristics. Some say that he managed to escape from Megalodon and lived out his life on the land, never returning to the sea. nesiota n St Helena Olive Nesiota elliptica 2003 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Helena_olive I frankly hate olives and there's no end to my pleasure in throwing olives at the sky. tadorna s Crested shelduck Tadorna cristata ? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crested_shelduck Rumor has it Tadorna may have snuck into the sky without permission—while not seen since the 1960’s, some say the duck isn’t extinct. mariana b Mariana mallard Anas oustaleti 1981 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana_mallard caracara n Guadalupe caracara Caracara lutosa 1900 or 1903 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalupe_caracara compsognathus n Compsognathus Compsognathus longipes late Jurassic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compsognathus The tiniest of dinosaurs, Compsognathus hides in the protection of Bron's shadow. bron n thunder lizard Brontosaurus excelsus late Jurassic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brontosaurus It's hard to be bigger than Bron. He must always pay attention not to step on his frolicking friend Compsognathus, who seeks to find protection in Bron's shadow. Some believe that if Bron stretches his neck, he can look above the sky! But don't tell Ardea this—she's in a contest with Aepyornis to be the first! ardea n Bennu heron Ardea bennuides Holocene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennu_heron Urged by Camelops, Ardea is trying to beat Aepyornis and be the first to see beyond the sky. It looks like she may be winning, but Camelops knows its a futile pursuit. Only he knows what is beyond the sky. camelops n Camelops Camelops kansanus late Pliocene to early Holocene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camelops Camelops played a cruel joke on Ardea and Aepyornis, asking them to try to look beyond the sky. Both think they have the longest neck, so they're still trying! deinocheirus s - Deinocheirus mirificus late Cretaceous https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinocheirus phelsuma s Rodrigues day gecko Phelsuma edwardnewtoni late 1800s? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigues_day_gecko The Phelsuma was described as unafraid of humans and said to be tame and happy to eat fruit from your hand. Lessons to be learned here? meganeura s Giant dragonfly Meganeura brongniarti late Carboniferous https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meganeura cooksonia s - Cooksonia bohemica early Devonian https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooksonia thylacine s Tasmanian tiger Thylacinus cynocephalus 1936 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thylacine The last of its kind was shot by Willem Dafoe in the movie The Hunter. To this day, the Thylacine can be seen screaming in the sky. archaefructus s - Archaefructus eoflora early Cretaceous https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaefructus huia s Huia Heteralocha acutirostris 1907 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huia glyptodon b Glyptodon Glyptodon clavipes Pleistocene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glyptodon The Glyptodon is very slowly crossing from the south to the north hemisphere to play with Bron and Compsognathus. Will he make it? ibex b Pyrenean ibex Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica) 2000 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrenean_ibex raphus b Dodo bird Raphus cucullatus Holocene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodo Raphus is guarding his eggs—the clusters of stars just south of β Raphus (the second brightest star in the constellation) while pestered by Pecatonica. trex n Tyrant lizard Tyrannosaurus rex late Cretaceous https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrannosaurus Trex is unhappy because he's such a tiny constellation -- he's barely eaten! hydrodamalis n Steller's sea cow Hydrodamalis gigas 1768 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steller's_sea_cow moa n Moa Dinornis novaezealandiae Miocene, Holocene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moa kelenken n Terror bird Kelenken guillermoi Miocene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelenken lepidodendron s Scale tree Lepidodendron Carboniferous https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepidodendron cylindraspis s Giant tortoise Cylindraspis indica 1795 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cylindraspis Ever since meeting Pinta, they've been fast (and slow) friends. xerces s Xerces blue Glaucopsyche xerces 1941 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerces_blue Brilliant blue butterfly in the dark blue sky. Xerces is the only thing that is bluer than the sky itself. Some say that butterflies are flying flowers and Xerces is never far from Palaeoaldrovanda. He must be careful though. Rumor has it Palaeoaldrovanda was related to the carnivorous plant genus Aldrovanda! Nobody wants to take that chance. sivatherium s Shiva's beast Sivatherium giganteum Pliocene, Holocene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sivatherium cupido s Heath hen Tympanuchus cupido cupido 1932 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heath_hen pelagornis s Pelagornis Pelagornis sandersi upper Oligocene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelagornis_sandersi He can barely fit in the southern skies. With a wingspan of over 5 meters, he is certain that he is the biggest bird in the sky. However, Argentavis of the northern hemisphere disagrees. argentavis n magnificent silver bird Argentavis magnificens late Miocene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentavis Argentavis is a big bird in the big sky. There are many stories of his feud with Pelagornis, who spreads his wings in the southern hemisphere — both insist that they have the biggest wing span. pterodactyl s Winged finger Pterodactylus antiquus early Tithonian https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterodactylus swamphen s Réunion swamphen Porphyrio coerulescens 18th century https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9union_swamphen Swamphen is delighted to have a diacritical mark in its name, a characteristic shared only by the whēkau, who resides in the northern hemisphere and the ʻōʻō (Moho braccatus) who lives just to the north. megalodon s Giant shark Carcharodon Megalodon early miocene, late Pliocene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalodon One word: terrifying. More words: endlessly chasing Tecopa. The megalodon possesses the brightest star in the sky. tecopa s Tecopa pupfish Cyprinodon nevadensis calidae 1979 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tecopa_pupfish Tecopa can tolerate heat, which allows him to escape from Megalodon, who will not chase Tecopa through the hot springs. troodon s Troodon Troodon formosus late Cretaceous https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troodon rhynia s Rhynia Rhynia gwynne-vaughanii early Devonian https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhynia silphium s laserwort Ferula tingitana 2,000 years ago https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silphium The last known stalk was given to Emperor Nero. As stories, some have said that he used Silphium as kindle to a larger fire. copepteryx s Copepteryx Copepteryx titan late Oligocene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copepteryx moho s ʻōʻō Moho braccatus 1987 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moho_(genus) The ʻōʻō has all its letters with diacriticals. This makes the whēkau jealous. They haven't talked since. urania b Sloane's urania Urania sloanus 1894-1908 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urania_sloanus archaeamphora s Archaeamphora Archaeamphora longicervia early Cretaceous https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeamphora minmi n Minmi Minmi paravertebra early Cretaceous https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minmi_(dinosaur) The Minmi is actually much larger than his name suggests. He really wants you to know that. yersinia n Black death Yersinia pestis ? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yersinia_pestis Don't let Yersinia's small size fool you. The Black Death may be the smallest creature in the sky, but she'll liquify your insides before you can memorize the 80 constellations. Perhaps out of all the creatures in the sky, this is the one we're happy to see go. But, because it's small, you can never be quite sure Yersinia isn't extinct but merely hiding. Or waiting. hippotragus n Bluebuck Hippotragus niger 1799-1800 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebuck aurochs n Aurochs Bos primigenius 1627 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurochs Runs in the vast plains of the north together with Mammuthus and Quagga. quagga n Quagga Equus quagga quagga 1883 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quagga Comical and uncertain of its stripes, Quagga is often seen asking Aurochs for his advice. po'ouli n po'o-uli Melamprosops phaeosoma 2004? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Po%CA%BBouli The last sighting of a pair of po'ouli was in 2004 and now again, in the sky of pi. malpaisomys n Lava mouse Malpaisomys insularis ? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lava_mouse Not much is known about when Malpaisomys became extinct. Some think it's when humans and dogs arrived on the Canary islands. Malpaisomys worries that because of his small size, nobody cares. archaeopteryx n Urvogel Archaeopteryx lithographica late Jurassic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeopteryx valerianella n Varianella Varianella affinis ? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerianella_affinis Some members of the genus are not extinct and enjoy being called "corn salad" even though they have never seen a salad. camptor n Labrador duck Camptorhynchus labradorius 1878 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labrador_duck Camptor flew long and far to find a pond without ducks on Earth, but could find no such pond. So she chose longest journey, and flew to settle in the sky. alaotra b Alaotra grebe Tachybaptus rufolavatus 1985-2010 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaotra_grebe Alaotra is frustrated that Tadorna seems to get all the attention. Often confused for a duck, Alaotra would love you to know that she's in fact a grebe. She's very proud of this fact, despite of being prone to falls due to some biomechanical issues having to do with foot placement. araucaria b Araucaria Araucaria mirabilis middle Jurassic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araucaria_mirabilis Araucaria is truly a marvel. She is so large, in fact, that the constellation only shows the canopy and does not include the tree trunk—which was known to reach a height of 100 m. Araucaria offers plenty of protection and has many flying friends all around, including Urania, Moho and WhĒkau. Just a little further are the ducks (and a grebe), Camptor, Mariana, Tadorna and Alaotra. They would love to visit Araucaria but worry that they are too heavy to perch on her branches. pluchea n Pluchea Pluchea glutinosa 19th century https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluchea_glutinosa kimbetopsalis s - Kimbetopsalis simmonsae middle Puercan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimbetopsalis aepyornis n Elephant bird Aepyornis maximus Quaternary https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aepyornis Urged by Camelops, Aepyornis is trying to beat Ardea and be the first to see beyond the sky. Camelops knows its a futile pursuit. Only he knows what is beyond the sky.