Coextinction of a species is the loss of one species upon the extinction of another. The term was originally used in the context of the extinction of parasitic insects following the loss of their hosts. In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of taxons. ... A parasite is an organism that lives in or on the living tissue of a host organism at the expense of that host. ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Symphypleona - globular springtails Subclass Archaeognatha (jumping bristletails) Subclass Dicondylia Monura - extinct Thysanura (common bristletails) Subclass Pterygota Diaphanopteroidea - extinct Palaeodictyoptera - extinct Megasecoptera - extinct Archodonata - extinct Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Blattodea (cockroaches) Mantodea (mantids) Isoptera (termites) Zoraptera Grylloblattodea Dermaptera (earwigs) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets...

The term is now used describe the subsequent loss of any interacting species, including predators with their prey, and specialist herbivores with their food source. The most often cited examples are that of the extinct passenger pigeon and its parasitic louse Columbicola extinctus and Campanulotes defectus. Recently, C. extinctus was rediscovered on band-tailed pigeon and C. defectus was found to be a likely case of misidentification, is the existing Campanulotes flavus. However, even though the passenger pigeon lice story has a happy ending (i.e. rediscovery), it is uncertain that other co-extinctions of other parasites, even on passenger pigeon, have not occurred. This snapping turtle is trying to make a meal of a Canada goose, but the goose is too wary. ... In zoology, an herbivore is an animal that is adapted to eat primarily plant matter (rather than meat). ... Binomial name Ectopistes migratorius (Linnaeus, 1766) The Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) was once probably the most common bird in the world. ... Suborders Anoplura (sucking lice) Rhyncophthirina Ischnocera (avian lice) Amblycera (chewing lice) Lice (singular: louse) (order Phthiraptera) are an order of over 3000 species of wingless parasitic insects. ...

In a recent article in Science, ecologist Lian Pin Koh and coworkers consider coextintion and state Science is the journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. ... (Ecology is sometimes used incorrectly as a synonym for the natural environment. ...

Species coextinction is a manifestation of the interconnectedness of organisms in complex ecosystems. The loss of species through coextinction represents the loss of irreplaceable evolutionary and coevolutionary history. In view of the global extinction crisis, it is imperative that coextinction be the focus of future research to understand the intricate processes of species extinctions. While coextinction may not be the most important cause of species extinctions, it is certainly an insidious one.

(Science, Vol 305, Issue 5690, 1632-1634, 10 September 2004)

Koh also defines coendangered as "likely to go extinct if their currently endangered hosts ... become extinct."

One example is the near extinction of the genus Hibiscadelphus as a consequence of the disappearance of several of Hawaiian honeycreepers, its pollinators. Their are several instances of predators and scavengers dying out following the disappearance of species which represented their source of food. The many bird extinctions have e.g. certainly caused many extinctions of bird parasites, because they are mostly very species-specific. Genera Telespiza Psittirostra (extinct?) Dysmorodrepanis (extinct) Loxioides Rhodacanthis (extinct) Chloridops (extinct) Orthiospiza (extinct) Xestospiza (extinct) Pseudonestor Hemignathus Magumma (disputed) Akialoa (disputed; extinct) Heterorhynchus (disputed) Oreomystis Paroreomyza Vangulifer (extinct) Aidemedia (extinct) Loxops Ciridops (extinct) Vestiaria Drepanis (extinct) Palmeria Himatione Melamprosops (extinct?) Hawaiian honeycreepers are small passerine birds endemic to Hawaii. ... A pollinator is the agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish fertilization or syngamy of the female gamete in the ovule of the flower by the male gamete from the pollen grain. ... This snapping turtle is trying to make a meal of a Canada goose, but the goose is too wary. ... Categories: Stub ...

References

• The Extinction Website
• Extinction forum