This is a list of Oceanian species extinct in the Holocene that covers extinctions from the Holocene epoch, a geologic epoch that began about 11,650 years before present (about 9700 BCE) and continues to the present day.
Oceania is a geographical region in the Pacific Ocean comprising Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Numerous species across Oceania became extinct as humans moved across the Pacific. Australia-New Guinea, New Zealand, and Hawaii have particularly large numbers of extinct species, so they listed in separate articles.
Extinctions from remaining Oceanian islands are listed below. This list includes sovereign states (such as Fiji) as well as island territories (such as French Polynesia). Extinctions from the associated states and dependent territory of New Zealand are listed below, and not with New Zealand proper. Papua New Guinea's Autonomous Region of Bougainville (part of the Solomon Islands archipelago) is included below, although the rest of Papua New Guinea is covered in List of Australia-New Guinea species extinct in the Holocene.
Extinctions in Easter Island, a territory of Chile, are included, but extinctions in the Juan Fernández Islands are included in the List of South American species extinct in the Holocene, and extinctions in the Galapagos Islands are in their own separate List of Galapagos Islands species extinct in the Holocene, as neither archipelago was ever settled by Polynesians and are not usually considered part of Oceania. Similarly, the Daito and Bonin Islands, under the sovereignty of Japan, are considered in the List of Asian animals extinct in the Holocene.
Many extinction dates are unknown due to a lack of relevant information.
Mammals (class Mammalia) Rodents (order Rodentia)
Old World rats and mice (family Muridae) Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsBuka Island mosaic-tailed ratMelomys spechtiBuka Island, Autonomous Region of BougainvilleMost recent remains dated to 3050 BCE.Buka Island solomysSolomys spriggsarum Possibly extinct Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsEmperor ratUromys imperatorAola, northern Guadalcanal, Solomon IslandsNot recorded with certainty since it was last collected between 1886 and 1888, though anecdotal information suggests the species survived until the 1960s. The causes of extinction are unknown.Guadalcanal ratUromys porculusNot recorded since it was last collected between 1886 and 1888. The causes of extinction are unknown.
Bats (order Chiroptera)
Megabats (family Pteropodidae) Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsNendo tube-nosed fruit batNyctimene sanctacrucisNendö, Solomon IslandsOnly known from the holotype collected in 1892; it was later erronoeusly reported as recorded in 1907. Could be conspecific with the Island tube-nosed fruit bat.Small Samoan flying foxPteropus allenorumUpolu, SamoaOnly known from the holotype collected in 1856.Large Samoan flying foxPteropus coxiSamoaKnown from two individuals collected between 1839 and 1841. The exact island of origin is unknown because it was not recorded, but unconfirmed sightings happened until the 1980s.Large Palau flying foxPteropus pilosusPalauKnown from two individuals collected before 1874. The causes of extinction are unknown.Guam flying foxPteropus tokudaeGuamLast known individual was killed in 1968, with an unconfirmed sighting happening in the late 1970s. It was probably hunted to extinction, though the introduced brown tree snake could have contributed.
Possibly extinct Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsMontane monkey-faced batPteralopex pulchraMount Makarakomburu, Guadalcanal, Solomon IslandsOnly known from the holotype collected in 1991. The causes of extinction are unknown.
Vesper bats (family Vespertilionidae) Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsInsular myotisMyotis insularumSamoaLast recorded in the 1860s.
Birds (class Aves) Landfowl and relatives (clade Pangalliformes)
Giant scrubfowl (family Sylviornithidae) Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsImagesNoble scrubfowlMegavitiornis altirostrisFijiMost recent remains at the Naigani Lapita culture site dated to 950 BCE.Irwin, G. et al. (2011). Further investigations at the Naigani Lapita site (VL 21/5), Fiji: excavation, radiocarbon dating and palaeofaunal extinction. Journal of Pacific Archaeology, 2(2), 66-78. Flightless and totally terrestrial, it would have been quickly exterminated by humans and introduced mammals.New Caledonian giant scrubfowlSylviornis neocaledoniae Grande Terre and Isle of Pines, New CaledoniaMost recent remains at the Pindai Caves dated to 1120-840 BCE.Anderson, A.; Sand, C.; Petchey, F.; Worthy, T. H. (2010). "Faunal extinction and human habitation in New Caledonia: Initial results and implications of new research at the Pindai Caves". Journal of Pacific Archaeology. 1 (1): 89–109. hdl:10289/5404. The species was flightless and laid a single egg uncovered on the ground, which wasn't incubated. This made it easy prey for introduced predators.
Megapodes (family Megapodidae) Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsConsumed scrubfowlMegapodius alimentumTonga and FijiDated in Fiji around 850 BCE and in Tongoleleka, Lifuka Island to 840-740 BCE. It retained the ability to fly despite being almost as large as New Caledonia's pile-builder megapode. Nevertheless, it went extinct a couple of centuries after human settlement as a result of hunting, egg harvesting, and predation by introduced animals.Viti Levu scrubfowlMegapodius amissusAiwa Levu, FijiPregill, G. K., & Steadman, D. W. (2014). The prehistory of terrestrial reptiles and birds in the Central Lau Group, Fiji. Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History. 53, 1-25.Likely flightless unlike other small megapodes, which would make it vulnerable to introduced predators.Pile-builder megapodeMegapodius molistructorNew CaledoniaMost recent remains at the Pindai Caves dated to 86-428 CE. It was the largest species of its genus and almost certainly hunted to extinction by humans. Megapodius andersoni, a hypothetical species named from a brief description written by William Anderson during the third voyage of James Cook (1776–1780), may or may not be the same animal. Remains provisionally assigned to this species in Tonga are different enough to represent another species, or even genus.Unidentified Tongan megapodeMegapodius sp.TongaA large megapode similar to M. molistructor of New Caledonia, but likely a different species or even genus. Lived alongside, but was rarer than the smaller M. alimentum.Large Solomon Islands megapodeMegapodius sp.Buka Island, Autonomous Region of BougainvillePrehistoricLini's megapodeMwalau walterliniiEfate, VanuatuDescribed from remains found in Lapita culture levels dating to 1050-850 BCE. It could fly despite being larger than any extant megapode.Worthy, T. H., Hawkins, S., Bedford, S., & Spriggs, M. (2015). Avifauna from the Teouma Lapita site, Efate Island, Vanuatu, including a new genus and species of Megapode. Pacific Science, 69(2), 205-254.
Locally extinct Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPicturesDusky megapodeMegapodius freycinetFrom the Maluku Islands to TongaCurrently only present from the Maluku Islands to the Bird's Head Peninsula on New Guinea. It survived in Tikopia, Solomon Islands until the Lapita period.Hawkins, S., & Worthy, T. H. (2019). Lapita colonisation and avian extinctions in Oceania. terra australis 52, 439.
Pheasants and allies (family Phasianidae) Locally extinct Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPicturesStubble quailCoturnix pectoralisAustralia and New CaledoniaExtirpated from New Caledonia after human settlement.
Waterfowl (order Anseriformes) Ducks, geese, and swans (family Anatidae) Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPicturesTristram's pintailAnas acuta modestaSidney Island, Phoenix Islands, KiribatiExtinct subspecies or population of the northern pintail, known from three individuals collected in 1885.Rennell Island tealAnas gibberifrons remissaRennell, Solomon IslandsRestricted to a single lagoon in the island, it disappeared in 1959 after Tilapia fish was introduced and presumably destroyed its food supply.Mariana mallardAnas platyrhynchos oustaletiGuam, Tinian, and Saipan, Mariana IslandsA captive breeding program intended to save it from extinction ended in failure with the death of the last individual (pictured) in 1981.Reichel, James D.; Lemke, Thomas O. (April 1994). "Ecology and Extinction of the Mariana Mallard". In The Journal of Wildlife Management. Wiley. 58 (2): 199–205Coues's gadwallMareca strepera couesiTeraina, Line Islands, KiribatiA sedentary subspecies likely descended from stranded birds. It was never seen alive again after its discovery in 1874.Kear, J. (ed.) (2005) Ducks, Geese, and Swans. Volume 2: Species accounts (Cairina to Mergus). Oxford University Press, 908 pages.Rota flightless duckAnatidae incertae sedisRota, Mariana IslandsDescribed from a subfossil juvenile coracoid.Steadman, D. W. (1999). The prehistory of vertebrates, especially birds, on Tinian, Aguiguan, and Rota, Northern Mariana Islands. MICRONESICA-AGANA-, 31, 319-345.
Nightjars (order Caprimulgiformes)
Typical nightjars (family Caprimulgidae) Possibly extinct Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsNew Caledonian nightjarEurostopodus exulNorthwestern New CaledoniaKnown only from the type specimen collected in 1939.
Owlet-nightjars (order Aegotheliformes)
Owlet-nightjars (family Aegothelidae) Possibly extinct Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPicturesNew Caledonian owlet-nightjarAegotheles savesiSouthwestern New CaledoniaLast known individual was shot in 1960, and an unconfirmed sighting and calls were recorded in 1998. Like other owlet-nightjars, it could have declined due to predation by introduced cats and rats, and habitat loss through fire, mining, and logging.
Swifts, treeswifts, and hummingbirds (order Apodiformes)
Swifts (family Apodidae) Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsMangaia swiftletAerodramus manuoiMangaia, Cook IslandsKnown from Holocene remains.Steadman, D. W. (2002). A new species of swiftlet (Aves: Apodidae) from the late Quaternary of Mangaia, Cook Islands, Oceania. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 22(2), 326-331.
Pigeons and doves (order Columbiformes)
Pigeons and doves (family Columbidae)