Is there a possibility that animals who have been declared extinct are really not extinct?

Question

I have a theory... I believe (and hope) that all the animalss who have gotten the label "extinct" are not extinct at all. I think that they have gone into seclusion in the remotest parts of the earth where no man has discovered. My theory is based on backward discovery. Meaning; we find new life forms all the time- deep in the sea, in the jungle- that we didn't know existed. Is it therefore possible that animals have gone into hiding and we just don't know where?

I believe in a Creator and I don't think He would let humans distroy His creations. The atmosphere can recover, the water can recover, the air can once again be fresh and clean, all these things man has done to the earth can be reversed, nature was built to regenerate. If these things can be reversed then why isn't it reasonable to consider the idea that He has made a "hiding place" of sorts for His creations so they are not wiped out completely?

Answer 1

Yes, its possible.  But I don't believe so for many extinct species.  There have been discoveries of certain creatures that were thought to be extinct, such as the coelacanth (see the link below), it was discovered to be alive and well.  This could also be possible for more species.  But not all of them, unfortunately.  But you never know, you may be right.  Hope so.  Cheers! ♥

Answer 2

Philosopher....hmm...  I agree that many of the things we claim are extinct may not be. I don't know if you mean to say all of them are still here....Like T-Rex--- I'm pretty sure if he were around we would hear from him. I don't think man has extinguished all of these animals I believe the creator may have taken them home too!!! Or maybe T-Rex is hanging out in some other planet! Haha! But if you ask me that Nessie probably is real! There probably is some man beast running around and I'd sure love to see a unicorn.... maybe your creater has just moved all of your crazy beasts like chess peices and we all live to his whim.... Maybe he says you know what I should do is give this chick an idea about how to regenerate the earth to bring my extinct animals back....and she could send out a question and some other person would come up with a wacky reply....Clean the Earth my friend! Save the Animals (Extinct or not) and live in Harmony with the Earth and when you are done cleaning the water and the atmosphere and restoring jungles and growing trees....you can clean my house!!!

Answer 3

I like your theory. I do believe in a creator, but I don't think that dinasours are still roaming the earth. YET, I do believe that God is powerful enough that if, once he comes back, we ask him for a dingo (doglike [marsupial, i think] from australia) he's able to make one. hahaha and re-start the whole race. I think that animals that are "extiguished" may still be around somewhere, but not all of them.

Answer 4

I think that animals who have gotten the label "extinct", may not be, but still could be.  I dont think a creator has made a "hiding place" of some sort.  We can remember those prehistoric fish that where discovered not so lond ago, so.

Answer 5

The illogic of this supposition boggles the mind.

Ok, all animals that have gotten the label "extinct" are not extinct.  All of them have gone into seclusion.  All of them.  Right?

Ok, let us do the math...

How many millenia are you describing?  How many of the species are you referrencing?  Are you including the dinosaurs and all even earlier fossile evidence?  ALL of them are still alive?

What about when the planet had a different atmosphere and the beings alive then could not live in todays atmosphere.  Are they alive in some secluded part of the world where there is an atmosphere to sustain their life?

Now, given your hypothesis that every extinct animal, including those I mentioned, are alive somewhere.  Do they have a sufficient population base to sustain genetic diversity?  We know that without genetic diversity a species cannot survive.

Ok, now, keeping with your hypothesis and ALL of the above stipulations, where on Gods Green Earth is there the ROOM to maintain all of these populations, hidden or not and how is the atmosphere required for the earliest forms of life contained?

---edit:

If you are going to stipulate "all extinct species" you MUST include "all"... that includes dinosaurs.

I do not think the requirements to meet this hypothesis can be met with the actual physical land-mass on this planet, even if there was no need to hide them.

I forgot something: some of these species have VERY strict habitats.  Many of them went extinct because the habitats were destroyed.  Another reason for extinction is loss of prey item availability.

Entire ecosystems (sometimes actual climate and environment changes) would have to be created and maintained feasably.

So, no, I do not believe your hypothesis can work.

I DO believe that some considered extinct animals are alive but hardly all.

Answer 6

Absolutely possible. Human beings are arrogant enough to think that the world is what they know it is.

Answer 7

No. But some animals that hve been thought to be extinct have been found however they are still on the brink of extinction.

Answer 8

This is such an optimistic thought and I believe you are right.. how can ALL of the extinct brings just die off?  Some, well some may but all? h**l NO!

Like you said, we are discovering new ones ALL THE TIME!! h**l I would hide too if they were 'getting' me.

Answer 9

Proving a negative is exceedingly difficult.

I'm not sure what's been decided about the ivory-billed woodpecker; it was thought to be extinct but some people were reasonably certain they'd heard its song.

I'd like to think that someday man can synthesize the DNA of extinct species, but I'm not sure whether ethics demands that man also bring back pests that have died out. If there were pterodactylic mosquitoes, perhaps they should rest in peace.

Answer 10

No, most of them are gone.  Gone like the Dodo.  A lot of the animals that are now extinct lived in secluded areas in the first place.  That's why they're gone now.  Secluded areas, smaller numbers, fewer predators, easier to wipe out.

The atmosphere and the air can recover - to a point.  Not forever.  The more damage done, the longer it will take nature to correct.  When a rain forest is destoryed, it is destroyed.  It doesn't matter how many trees you plant.  It's gone.   And it will never come back.   Some things cannot be corrected.

I, personally, do not believe in the same kind of God you do, but I'd say the Christian God gave people nothing if not free will.  Free will to take care of the world or destroy it for our own needs.  People chose to destroy it.

Some things never come back.

Answer 11

hey chemMan

if you pop down to Aus some day you'll be happy to know there are still heaps of dingo's runnin around, they are attacking small children on a regular basis at Fraser Island.  altho their genetic 'purity' is being comprimised by breeding with wild dogs. google it if you dont believe? i live in tasmania where we had  the Tasmanian Tiger 'worlds largest carnivorous marsupial' it hasn't been proven to be in existance for 75 years it only takes 50 yrs without a proven sighting for an animal to be declared extinct.   as far as nature being built to regenerate, i'm going to have to disagree. it's built to adapt, thats why we have life in some shape or another since way back, thru primordial swamps to deserts to glaciers. thru this natural selection speciels will inevitably become out dated.