Which of the following species has become extinct due to over exploitation by humans?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Steller's sea cow
Option (1) Clarias gariepinus — Incorrect. This is the African catfish, an alien species brought into India for aquaculture. It is a threat to our native catfishes, not an extinct species.
Option (2) Steller's sea cow — Correct. This large sea mammal of Russian waters was hunted to extinction, like the passenger pigeon.
Option (3) Lantana — Incorrect. Lantana is an invasive alien weed that spreads over native plants. It is a cause of extinction for others, not itself extinct.
Option (4) Parthenium — Incorrect. Parthenium (carrot grass) is another invasive alien weed, flourishing in India.
NCERT Extract:
Loss of Biodiversity – “… (ii) Over-exploitation: Humans have always depended on nature for food and shelter, but when ‘need’ turns to ‘greed’, it leads to over-exploitation of natural resources. Many species extinctions in the last 500 years (Steller’s sea cow, passenger pigeon) were due to overexploitation by humans.”