Which one of the following is the cause of extinction of Steller's Sea Cow and Passenger Pigeon?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Over-exploitation
Option (2) Over-exploitation — Correct. Steller’s sea cow and the passenger pigeon became extinct in the last 500 years through over-exploitation by humans. Over-exploitation is one of the ‘Evil Quartet’, the four major causes of biodiversity loss.
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.”