Extinction for Kids | Learn why some animals and plants no longer exist

Have you ever wondered why there are no dinosaurs anymore? In Extinction for Kids, you will learn why dinosaurs no longer roam the planet. You will also learn about some other species that likewise died off. Believe it or not, plants can become extinct too, and the process happens more quickly than it does for animals.Show more

Most of the time, extinction happens over a long period of time. When certain animals can no longer reproduce, they begin to die off. Or when animals can't adapt to their changing environment, this can also lead them to extinction. In cases of mass extinction, many species of plants and animals die out very quickly. Many scientists believe that this is what happened to the dinosaurs and other plants and animals that were on the planet millions of years ago. An asteroid may have collided with the surface of the earth and caused these species to die.

Humans can also contribute to the possibility of extinction for various species through things like overhunting, destroying habitats, or introducing nonnative species to areas where they are not usually found. In fact, have you ever heard of the dodo bird? When animals like pigs and cats were introduced to the dodo bird's environment, the bird became prey to the pigs and cats. As a result, they eventually became extinct because they could not adapt quickly enough to survive.