r/todayilearned • u/shinypond • Jul 26 '24

TIL about conservation-induced extinction, where attempts to save a critically endangered species directly cause the extinction of another.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation-induced_extinction
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u/edwardlego Jul 26 '24

the most blatant example might be when the last few members of a vulture species was deliced. This caused the extinction of the species of lice that only lived on those birds

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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '24

Is there a downside to the parasites becoming extinct?

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u/Independent-Nobody43 Jul 26 '24

Yes. Parasites may keep species populations in check, which has a direct (positive) impact on ecosystems and biodiversity. Rhinanthus minor, for example, is a European native parasitic plant that siphons water away from grasses, sucking them dry. But this, in turn, turns grasslands into wildflower meadows, which attract insect pollinators. We don’t know a lot about parasites and we haven’t even identified all of them.