# Extinction! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 22, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608 "2015-01-22T19:18:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/1 "2015-01-22T19:18:46Z")
If you could eliminate any one species of animal on this planet, which would it be, and try to justify your reason. Multi-celled critters only, please. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/2 "2015-01-22T19:19:42Z")
Mosquitoes. To hell with the natural balance of the ecosystem - I hate those guys (girls, I guess) on so many levels. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/3 "2015-01-22T19:24:07Z")
Malaria. How does it work when there are multiple species? Mosquitoes is a great choice, but there’s way more than just one species (Mosquitoes are a whole Family, IIRC). Malaria is a genus, I think, but at least that’s closer. I’m not sure what single species is most harmful, but I’d guess it’s a species of malaria. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/4 "2015-01-22T19:26:28Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Malaria. How does it work when there are multiple species? Mosquitoes is a great choice, but there’s way more than just one species (Mosquitoes are a whole Family, IIRC). Malaria is a genus, I think, but at least that’s closer. I’m not sure what single species is most harmful, but I’d guess it’s a species of malaria. Malaria is an animal? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/5 "2015-01-22T19:26:29Z")
Mosquitoes. Even for those of us who aren’t being killed by them, they are fucking annoying. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/6 "2015-01-22T19:29:01Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Malaria is an animal? Oops… missed that part. Do you mean, literally, “species”, or a broader category like “mosquitoes”? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/7 "2015-01-22T19:31:40Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Oops… missed that part. Do you mean, literally, “species”, or a broader category like “mosquitoes”? Species. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/8 "2015-01-22T19:32:53Z")
The Giant Panda. They are already endangered, so extinction would only have minimal effect on the ecosystem. Besides, those furry bastards know what they did. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/9 "2015-01-22T19:36:37Z")
> [@armedmonkey](#): > > The Giant Panda. They are already endangered, so extinction would only have minimal effect on the ecosystem. > > Besides, those furry bastards know what they did. Never Forgive-Never Forget. I’m with you 100%, bro. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/10 "2015-01-22T19:38:38Z")
> [@Octarine](#): > > Mosquitoes. To hell with the natural balance of the ecosystem - I hate those guys (girls, I guess) on so many levels. +100! And screw that “species” restriction in the OP: every single one of those little blood-suckers must go! ---
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/11 "2015-01-22T19:38:44Z")
> [@Octarine](#): > > Mosquitoes. To hell with the natural balance of the ecosystem - I hate those guys (girls, I guess) on so many levels. Ditto! ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/12 "2015-01-22T19:39:42Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Species. Then whichever species of mosquito or other biting fly (like a species of tsetse fly) that indirectly causes the most deaths through bite-transferred infection. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/13 "2015-01-22T19:49:22Z")
Fire Ants. If there’s more than one species, whichever species it was that made it to the US. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/14 "2015-01-22T19:52:43Z")
[From here.](http://insects.about.com/od/flies/f/what-good-are-mosquitoes.htm) > [@](#): > > As much as we loathe them, mosquitoes represent a considerable biomass of food for\*\* wildlife on the lower rungs of the food chain\*\*. Their extinction, were it even achievable, would have an enormous adverse affect on the entire ecosystem. On the other hand, those lazy bastards can evolve to eat something else. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/15 "2015-01-22T19:54:09Z")
Huma- ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/16 "2015-01-22T19:55:09Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > [From here.](http://insects.about.com/od/flies/f/what-good-are-mosquitoes.htm) > On the other hand, those lazy bastards can evolve to eat something else. 😃 yeah! let them prove they’re the fittest once their little flying blood-bag lunches disappear! ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/17 "2015-01-22T19:56:17Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Huma- Not the [huma bird](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huma_bird)! ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/18 "2015-01-22T20:00:04Z")
Whatever species of mold grows in paint. I am so sick of opening up a paint can, only to find it rotten. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/19 "2015-01-22T20:00:54Z")
bedbugs or roaches ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/20 "2015-01-22T20:12:30Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > Whatever species of mold grows in paint. I am so sick of opening up a paint can, only to find it rotten. Bad news, guys. [Molds in the ecosystem.](http://www.els.net/WileyCDA/ElsArticle/refId-a0000369.html) > [@](#): > > Fungi play vital roles in the biosphere. They are essential to the recycling of nutrients in all terrestrial habitats because they are the dominant decomposers of the complex components of plant debris, such as cellulose and lignin. I’m not looking up bedbugs and roaches. I don’t want to know why they’re essential. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608.md?page=2)