# If you could make any one species go extinct, which would it be? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 28, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124 "2015-08-28T00:43:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CoastalMaineiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@CoastalMaineiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoastalMaineiac)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/1 "2015-08-28T00:43:11Z")
For the sake of the hypothetical, let’s just say that god exists, and he has decided that a species must go extinct. God has the following six in mind: 1. Humans 2. Cats 3. Dogs 4. Pigs 5. Chickens 6. Cows God isn’t sure which one he wants to kill off, so he has taken a die and replaced the numbers with a picture of each species. But for reasons understandable only to God, he has decided to give you half an hour to choose which species should get the ax. You are not limited to the above six, but if you do not make a choice, He will roll that die, and whichever one comes up is the one that will die. The death will be instantaneous as soon as you choose, or God rolls the die, whichever comes first. What do you kill? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/2 "2015-08-28T00:57:47Z")
Mosquitos ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/3 "2015-08-28T00:58:28Z")
Well, I might be angering God with this line of reasoning, but I’d pick a species that’s already near extinction and without much significance to human society. The [Hula painted frog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hula_painted_frog) is my choice. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/4 "2015-08-28T00:59:44Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Mosquitos Seconded. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/5 "2015-08-28T01:03:05Z")
Do viruses count? My understanding is we puny humans are pretty close to eradicating polio on our own, so having the Big Guy step in and mop it up for us should be pretty unproblematic. It’s kind of debatable if viruses are “alive” and therefore have “species”; if the decision is that they therefore don’t count, we could go with the bacterium that causes tuberculosis or the protozoan that causes malaria. If it has to be something macroscopic, then I vote for “cat fleas” ([_Ctenocephalides felis_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_flea)) because fuck those little fuckers. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/6 "2015-08-28T01:03:38Z")
Yellowjackets, without a moment’s hesitation. Burn in hell, you evil-tempered minions of Satan. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/7 "2015-08-28T01:03:51Z")
What species is God considered to be? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/8 "2015-08-28T01:04:33Z")
Malaria. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/9 "2015-08-28T01:06:46Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > Well, I might be angering God with this line of reasoning, but I’d pick a species that’s already near extinction and without much significance to human society. The [Hula painted frog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hula_painted_frog) is my choice. This. If that’s not allowed I guess mosquitos. Out of the six in the OP I’m tempted to go with the first one. But I can live without chickens. And tons of things could be substituted that taste like chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Dante\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@Dante\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante_G)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/10 "2015-08-28T01:10:37Z")
I vote for Internet Trolls. The world would be soooo much more awesome! ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/11 "2015-08-28T01:10:48Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Mosquitos Agree. Read the title and though mosquitoes, there is no better option. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/12 "2015-08-28T02:51:20Z")
Going with the options given, I would say chicken. I hate chicken anyway, and I suppose I could learn to eat a different type of egg. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/13 "2015-08-28T02:54:00Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Mosquitos Black flies are way worse than mosquitos. At last you can kill mosquitos, but black flies are too fast, and they leave welts that bleed. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/14 "2015-08-28T03:27:19Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Mosquitos There are over 3,500 species of mosquito. The OP specified one. > [@Colibri](#): > > Malaria. Same trap of course with far fewer species to parse, but in this case I assume [_Plasmodium falciparum_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasmodium_falciparum) which would be a pretty solid choice. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/15 "2015-08-28T03:28:25Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > Black flies are way worse than mosquitos. At last you can kill mosquitos, but black flies are too fast, and they leave welts that bleed. Mosquitos are a vector for over a dozen different diseases though. You get the most bang for your buck by getting rid of them. ---
**Author:** ![XaMcQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/f9ae1b/32.png) [@XaMcQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XaMcQ)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/16 "2015-08-28T03:31:19Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Mosquitos Ditto. I have read a couple of articles making the case that they would not be overly missed by anything. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/17 "2015-08-28T03:34:07Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > There are over 3,500 species of mosquito. The OP specified one. In this case, I’m a lumper, not a splitter. ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/18 "2015-08-28T03:40:29Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > There are over 3,500 species of mosquito. The OP specified one. There are various species of cats, too, if you count lions and lynx and such. So mosquitoes it is. All of 'em. If that loophole doesn’t stand up in court, screw the rules. Mosquitoes, period. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/19 "2015-08-28T03:51:47Z")
> [@MoonMoon](#): > > Yellowjackets, without a moment’s hesitation. Burn in hell, you evil-tempered minions of Satan. this. seriously, _fuck_ yellowjackets. Bees are fine. yes, they can sting, but usually don’t want to. they pollinate flowers, and some make honey. most wasps are solitary and mind their business, and won’t mess with you if you don’t mess with them. Yellowjackets? total fucking crackheads. they get all up in your business and no matter how you react they’ll probably sting you. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124/20 "2015-08-28T03:52:02Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > In this case, I’m a lumper, not a splitter. > [@Esox\_Lucius](#): > > There are various species of cats, too, if you count lions and lynx and such. So mosquitoes it is. All of 'em. > > If that loophole doesn’t stand up in court, screw the rules. Mosquitoes, period. It’s an entire _family_ of insects people! _sigh_ Okay, okay - I know. Nobody likes a pedant at a cocktail party. You guys have your fun. But when those heavily armed thugs from the **International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature** get here, I’m gonna point them in your direction and go “right that way gentlemen.” 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-one-species-go-extinct-which-would-it-be/729124.md?page=2)