# Which species would go extinct first if humans disappeared tomorrow? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 6, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178 "2015-08-06T18:26:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JHuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b3f665/32.png) [@JHuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JHuff)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/1 "2015-08-06T18:26:34Z")
If humans were to disappear from the face of the earth tomorrow (whether we all commit suicide at once, or maybe the rapture happens and we’re all somehow included, I’ll leave up to your imagination), what other species would go extinct as a direct consequence? Also, what species might benefit the most as a consequence? I’m thinking city dwelling pigeons wouldn’t fare too well. I’m sure any parasites that are specific to humans would be gone pretty quickly. Would chickens be able to survive without us? Or cows? Wolves would probably make a comeback. I’m sure you fine folks have some interesting opinions on the matter though… ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/2 "2015-08-06T18:32:02Z")
Extinct is a pretty big deal. Any number of scenarios could play out - no doubt the lions from the zoos would have a field day with all those cows dying in agony from not being milked. Cows come in many varieties though and some would take a lion on without breaking sweat. Some species only exist because we have supported them - pandas are an obvious one. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/3 "2015-08-06T18:36:34Z")
Chickens and other livestock would be first to go, most likely. My guess is dogs would have a tough time of it at first, but since there’s so many of them, and tons of unguarded livestock, they’d probably be pretty successful after a while. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/4 "2015-08-06T18:39:48Z")
The European Honey Bee might be a contender. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/5 "2015-08-06T19:02:30Z")
domestic stock of most kinds. Sheep need shearing every year. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/6 "2015-08-06T19:02:32Z")
> [@JHuff](#): > > I’m thinking city dwelling pigeons wouldn’t fare too well. The pigeons we see in cities live on cliffs in the wild. Their population would be massively reduced, but they would survive. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/7 "2015-08-06T19:05:35Z")
> [@Mk\_VII](#): > > domestic stock of most kinds. Sheep need shearing every year. All domesticated animals are considered to be the same species as the wild version they were derived from. Other than cows (no more Aurochs around), I think most domesticated animals have wild cousins. There are certain lice that have evolved to live on humans, IIRC, so they would have a tough time adapting. California Condors wouldn’t be around much longer. Wolves and coyotes would interbreed with domesticated dogs, and that might change them into something different from wolves and coyotes. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/8 "2015-08-06T19:08:49Z")
Human immunodefficiency virus. And other germs that specifically target humans. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/9 "2015-08-06T19:14:44Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Human immunodefficiency virus. And other germs that specifically target humans. As well as the human louse, and human-specific gut bacteria. ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/10 "2015-08-06T19:19:07Z")
I’m going to guess that humans would go extinct if humans went extinct. Sort of a tautology. I also would guess that certain scavenger populations would bloom for a while, eating our carcasses and feasting from our fridges and cupboards. And then they would overpopulate and die off. I have no factual answer because we haven’t already died yet. Except the zombies… they might know something we don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/11 "2015-08-06T19:52:39Z")
Axolotl - no known surivors in the wild but many in aquaria and research labs that are unlikely to find their way to mexico Sumatran rhinos Javan Rhino White rhinos And here is a whole list of other species that are actually being kept alive through breeding programs that will likely not be recoverable on their own in teh wild. [http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140509-whats-the-worlds-rarest-animal](http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140509-whats-the-worlds-rarest-animal) California Condors are one that would be interesting to watch- could they continue to survive without a regular influx of human produced chicks. Especially as tehy are still all descended from 22 original birds (Cheetah style!). ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/12 "2015-08-06T19:59:38Z")
**Vampires** ---
**Author:** ![TallTrees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TallTrees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TallTrees)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/13 "2015-08-06T20:02:46Z")
With no humans around to carry them from place to place, I think the first to go would be Yorkshire Terriers and Miniature Poodles. ---
**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 6, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/14 "2015-08-06T20:08:40Z")
For animals larger than a flea it’s probably going to be a species near extinction already. Even the microbes and parasites may survive by finding a home in the scavengers that are eating all the dead bodies. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/15 "2015-08-06T20:20:48Z")
> [@JHuff](#): > > I’m sure you fine folks have some interesting **opinions** on the matter Wrong forum. ---
**Author:** ![No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_umlaut_for_U)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/16 "2015-08-06T20:49:09Z")
The [Spix Macaw](http://www.edgeofexistence.org/birds/species_info.php?id=2028). I would have to believe a couple of other parrot species wouldn’t make it, either. Corn would likely not persist unless some messy feeder would rip through the husks to allow seeding to occur. I would suspect that many fruit and vegetable cultivars would fail, also. Thriving? Crows and various predatory birds, especially at first, as well as other scavengers. Squirrels. Fructivorous birds. Meadowlarks and similar birds. Mice and voles. Deer, until the domestic animals run out. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/17 "2015-08-06T21:55:14Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Chickens and other livestock would be first to go, most likely. [Feral chickens](http://modernfarmer.com/2015/04/the-mystery-of-kauais-thousands-of-feral-chickens/) do just fine in Hawaii. Chickens elsewhere might fall victim to predation, but there would certainly be some pockets without enough predators to drive them to complete extinction. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/18 "2015-08-06T21:58:00Z")
**Moderator Action** A lot of this can be (and has been) answered factually. Some of this requires speculation and opinion though, and since the OP did ask for opinions, let’s move this to our opinion forum. Moving thread from General Questions to In My Humble Opinion. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/19 "2015-08-06T22:16:37Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Extinct is a pretty big deal. Any number of scenarios could play out - no doubt the lions from the zoos would have a field day with all those cows dying in agony from not being milked. Wouldn’t the lions in the zoos still be locked in the zoos? ---
**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 6, 2015, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178/20 "2015-08-06T22:30:27Z")
> [@JHuff](#): > > I’m thinking city dwelling pigeons wouldn’t fare too well. … Would chickens be able to survive without us? Or cows? Domestic animals would mostly do fine, as long as they were not confined and were able to run free. Some of the more specialized breeds would die out, of course, but around the world domestic stock has gone feral and given rise to free living herds (e.g. “wild” horses in the American west). Chickens have established free-living populations several places in the tropics. With less food provided by humans, the populations of city-dwelling pigeons would go down, but they would survive just fine. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-species-would-go-extinct-first-if-humans-disappeared-tomorrow/727178.md?page=2)