Neomonachus tropicalis (Caribbean Monk Seal)

[another specialist]

Aug 11, 2008 23:24:10 GMT teeny16ney said:

thats horrible how its extinct

Yes it is just like all the animals mentioned here in this forum.

[another specialist]

University Museum of Zoology - Cambridge 5/11/09

[extinct8]

I know there were at least 6 specimens of this species kept at the NY Aquarium (2 in 1897 and 4 in 1909), but does anyone know where the other 12 captive specimens were kept?
In this paper:
www.science.smith.edu/departments/Biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/pdf/747_Monachus_tropicalis.pdf
It says that 18 specimens were kept at 8 times.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[Peter]

I would love to find the same answer as you. I don't know it either.

[extinct8]

I think I've almost got the answer, I'll let you know when I have the information.

[extinct8]

Hey everyone--
I am self-publishing a book on the Caribbean Monk Seal in captivity. Hopefully it will be released by the end of summer. It has some new information and a new image of the seal while in captivity that has not been published since 1910. I'll let you guys know more information as it gets closer, but I thought I'd give you guys a heads up!
Cheers
Charles

[Peter]

That is great! Good luck with your book and keep us updated!

[another specialist]

Great news keep us posted and good luck

[extinct8]

Hi there
I mentioned the book I was working on a while back, and it's finally done.
Anyways, I made this post a while back, and I am pleased to announce that I'm finally done with my book!

Here is the link to the paperback ($7.95):
www.lulu.com/product/paperback/remembering-a-species-a-history-of-the-caribbean-monk-seal-in-captivity/14019590

And the file download (only $3.95):
www.lulu.com/product/file-download/remembering-a-species-a-history-of-the-caribbean-monk-seal-in-captivity/14019591

Thanks so much! There's a preview set up where you can see the introduction and first section of the book.
Any comments and critiques are most welcome

[another specialist]

Hi, Just to say I've bought a copy so it's on it way to me.

Will post my comments when I've received it and read it.

Also I'll mention it on my website a bit of promotion for you.

[Peter]

Thanks for telling us. I'm curious and it sounds interesting, so I will buy it too. And like Another Specialist I will add your book to The Sixth Extinction's upcomming 'Recommended Books' page. It will be an update of the one that could be seen on the old website.

Any new writing plans?

[miki2502989]

any reviews on the book would be awesome

[extinct8]

Thank you very much Peter and Another Specialist! I really appreciate it, and look forward to hearing what you have to say.
As for new writing projects, I have a few more in the works, some about recently extinct animals and other about prehistoric animals. I'll keep you posted on those as well.

Thanks again for spreading the word!

Charlie

[another specialist]

Hi Charlie, Just got my copy had a quick browse now and first impressions are its good.
Will ready it and will comment when done.

[sburd]

These seals have only just been declared extinct, in 2008, even though the last confirmed sighting was in 1952. This seal is the only seal to become extinct from humans, hunter hunted them for blubber, etc. The hunters didn't leave enough of them to sustain the species, leaving them functionally extinct.

Any other information on these animals?

[surroundx]

Hi sburd! There is already a thread on the Caribbean Monk Seal with lots of information here: extinctanimals.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=carnivora&action=display&thread=7451

[surroundx]

"In the spring of 1897, a representative of Saunders and Company, a big fishery firm operating a fleet of -boats out of Pensacola, Florida, called at the Park when passing through Washington. During this visit he mentioned, incidentally, that some of their fishermen had recently reported seeing a few seals on certain little islands near Yucatan. He said that if the Park would care to have some, he would have them caught.

INHABITANTS OF TANK AND POOL

This report at first seemed very improbable, as the seals of the Atlantic coast would not be likely to go so far to the south. Then it was realized that the animals reported might be survivors of the West Indian seal (Monachus tropicalis), which was abundant there two hundred years ago, but had long been supposed extinct. So it seemed worth while to try for some of the animals, whatever they were, and the offer was gratefully accepted.

The West Indian seal was first mentioned by Dampier in 1675, ^^ ^^^ account of Two Voyages to Campeachey^ where he called it the "Jamaica seal." The species then existed in great numbers, but, as they were fat and yielded a valuable oil, they were rapidly killed off" during succeeding years. Naturally the Park felt much interest as to what, if anything, would come from Saunders and Company, and when, a few weeks later, a telegram was received that two seals were on the way from Pensacola, curiosity rose to a peak.

The animals arrived in excellent condition and were seen at once to be the long-lost West Indian seal. The Park reported its find to other zoos, some of which commissioned Saunders and Company to bring up specimens for them, and naturalists for the first time had an opportunity to see what this seal looked like. "

Source: archive.org/stream/wildanimalsinout06mann/wildanimalsinout06mann_djvu.txt (p. 124-125)

This makes out as if this species was rediscovered? I haven't researched this species in a long time but I don't remember it ever having gone unseen for any great period of time.

[surroundx]

Boyd, I. L. and Stanfield, M. P. (1998). Circumstantial evidence for the presence of monk seals in the West Indies. Oryx 32 (4): 310-316.

[Melanie]

Thanks to the research work of Errol Fuller (see Lost Animals, p 186) there is another photograph reproduced from the Zoological Society Bulletin in 1910. The photo on page 644 shows a male and a juvenile.

The article titled Rare Tropical Seals but the photographer remains unknown.

www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/45335#page/340/mode/1up

[surroundx]

Shifting Baselines and The Extinction of The Caribbean Monk Seal

Abstract

The recent extnction of the Caribbean monk seal Monachus tropicalis has been considered an example of a human-caused extinction in the marine environment, and this species was considered a driver of the changes that have occurred in the structure of Caribbean coral reef ecosystems since colonial times. I searched archaeological records, historical data, and geographic names (used as a proxy of the presence of seals) and evaluated the use and quality of these data to conclude that since prehistoric times the Caribbean monk seal was always rare and vulnerable to human predation. This finding supports the hypothesis that in AD 1500, the Caribbean monk seal persisted as a small fragmented population in which individuals were confined to small keys, banks, or isolated islands in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. This hypothesis is contrary to the assumption that the species was widespread and abundant historically. The theory that the main driver of monk seal extinction was harvesting for its oil for use in the sugar cane industry of Jamaica during the 18th century is based primarily on anecdotal information and is overemphasized in the literature. An analysis of reported human encounters with this species indicates monk seal harvest was an occasional activity, rather than an ongoing enterprise. Nevertheless, given the rarity of this species and its restricted distribution, even small levels of hunting or specimen collecting must have contributed to its extinction, which was confirmed in the mid-20th century. Some sources had been overlooked or only partially reviewed, others misinterpreted, and a considerable amount of anecdotal information had been uncritically used. Critical examination of archaeological and historical records is required to infer accurate estimations of the historical abundance of a species. In reconstructing the past to address the shifting baseline syndrome, it is important to avoid selecting evidence to confirm modern prejudices.

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.12107/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false