The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to extinction:

Extinction is the termination of a species or other taxonomic unit when the last individual dies. It can also occur functionally when a species can no longer sustain a viable population, even if some survive. Extinction is a natural part of evolution, often caused by environmental changes or competition. However, in recent times, human activities have greatly accelerated extinction rates, leading to the loss of numerous species worldwide.

A dagger symbol (†) placed next to the name of a species or other taxon normally indicates its status as extinct.

Extinction can be described as all of the following:

• Coextinction
• Conservation-induced extinction
• Extinction debt
• Ecological extinction
• Evolutionary suicide
• Functional extinction
• Local extinction

• Mass extinction
• Pseudoextinction
• Extinct in the wild

• Artificial intelligence
• Asteroid impact
• Biological warfare
• Climate change
  • Extinction risk from climate change
• Deforestation
• Disease
• Ecological collapse
• Extinction event
• Genetic engineering
• Genetic erosion
• Habitat destruction
• Human overpopulation
• Interspecific competition
• Invasive species
• Nanotechnology
• Nuclear warfare
• Ocean acidification
• Overfishing
• Overhunting
• Pollution
• Resource depletion
• Superflare
• Volcanic eruption

History of extinction

• Lists of extinct species

• List of extinct arachnids

• List of extinct bird species since 1500
• List of bird extinctions by year
• List of moa species

• List of recently extinct fishes

• List of recently extinct mammals
• List of extinct dog breeds
• List of extinct cetaceans

• List of extinct butterflies
• List of recently extinct insects

• List of recently extinct amphibians

List of recently extinct plants

• List of African animals extinct in the Holocene
  • List of Madagascar and Indian Ocean Island animals extinct in the Holocene
• List of Asian animals extinct in the Holocene
• List of European species extinct in the Holocene
• List of North American animals extinct in the Holocene
  • List of Hawaiian animals extinct in the Holocene
• List of Oceanian species extinct in the Holocene
  • List of Australia-New Guinea species extinct in the Holocene
  • List of New Zealand species extinct in the Holocene
• List of South American animals extinct in the Holocene
• Islands
  • List of Madagascar and Indian Ocean Island animals extinct in the Holocene
  • List of Antillian and Bermudan animals extinct in the Holocene

• De-extinction –
• Human-guided migration –
• Species reintroduction –
  • examples –
    • Eurasian beaver reintroduction
    • Lynx reintroduction in Great Britain
• Rewilding –
• Species translocation – human action of moving an organism from one area and releasing it in another.

• Extinct species in art