What does it mean to be alive? A recent paper by Jarić et al. published in Trends in Ecology and Evolution brings up a discussion-worthy concept: the societal extinction of a species.

The societal extinction of a species is distinct but inextricably linked with the biological extinction of a species. According to the IUCN Red List, the most comprehensive database for the conservation statuses of species around the world, a species is biologically extinct if “there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died”, or when exhaustive surveys have failed to record an individual within its historic range. Jarić et al. outline that when a species becomes societally extinct, they disappear from our collective memory. And unlike biological extinction where we can actively probe into whether a species is present or absent, classifying a species as societally extinct is practically impossible — because you cannot know what you have forgotten.

Gradual disappearance of species from collective memory results in losses beyond sentimentality. If fewer people are aware of a species, there is less motivation to maintain conservation efforts. On top of this, societal extinctions lead to what is known as ‘shifting baseline syndrome’. This is when the reference baseline (the previous ‘normal’) gets continuously altered by our changing perceptions over time. For example, if 20 species went biologically extinct in the previous decade, but 11 also went societally extinct, our collective memory would only be conscious of 9 species that went biologically extinct. A potential gap between awareness and reality means we may be underestimating the severity of the situation with our natural world, and therefore are less likely to take appropriate action.

So what makes some species societally extinct and others live on? And how can we use this knowledge to increase the social salience of species? In short, the social salience of a species depends on how much we are directly or indirectly reminded of them. Whether that be a walk in the woods, watching a documentary, singing a song, or just talking about it with a friend — we are able to replenish and reinvigorate our collective memory of species via these routes. The dodo is no longer here, but it culturally lives on through Alice in Wonderland books, and is often used as an example in biology when discussing species extinction. Elephants are in decline, but their cultural significance mark them as charismatic species, motivating masses to engage in conservation. What about some other organism we cannot recall?

The authors additionally pose their own questions at the end of their article, such as whether preventing an organism from becoming societally extinct will reduce its prospects of becoming biologically extinct — negative media portrayal or public opinion on a species may lead to systematic culling or eradication of populations. Despite Jarić et al.’s paper not providing all the answers for how we can protect and maintain collective awareness for every species on Earth, it does give a new angle for discussing anthropological impacts on species health and conservation. It also adds to the growing chorus of papers which are magnifying a simple message: we as humans need to be more mindful of the ways we interact with, and influence, the living world.

Read Jarić et al.’s paper here: Societal extinction of species – ScienceDirect