Why Billions of Passenger Pigeons Died in Under a Century

The video explores the extinction of passenger pigeons, once numbering in billions, due to human activities like deforestation and hunting. It discusses their lifestyle, defense mechanisms, and the scientific analysis of their genetic diversity. The extinction led to the first conservation laws, highlighting the importance of protecting endangered species.

What was the primary defense mechanism of passenger pigeons against predators?

• Camouflage

• Poisonous feathers

• Strength in numbers

• Speed

Which human activity significantly contributed to the decline of passenger pigeons?

• Urban development

• Hunting for food

• Pollution

• Climate change

What method did hunters use to capture large numbers of passenger pigeons?

• Baited traps and controlled fires

• Poisoned food

• Snares

• Nets

What did the 2014 scientific study suggest about the passenger pigeon population?

• They were always in decline

• They were immune to predators

• They were genetically diverse

• They fluctuated naturally before human interference

What did the 2017 study propose about the genetic diversity of passenger pigeons?

• It was high due to large population size

• It was low due to rapid evolutionary adaptation

• It was unaffected by population size

• It was irrelevant to their extinction

What was one of the first laws inspired by the extinction of passenger pigeons?

• Federal law prohibiting interstate shipping of illegally hunted game

• Law protecting all migratory birds

• Ban on deforestation

• Ban on all bird hunting

What was the purpose of the Weeks McLean Act?

• To ban hunting migratory birds in the spring

• To protect marine life

• To regulate fishing practices

• To ban hunting of all animals