Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Extinction/Archive 1

The place to make a proposal, suggestion or to discuss a certain topic!

European lions
It has been suggested that Lions in Europe be merged into European lion. I quote from Talk:European lion: I agree to fusion this article with "Lions in Europe", because of the fact that the european population of lions isn't widely accept as a separate subspecies."
 * I agree, but lions could also be a page that discusses the presence of the Asiatic lion and the European cave lion in Europe. Maybe even the lions in the Roman arenas. Peter Maas 10:24, 1 June 2006 (UTC)
 * European lions are also discussed in Asiatic lion

Portal
Isn't it better to rename this page into Portal:Extinction?


 * Well, not in my opinion. Why? Because a WikiProject and a Portal are wto different things. In short: a wikiproject is to coordinate and organize article writing, and a portal is to help readers and/or editors manoeuvre their way through Wikipedia topic areas through pages similar to the Main Page. In essence, portals are useful entry-points to Wikipedia content. Peter Maas 07:41, 30 September 2006 (UTC)


 * However, I do agree that we should create an Extinction Portal, besides this project. I will start one at: Portal:Extinction. Peter Maas 07:41, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Editing the portal
The portal has been started. Now we have to edit it! Everyone feel free to do so. All help is needed. You can look at other portals as an example, like the Portal:Biology. And look here: Portal/Instructions. Any suggestions for featured article and image? Peter Maas 08:15, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Project directory
Hello. The WikiProject Council has recently updated the WikiProject Council/Directory. This new directory includes a variety of categories and subcategories which will, with luck, potentially draw new members to the projects who are interested in those specific subjects. Please review the directory and make any changes to the entries for your project that you see fit. There is also a directory of portals, at User:B2T2/Portal, listing all the existing portals. Feel free to add any of them to the portals or comments section of your entries in the directory. The three columns regarding assessment, peer review, and collaboration are included in the directory for both the use of the projects themselves and for that of others. Having such departments will allow a project to more quickly and easily identify its most important articles and its articles in greatest need of improvement. If you have not already done so, please consider whether your project would benefit from having departments which deal in these matters. It is my hope that all the changes to the directory can be finished by the first of next month. Please feel free to make any changes you see fit to the entries for your project before then. If you should have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you. B2T2 23:36, 25 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Thanks, I just added the Extinction Portal to the directory. I think eventually we will create the departments you suggested. Might indeed be helpfull. Peter Maas 08:31, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Wildlife Barnstar
There is currently a barnstar proposal at Wikipedia:Barnstar and award proposals/New Proposals for a barnstar which would be available for use for this project. Please feel free to visit the page and make any comments you see fit. Badbilltucker 15:38, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

Topic:Paleontology
Hello at Wikiversity there is a disipline in development on palaeontology that needs help. The courses could help with te development of articles on wikipedia so it is a long term program. Interested people can go to this URL: http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Topic:Paleontology#Content_summary Thanks for reading Enlil Ninlil 03:02, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

Endangered species
According to the above article:
 * It has also been noted that the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act itself, which coined the term "endangered species", has been questioned by business advocacy groups and their publications, but is nevertheless widely recognized as an effective recovery tool by wildlife scientists who work with the species. To date only 16 species have been delisted and recovered.

The sentence sounds dubious to me. I'm pretty sure that the term endangered species preceeded the act. Indeed, I suspect the 1963 Red List probably included that category and CITES obviously had the word endangered species as well and was conceived around the same time as the act. However as my knowledge in the area is limited could someone confirm this is true and if so, remove the inaccurate claim that the term was coined by the above act. It might also be an idea to re-word the sentence as it's US centric Nil Einne 12:08, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

I was surprised by that sentence too but didn't look closer.. however I've done some research now.. the act passed its first legislation in 1966 (according to wikipedia)..

Searching Google books for:
 * "Endangered Species" date:1000-1899

Comes up with 56 references.

The oldest appears to be from 1777:

Public Papers of Governor by New York (State). Governor - 1777 Page 1891

But the papers aren't that public it seems and there is "No preview available"

Another comes from the "Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria - (Melbourne, Royal Society of Victoria) published 1889 which mentions Litoria spenceri as an endangered species.

So it seems clear the US ESA didn't invent the term, although it may have popularised it in the US. —Pengo 04:34, 2 February 2007 (UTC)