Creature
Fast Facts
Introducing you to extinct species.

THE

ASCENSION CRAKE

1. The Ascension crake, Mundia elpenor, is only known from a journal entry written in June of 1665 by traveler/merchant Peter Mundy (also noted as being the first person from Great Britain to taste (chaa) tea in China). 2. His sketch is the only true picture we have of this "strange fowle" thus the strange drawing for this entry. 3. Mundy noted in his journal, which is the only record we have, "a strange kind of fowle, much bigger then our sterlings ore stares: collour gray or dappled, white and blacke feathers intermixed, eies red like rubies, wings very imperfitt, such as wherewith they cannot raise themselves from the ground. They were taken running, in which they are exceeding swift, helping themselves a little with their wings (as it is said of the estridge), shortt billed, cloven footed, that can neither fly nor swymme." 4. It most likely lived near the desert parts of the island. 5. Its diet most likely consisted of sooty tern eggs. 6. It was thought to be related to the Inaccessible Island rail, Atlantisia rogersi, but after further study was given its own genus, Mundia, in 2003. 7. It probably went extinct around 1815 when cats were introduced to Ascension Island, but it wasn't declared extinct until 1994.

Extinction
Cometh
Facing the light at the end of the tunnel

EXTINCTION DATE

1815?

The Ascension crake was a flightless bird found on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean. This crake is known from subfossils found on the island, but was only documented by Peter Mundy in a journal entry and sketch he made in June of 1656 (which is why this sketch is based off of Mundy's sketch and not a museum specimen). The Ascension crake most likely liked in the desert regions of the island eating the eggs of the sooty terns there. Though nothing more is known of its habits, diet, or extinction, most scientists conclude the crake population dipped after the arrival of rats brought by ships. It is thought that any remaining Ascension crakes died off shortly after the arrival of feral cats in 1815. Storrs Olson thought the Ascension crake was related to the Inaccessible Island rail, but DNA testing in 2003 disproved that theory. In 2003, the Ascension crake was given its own genus, Mundia, after Peter Mundy. Although Jurassic Park is fiction, scientists are working on several de-extinction projects. In fact, in 2003 scientists did bring back the extinct Pyrenean ibex, a type of wild goat, for 7 minutes before it died, showing de-extinction is possible. The Ascension crake would not be a good candidate. Scientists could potentially use DNA from sub fossil bones to bring back this crake, but this could be difficult. If it was brought back from extinction, would it be able to survive on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic?