Are there any metals or minerals, especially ones essential to some vital industry, that are in danger or becoming "extinct"? [more inside]
posted by penciltopper on Jun 9, 2009 - 24 answers

Why haven't we cloned extinct animals? [more inside]
posted by lain on Jun 1, 2006 - 21 answers

This past summer I read about the amazing resilience of the Jerusalem Date Palm, a plant with legendary medical powers that was thought extinct. I have been searching for news and updates about this little guy since then, but I haven't had much luck. Are there any updates on the progress of this miraculous seed?
posted by djacobs on Jan 31, 2006 - 5 answers

It's easy to tell when a species has gone extinct. How do you tell when a new species has evolved? Are there any criteria besides not being able to mate with the former species?
posted by ph00dz on Mar 2, 2004 - 24 answers