Final answer:
When the last member of a species dies, it is known as extinction, which is the disappearance of a species. Human actions like habitat destruction can accelerate extinctions. Examples include the passenger pigeon and the Caribbean monk seal.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the last member of a species dies, extinction is said to have occurred. Extinction represents the ultimate, irreversible loss of all biodiversity related to a specific species. It is a natural process that has been happening over the Earth's history, but can be accelerated by human activities such as habitat destruction, overexploitation, and introduction of invasive species.
Historically, there have been several mass extinctions that wiped out a significant number of species at once. The most catastrophic of these, about 250 million years ago, eliminated a vast majority of life on Earth. In more recent times, species such as the passenger pigeon and the Caribbean monk seal have gone extinct due to direct human interference.
Not all extinctions are part of a mass extinction event; they can also occur on an individual species basis when a species fails to adapt to environmental changes or falls victim to overhunting and habitat loss, as was the case with the passenger pigeon and the Carolina parakeet.