The golden toad, a bright orange frog found only in a small area of cloud forest at Monteverde in Costa Rica, was discovered in 1964. In the breeding season thousands of the brilliant males gathered at pools. In 1987 more than 1,500 were counted, but in 1988 only 10 and in 1989 a single male was seen, on 15 May. Never found again, it was declared extinct. Scientists blamed the effects of an unusually dry period connected with a warmer climate and a fungal disease, chytridiomycosis, that has caused amphibian declines worldwide. It is often called the first documented victim of global warming.
Before and after
- 1989Founding of State University of Minas Gerais
- 1989Founding of Arab Maghreb Union
- 1989Publication of Oxford English Dictionary
- 19891989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre
- 1989The golden toad is seen for the last time
- 7 January 1989Death of Hirohito
- from 8 January 1989 to 30 April 2019Heisei era
- 9 January 1989Birth of Nina Dobrev
- 23 January 1989Death of Salvador Dalí
More in Evolution & life
- 18 April 1947Discovery of Mrs. Ples
- 1972Discovery of Lloyds Bank coprolite
- 1978The Laetoli footprints are uncovered
- 1995Discovery of Little Foot
- 2000Discovery of Selam
- from 3 November 2020 to 3 November 2022Tigray war
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.