Final answer:
The longest living animals on earth, now extinct, include the dodo bird from Mauritius, Steller's sea cow from North America, the passenger pigeon from North America, and the Caribbean monk seal. There's a history of human activities such as overhunting and habitat destruction leading to their extinctions. Many of these species lived on islands, which are particularly vulnerable to ecological disruption.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question refers to the longest living animals on earth, specifically those that are no longer with us, such as the dodo bird, Steller's sea cow, the passenger pigeon, and the Carolina parakeet. These species once lived on various islands or continents and became extinct due to various reasons, including overhunting, habitat loss, and the introduction of predators. The dodo bird resided in the forests of Mauritius, an island situated in the Indian Ocean, which was known for the absence of fear towards humans that led to its extinction around 1662. Steller's sea cow, related to the manatee, once inhabited the northwest coast of North America and the last of its kind was killed in 1768. The passenger pigeon, formerly migrating in the millions across North America, had its last member die in a zoo in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1914. The Caribbean monk seal, once found throughout the Caribbean Sea, was hunted to extinction by 1952. These examples of extinct animals highlight the vulnerabilities of species, particularly on islands, to human impacts.