Only counting known species, about 200-2000 go extinct each year. But the number could be an order of magnitude higher, according to WWF, the authority on biodiversity preservation. Even for the known species, who checks if every microbe, moss or tropical spider has been seen in the past 50 years?

Also, good luck getting people to care about invertebrates. Even if we identify which species went extinct, people will soon be bored hearing daily to weekly about a Hydroidolina member once seen in a South American bog, and change the channel to Fox News where they’ll be told about three animals once falsely declared extinct and how WWF are alarmists. “DoN’t ThEy rEaLiZe aNiMaLs mOvE? DiD ThEy ChEcK eVeRy BoG?”