So Long, and Thanks

On his blog, Another Chance to See, Garreth Suddes covers the bases on the profoundly sad news that the Yangtze River Dolphin, or Baiji, has been declared "functionally extinct" after a six-week scientific expedition on the river failed to turn up any signs of one. The news brings to a close 25 million years of existence for the Baiji -- the first species of cetacean to vanish in modern history. You can read more about the news at Baiji.org.

Douglas Adams fans will remember that the late sci-fi author wrote about the Baiji's plight in his book Last Chance to See, written with biologist Mark Cawardine. In fact, he didn't get to see the Baiji either, despite his own efforts to spot one for the BBC.

Adams is, of course, best remembered for his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the four-part trilogy which ends with the story of how dolphins disappear from the Earth. In Adams's version, the dolphins have, unbeknownst to humanity, been engaged in a long-running "Save the Humans Campaign."

They leave behind a fishbowl inscribed with the words, "So Long, and Thanks."