Elizabeth Kolbert
first published in 2014
Synopsis
Over the last half billion years, there were five mass extinctions on Earth. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the next one, which is predicted to be the most devastating extinction since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. In The Sixth Extinction Elizabeth Kolbert combines on-the-spot field reporting from Central America, the Andes and The Great Barrier Reef with the history of scientific study, to tell the gripping stories of a dozen species whose fates exemplify this enormous change.
“Right now we are in the midst of the Sixth Extinction, this time caused solely by humanity’s transformations of the ecological landscape.”
— p. 267
The Sixth Extinction is a passionate investigation of the most terrifying extinction in history. We are witnessing not only one of the rarest events of life’s history, but one that is likely to be our most lasting legacy.
Mixing research with an acid humour, Kolbert brings an incredible analysis of the history of our planet. In this age when we are finally waking up to the damage we are causing to the world, this book inspires reflection on our own acts, our selfishness, and our capacity to change everything around us. However, we are not crucified all over the book, the writer also presents various projects that aim to save endangered species.
The book is divided into 13 chapters, each one covers a story of extinction. It explains the difference between background extinction, which is expected for some species if there is no outside interference, and mass extinction, which is caused by an external factor. My overall impression of this reading is that humans are REALLY active agents of mass extinctions – not that it was really a surprise for me, but the extent of their – our – actions consequence was.
The first chapter is an introductory one, which explains some concepts that will be used in the book. The next chapters – or articles – follow a chronological order regarding scientific discoveries and researches. Kolbert explains how scientists started analysing fossils and discovering unknown animals. For me, these were the most interesting parts of the book. I had no idea that the concept of extinction only appeared in revolutionary France! This discovery contradicts – in a certain way – the Darwinian evolutionary theory. The book brings a very nice discussion on that, concluding that survival of the luckiest is in fact what prevails in nature many times.
In regards to the concept of extinction, the title itself was the first thing about this book that drew my attention, since I only knew about one extinction and did not know there were four others. I mean, there are mass extinctions linked to only one species, but the major extinctions, the ones which englobe more than one species, are:
- End-Ordovician Extinction (440 million years ago)
- Late Devonian Extinction (about 360 million years ago)
- End-Permian Extinction (about 250 million years ago)
- Late Triassic Extinction (200 million years ago)
- End-Cretaceous Extinction ( 66 million years ago)
Although the last one is the most famous, it was not the most devastating: the End-Permian Extinction ripped off 90% of all species on Earth. It was caused by climate change. This event is known as “the mother of mass extinction” and “the great dying”.
“To the extent that we can identify the causes of these revolutions, they’re highly varied: glaciation in the case of the end-Ordovician extinction, global warming and changes in ocean chemistry at the end of the Permian, an asteroid impact in the final seconds of the Cretaceous. The current extinction has its own novel cause: not an asteroid or a massive volcanic eruption but ‘one weedy species.’ As Walter Alvarez put it to me, ‘We’re seeing right now that a mass extinction can be caused by human beings.“
— pp. 265-266
Another concept worth mentioning is the ‘New Pangea’. With humans travelling around the world, globalisation, which not only regards cultures but also animals and plants, is creating a kind of only one continent. Mixing species as if they could move as they did during Pangea. So even our – at first sight – harmless actions, as planting exotic flowers in our garden, can affect the whole planet and change its course.
I also loved to read about the Neanderthals. I had quite a few misconceptions about them and it was so interesting to understand more about where we come from.
Kolbert’s style of writing is light and simple, and since this is a book that includes scientific information, this feature makes the book an enjoyable reading. She doesn’t expect the reader to know the concepts, theories, or facts she is writing about: everything is well explained in the articles, the only thing I had to research on Google was for more photos of the animals and places she was talking about! What this means is: the book not only made me rethink about my acts and what we are doing to our planet, but also made me want to know more about our past and the history of our planet.
Definitely a must read book!
“It’s only fully modern humans who start this thing of venturing out on the ocean where you don’t see land. Part of that is technology, of course; you have to have ships to do it. But there is also, I like to think or say, some madness there. You know? How many people must have sailed out and vanished on the Pacific before you found Easter Island? I mean, it’s ridiculous. And why do you do that? Is it for the glory? For immortality? For curiosity? And now we go to Mars. We never stop.“
— p. 251
Thoughts of One's Own 