Gísli Pálsson

In 1858 two British natural historians spent a summer in Iceland doggedly searching for a bird that was likely already extinct. Though they failed to find their quarry, one of them helped create the modern concept of human-caused extinction of a species. This is a reality we are facing every day in the Anthropocene. On this episode of Inquiry, we speak with Gísli Pálsson, professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Iceland. His new book is THE LAST OF ITS KIND: THE SEARCH OF THE GREAT AUK AND THE DISCOVERY OF EXTINCTION.