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Extinction explores endangered and extinct species and the factors threatening them through a behind-the-scenes lens on one of the most important sets of natural history collections in the world, at the Field Museum in Chicago.
Author Marc Schlossman combines unique photographs of specimens from the Field Museum in Chicago with informative and insightful text about the species themselves, reasons for decline, and the conservation efforts in place to prevent further extinction.
The specimens revealed in this book are not on public display and the only way to see many of them is through these photographs, the result of ten years cataloguing key species from the museum’s zoology and botany collections. The images lead the reader to the species’ stories, promoting a greater understanding of mankind’s stewardship of life on Earth at a critical time in history.
Extinction illustrates the crucial importance of museum collections for conservation, education, and research.
The book has been designed to have pages with black backgrounds for extinct species and white backgrounds for species nearing extinction. A yellow flag highlights conservation successes, which are interspersed throughout. The conservation success stories highlight the positive work that is happening and the potential there is to prevent the extinction of these and other species.
Species include:
- Amphibians and Reptiles (including Komodo Dragon, Chinese Alligator, Hawksbill Sea Turtle)
- Birds (Rusty Blackbird, Cinnamon Screech Owl, Peregrine Falcon)
- Fishes (European Eel, Lake Sturgeon, American Paddlefish)
- Insects (American Burying Beetle, Western Bumble Bee, Monarch Butterfly)
- Invertebrates (Blue Coral, Black Abalone, Tulotoma Snail)
- Botany (Big-Leaf Mahogany, Clover Grass, Patagonian Cypress)
- Mammals (Mexican Gray Wolf, Asian Elephant, Red Panda)
- And More...
"An insightful and timely collection that the photographer hopes will inspire future generations"—Amateur Photographer
"This quirky, rather beautiful book is a collection of both icons and of fascinating stories about species that have vanished from the Earth or are barely hanging onto life. It's a book that informs you about the pathways to extinction but also includes stories of hope - precious species being rescued from the precipice."—Rosamund Kidman Cox OBE
"This is a captivating book, whose pages are full of wonder and inspiration. A unique collection of images that highlights the splendour of evolutionary history and challenges us to preserve the beauty that still remains in biodiversity."—Timothy Lamont
"The book is well-designed but sombre in colouration, as is appropriate to its subject matter. On the reader's coffee table this book would be there for discussion, rather than decoration. It should be read by anyone with an interest in our survival on this planet, and that of the plants and animals with which we necessarily co-exist."—David Elliott, Archives of Natural History (Edinburgh University Press Journal)
Species overview
Foreword by Dr. John Bates
Introduction by Marc Schlossman
1. Amphibians and Reptiles
2. Birds
3. Fishes
4. Insects
5. Invertebrates
6. Botany
7. Mammals
Glossary
About the Author
Acknowledgements
Index