A Gap in Nature: Discovering the World's Extinct Animals

There are gaps in every natural area on the planet, created when animal species paid the price for the expansion of our own species--in other words, extinction. The initial spread of humans from our ancestral home in Africa happened so long ago that most of the first victims were never preserved or even depicted. Flannery and artist Schouten show 103 species that have gone extinct between 1500 and 1999, species adequately enough known for Flannery to write about and Schouten to illustrate. Flannery begins this homage to these lost animals with an essay on the age of extinctions, explaining the loss of animals as humans colonized new areas. Presented chronologically, the following portraits and text reveal the extent of our knowledge of each animal. In many cases, little is known except where the animal came from and perhaps a little about what it ate. The true strength of the book, which almost necessitates its purchase, is Schouten's illustrations. This book is as close as we will ever get to these irretrievable animals, and it is highly recommended for all libraries. Nancy Bent
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This work offers a tantalizing glimpse into the lives of 103 mammals, reptiles, and birds that have become extinct since 1492. For each animal, Flannery (The Eternal Frontier) describes what is known of its habitat, behavior, and probable cause of extinction. These accounts are beautifully written, often anecdotal, and almost always poignant. Whitney Award-winning wildlife painter Schouten produced the accompanying illustrations, which are stunning, full-color, and sometimes spread across two pages. In some cases, these illustrations may be the most accurate renderings anyone has ever produced of these creatures. Flannery and Schouten did extensive research into the literature and reviewed, in person, skeletal and other remains located in museums; numerous species were excluded owing to insufficient materials upon which to base an accurate drawing. A little more in the way of factual data, such as probable size, would have been appreciated in some of the descriptions. For example, the Kawekaweau, a lizard that once inhabited New Zealand, is described as "giant," but no estimated length or weight is given, even though the authors viewed the skin of one of these geckos. Nevertheless, this book, which includes the "big names" such as the dodo and passenger pigeon as well as many lesser-known but fascinating animals, is highly recommended for all academic and large public libraries. (Map not seen.) Lynn C. Badger, Univ. of Florida Lib., Gainesville
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.