
Endlings
Fables for the Anthropocene
Lydia Pyne(Author)
University of Minnesota Press
Published on 16. August 2022
Book
Paperback/Softback
106 pages
978-1-5179-1483-7 (ISBN)
Description
Amid the historical decimation of species around the globe, a new way into the language of loss
An endling is the last known individual of a species; when that individual dies, the species becomes extinct. These "last individuals" are poignant characters in the stories that humans tell themselves about today's Anthropocene. In this evocative work, Lydia Pyne explores how discussion about endlings-how we tell their histories-draws on deep traditions of storytelling across a variety of narrative types that go well beyond the science of these species' biology or their evolutionary history.
Endlings provides a useful and thoughtful discussion of species concepts: how species start and how (and why) they end, what it means to be a "charismatic" species, the effects of rewilding, and what makes species extinction different in this era. From Benjamin the thylacine to Celia the ibex to Lonesome George the GalApagos tortoise, endlings, Pyne shows, have the power to shape how we think about grief, mourning, and loss amid the world's sixth mass extinction.
An endling is the last known individual of a species; when that individual dies, the species becomes extinct. These "last individuals" are poignant characters in the stories that humans tell themselves about today's Anthropocene. In this evocative work, Lydia Pyne explores how discussion about endlings-how we tell their histories-draws on deep traditions of storytelling across a variety of narrative types that go well beyond the science of these species' biology or their evolutionary history.
Endlings provides a useful and thoughtful discussion of species concepts: how species start and how (and why) they end, what it means to be a "charismatic" species, the effects of rewilding, and what makes species extinction different in this era. From Benjamin the thylacine to Celia the ibex to Lonesome George the GalApagos tortoise, endlings, Pyne shows, have the power to shape how we think about grief, mourning, and loss amid the world's sixth mass extinction.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Minnesota
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 178 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 5 mm
Weight
227 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5179-1483-7 (9781517914837)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Lydia Pyne is a writer interested in the history of science, material culture, and extinction. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, Nautilus, Archaeology, History Today, and Hyperallergic. Her most recent books include Postcards: The Rise and Fall of the World's First Social Network and Genuine Fakes: How Phony Things Can Teach Us about Real Stuff.