Reviewed by Kat Jordan-Burmeister (University of Tennessee-Knoxville)

Pálsson, G. 2024. The Last of Its Kind: The Search for the Great Auk and the Discovery of Extinction. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. ($22.36 cloth with 20% PS discount, $19.57 e-book with 30% discount.)

Let’s set the scene: two men, one an enigmatic ornithologist and the other an up-and-coming zoologist at Cambridge University, go to Iceland in 1858 to look for a bird of legend. The great auk Pinguinus impennis, a bird well-known and coveted in Victorian Britain for its unique and collectible eggs and taxidermy, was rumored to be in decline. The two men go in search of the bird and hope to bring back some specimens to Britain. An optimistic trip to the great auk breeding grounds soon sours as the men realize the worst may be true: the great auk is gone. Worst of all, human desire for the bird and its eggs may have driven the great auk to extinction. 

Pálsson tells a poignant tale about the adventure and friendship of two British scientists, John Wolley and Alfred Newton, as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime. The story is set during the Victorian period. A shift in scientific thinking with the rise of Darwinism and the theory of evolution via natural selection is ever-present in the background. Pálsson expertly recounts the journey of Wolley and Newton through their journal entries, correspondences, and later publications. In doing so, Pálsson captures the slow and steady realization both men make (spoiler alert?) that the great auk may be extinct. Not only extinct, in the way of the dinosaurs, but extinct in a way the scientific community did not think possible at the time: by human hands! This significant understanding, that humans alone can drive things to extinction, sets up a discussion about our present thinking about conservation efforts. In this way, the story adds a vital chapter to the conception of our modern scientific world. 

This is an amazing story for those interested in the history of science, adventure stories, or the history and evolution of culture. Pálsson makes great effort to discuss not just the scientific ramifications but also the impact the loss of the great auk had on human culture (both in Iceland and more broadly). One particularly interesting bit concerns the use of testimony from Icelandic great auk hunters. This testimony was used to narrow down when the birds were last seen, adding a haunting reality to the narrative. Even if you know how the story ends, as a reader you can emotionally follow along with Wolley and Newton through their journey. Trust me, it stings a little. Whether you are interested in the great auk, recorded extinctions in modern times, or a tale of humanity rediscovering its place in the world, there is something in this book for everyone. I promise you will have a hard time putting it down once you start reading!