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

Beautiful, interesting, well-written book, but it is clearly not intended as a scientific monograph, so if that is what you want you'd better look elsewhere.Most of the species covered are rodents and birds, with some reptiles and larger mammals thrown in. All are beautifully illustrated.While there are certainly many species in the book wiped out by direct human action (hunting & habitat destruction) in recorded history, most of the lost species seem to have been wiped out by indirect human action--the introduction of rats, cats, and foxes to the (usually) isolated island habitats by modern humans meant the end for the species which had evolved without these creatures. Interestingly, many of the species seem to have barely survived only in niche habitats even before the arrival of European colonists, etc. Two other species seem to have been wiped out by a volcanic eruption and a hurricane, respectively, in their very small habitats.The book also records many instances of the last known specimens of clearly endangered species being killed by hunters and museum collectors (!), often identified by name. While it makes you wonder what makes these people tick, it sure seems like any species reduced to a handful of survivors didn't have long for this world in any event.And the good news? Well, it sounds like many (by by no means all) of the lost species are survived--at least for now--by closely-related species. Hopefully we'll do better with these survivors!

At the end of each year I always watch the televised memorial tributes to those that has passed alway in the previous 12 months. One by one they show the faces of the famous and important who are no longer with us. I am always taken aback by an accumulated sense of lose. Through the calendar the passings are noticed and the individuals are missed and mourned for, but when you see them all at once it is overwhelming. I had a similar reaction to this book, only many magnitudes greater as the extinction of just about all of these species could have been prevented.It is easy for us to point an accusing finger to our ancestors who were on watch when these beautiful, wonderful animals disappeared forever, however, extinction (both from preditory practices and global climate changes) is still occuring all around us. As a bird watcher and a nature lover in general this is disturbing beyond words. Thank goodness that this book exists. Without being preachy or judgemental it just presents the facts along with some of the most beautiful and moving illustrations that I have seen in quite a while. Artist Peter Schouten reminds us of our loss with paintings that are both scientifically accurate and quietly emotional. After looking through this book little more needs to be said about a gap that is forever growing wider.I would like to add that on a recent birding trip to Hawaii I was shocked at how long it was before I saw a bird that was not an introduced species. When I saw the images of many of the Hawaiian birds that has gone extinct I was not surprised. Unfortunately many more indiginous island birds will probably follow for the same reason.I purchased one for my family and one for a local school. From the Dodo to the Atitlan Grebe they should at least see in a book what they should be able to see alive in nature.

It is great that this book has been written showing recent extinctions we have caused but is just a drop in the ocean compared to what has been lost as each first people reached a new part of the earth. When Europeans first reached the Americas, they were astounded by the incredible richness of wild life they found. This of course was in contrast with what was left in Europe. It took many years and the discovery of bones, in, for instance, the La Brera tar pits and in the tundra to realize that only 10 or 12 thousand years ago, America was far far richer in both mega and mini fauna. We are custodians of the little of the world's richness that still exists and seem hell bent on destroying even that. Suggested reading. Sea of slaughter by Farley Mowat.

As an artist and a man who loves to study extinct species this book is a perfect fit for me. Exciting reading that science soon will be able to bring back so many of these extinct species. My favorites are the Dodo bird, Great Auk, and Stellar's sea cow. I believe the Thylacine should not be in this book, and that is still is alive, pretty sure it is, same for the Stellar's sea cow, both just very elusive, rare. Get this book, amazing artwork, and great writing on the species. We as humans need to protect and embrace our planet and respect plants and animals, not destroy them, read this book and learn, gain insight.

It was a gift and she loved it

This book holds amazing and fastidiously researched paintings of wildlife, in and mostly out of the sea, which man's own fascination with, and natural inconsideration toward, have caused the demise of in their desire to claim a more prideful collection or ownership of the lifeless bodies of.Each painting is accompanied by fascinating and briefly stated paragraphs explaining the ironic and tragic situations which led to the demise of each creature.Each page shows the deliberate or blundering nature of man, in his contemptuous belief of entitlement over all creatures, almost all posing no threat and offering only beauty and a trusting, sympathetic and docile nature which man could learn much from.

Read this book and I wonder why have they gone? How many more will go in my lifetime? How will it end?

A Gap in Nature is zweierlei: Zum einen das meines Wissens unfangreichste populärwissenschaftliche Werk über ausgestorbene Tiere und zum anderen ein wunderschöner Bildband.Zahlreiche ausgestorbene Tiere werden in wirklich lebensnahen Darstellungen gezeigt und erklärender Text erläutert was über das Tier bekannt war - was oft recht wenig ist.Um dieses Buch zu gestalten, haben die Autoren die Kammern der Museen durchleuchtet, um alles zu finden, was einen Eindruck der Tiere vermittelt. Das Ergbnis ist ein Buc zum Blättern und zum Stöbern. Man endtdeckt vor allem sehr viele Vögel (bestimmt 1/3 der Tiere), aber auch Känguruhs, Robben und natürlich den Beutelwolf. Einzig das berühmte Quagga fehlt, ist es doch keine Spezies, sondern eine Unterart.Für alle Interessierten Pflicht!

”人類が知っていることすべての短い歴史”（ビル・ブライソン著）の結びにこの本について紹介されていたので興味がわき、購入した。過去三百年間に絶滅した動物をほぼ網羅しており、ピーター・ショーテンが絶滅動物の姿を絵で再現し、ティム・フラナリーが文章を書いた。ふたりで世界中のおもな蒐集品の古い皮や黴臭い標本や古い絵や文書などを調査したようだが、よくここまで再現できたなと感心しました。個人的にはもうちょっと奇妙な生き物を期待したが、最近の絶滅種だからその辺はしょうがない。でも、非常にいい本だと思いました。