In the second chapter, Kolbert gives the reader historical context on the concepts of evolution and extinction and how they evolved over time. She introduces the historical figure, Georges Cuvier, a naturalist who studied the fossils of the yet-to-be-identified American Mastodon. This was the beginning of the deep discussion on the idea that there are species that simply are not around anymore. It also sparked the debate over evolution and if animals can truly change to adapt to their environment. In summary, a collection of fossils wind up in the hands of multiple famous historical figures, where each person gives their two cents on what they believe the fossils belong to. Cuvier contributes to this discussion, suggesting that not only do the remains likely belong to one of the “espèces perdues” or “lost creatures”, but that there are multiple events that cause multiple extinctions.
This is the quintessential example of the APES theme: science is a process. Not only are our characters in this story learning more about the world by finding these remains, but they are forming ideas that differ from the traditional concept that all species that ever lived are still currently alive. On page 44, Kolbert describes one of Cuvier’s breakthroughs by writing, “There had, he decided, been multiple cataclysms. ‘Life on earth has often been disturbed by terrible events,’ he wrote.” This highlights the theme that science in a process because Cuvier had went from the idea that it is possible for animals to be extinct to the notion that there has definitely been multiple extinctions.
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