The Last Extinction
The Real Science Behind the Death of the Dinosaurs
Challenging the popular conception that asteroid impacts caused the extinction of dinosaurs, The Last Extinction is Gerta Keller’s reflection on one of the nastiest controversies in the modern history of the earth sciences.
Equal parts memoir and popular science manual, the book first chronicles Keller’s early escape from a life of stultifying isolation. Her long history with the question of the last mass extinction 66 million years ago is also established: The Alvarez hypothesis, still the dominant explanation in the public imagination, claims that an enormous asteroid impact in the Yucatán Peninsula created a cataclysmic ecological chain reaction that wiped out most animal life. The book claims that this hypothesis is refuted by multiple lines of geological evidence, much of which appeared to be suppressed, hidden, or outright corrupted by the “pro-impact” side of the controversy.
Keller’s alternative model suggests that massive volcanic eruptions across India were the primary causes of extinction. It was met with hostility for decades before receiving mainstream recognition. With a remarkable eye for dramatic detail, the text offers a conference-by-conference record of the fierce, often malicious, opposition that Keller’s model faced from some of the world’s most trusted scientific institutions.
The tense narrative is interspersed with accessible breakdowns of the relevant science involved in the dispute. With comprehensive takes on specialized fields like radiometric dating of mineral boundaries in the earth’s crust and foraminaferal analysis, the book makes a persuasive case that will encourage laypeople to investigate deeper. While its descriptions of scientific persecution are shocking, some of the book’s most scandalous incidents of institutional sabotage are relayed in an offhanded manner, with the flavor of anecdotal evidence.
An authoritative look at one of the most misunderstood cataclysms in the planet’s history, The Last Extinction challenges the continued presence of groupthink.
Reviewed by
Isaac Randel
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
