Bibliograph

Catastrophic thinking, extinction and the value of diversity, David Sepkoski

Type

Label

Catastrophic thinking, extinction and the value of diversity, David Sepkoski

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references and index

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Catastrophic thinking

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

1139023976

Responsibility statement

David Sepkoski

Series statement

Science culture

Sub title

extinction and the value of diversity

Summary

"It seems self-evident to most of us that diverse ecosystems and societies are intrinsically valuable, but in fact the current fascination with diversity is a relatively recent phenomenon. What is also clear from our current perspective is that the way we value diversity depends crucially on our sense that it is precarious-that it is something actively threatened, and that its loss could have profound consequences. In other words, fears about extinction permeate current discussions of biological and cultural diversity, and so, David Sepkoski argues, if we better understand the history of extinction, we can make better sense of our fears and anxieties about diversity loss. This book shows why we simply cannot appreciate how and why diversity has become such a central value in our cultural landscape without understanding how extinction came to embody a sense of catastrophic threat"--, Provided by publisher

Table Of Contents

Introduction: Why Extinction Matters -- The Meaning of Extinction: Catastrophe, Equilibrium, and Diversity -- Extinction in a Victorian Key -- Catastrophe and Modernity -- Extinction in the Shadow of the Bomb -- The Asteroid and the Dinosaur -- A Sixth Extinction? The Making of a Biodiversity Crisis -- Epilogue: Extinction in the Anthropocene

Classification