Chapter 3- The Original Penguin

In 1832 William Whewell  coined the word catastrophist  but labeled Charles Lyell  as a uniformitarian. Lyell  was unpersuaded by Curvier’s  vision of earth's history that “every feature of the landscape was the result of very gradual process operating over countless millennia.” He believed Organisms existed in all eras and those that vanish would appear again publishing his ideas, Principles of Geology: Being an Attempt to Explain the Former Changes of the Earth’s Surface by Reference to Causes Now in Operation. Charles Darwin one of many who snapped up Lyell’s book  encountered many different species helping to develop his own theory  on the Galapagos Islands. Darwin’s On the Origin of Species presented ideas that if the development wasn’t needed to survive it would lead to death that a slight adaptation would allow new species to arise. His central idea was that species didn't vanish but adapt. However, Lyell didn't believe species of plants and animals would help new ones to arise or idea of transmutation.

Kolbert introduces the great auk a large flightless bird that was so plentiful it could have been found from Norway to Newfoundland and from Italy to Florida. The population probably ranged in millions which lead to great auks constantly captured and eaten. Although, the great auks were amazing swimmers even spending most of their lives in the water when breeding season came around it presented their vulnerability.  Kolbert uses the great auk to represent over-exploitation and humans altering natural systems. On page 60 it discusses humans being the cause for the demise of great auks. It states, “A British expedition that landed on the island a few years later found it “full of great foules.” The men drove a “great number of foules” into their ships and pronounced the results to be quite tasty...Richard Whitbourne describes great auks being driven onto boats”by hundreds at a time if God had made the innocency of so poor creature to become an admirable instrument for the sustentation  of Man.” Humans take for granted the resources and organisms it has to share with on earth. The great auks biggest enemy was humans as they were greedy and only wanted to sustain their own lives no matter what it cost.