Living Fossils, Lost Worlds, Last Humans: The Science and Fiction of Population and Extinction

The narrative tropes of living fossils, lost worlds, and last humans have long foreshadowed the modern discourse around concepts such as biodiversity loss, ecological collapse, and human extinction. This first book-length study delves into the enduring popular relevance in science and fiction of survivors, relicts, and revenants--particularly remnant species of living fossils, remnant spaces of lost worlds, and remnant populations of last humans. Covering the long arc from paleontology and evolutionary biology to archaeology, anthropology, and literary studies, the text explores pre-scientific and mythological interpretations of fossils and the impact of Charles Darwin's coining of the term "living fossil" as well as travelers' monster tales and satiric utopias. Chapters analyze the many ways that fictional and real societies can face civilizational collapse and the effect of extinction of various species on human survival.