From dodos to 'lost' tribes: a history of extinction

Sadiah Qureshi explains why the history of extinction is a much murkier story that it initially seems

Published: August 22, 2025 at 8:00 AM

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After causing the extinction of the dodo, humans soon realised that we had the power to destroy entire species – and we continue to reckon with that power. Speaking to James Osborne, Sadiah Qureshi discusses her new book Vanished, which looks at the connections between extinction and imperialism, and explores how changing ideas about extinction have reshaped the face of the planet.

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Sadiah Qureshi is the author of Vanished: An Unnatural History of Extinction (Penguin, 2025).

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Authors

James OsborneSenior content producer

James Osborne is a senior content producer at HistoryExtra

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