Extinction. Das grosse Sterben

The sixth mass extinction of flora and fauna has already begun. The political measures and civil society campaigns aimed at still stopping or at least containing the catastrophe are mostly justified on the grounds that animals and plants could be lost that ensure human survival or that could be useful to humanity in the future. In this issue of Animal Studies, the gaze is reversed and species extinction is perspectivised from the animals in order to argue for the preservation of species and individuals in a less anthropocentric way, analysing the different narratives that have formed in scientific debates and artistic negotiations of species extinction. From their respective disciplinary perspectives, the authors reflect on and interpret the current disappearance or impending loss of species and show how both are made productive in texts, artworks, films and museums as a figure of thought and aesthetic variable.The articles focus on extinct elephants, the last migratory pigeons, vanished clouded leopards and endangered insects, but also on successful fish conservation, rewilding narratives and taxidermy preparations of endangered species. The articles address ethnomusicological, ethical, cultural, literary and theological debates on anthropogenic ecocide as well as questions of interspecies justice. Extinction. The Great Dying is one of the first German-language anthologies in the context of the new research field of extinction studies. With academic articles by Vinciane Despret, Julia Ditter, Simone Horstmann, Daniel Lau, Nina-Marie Schüchter, Wolfgang Schwerdt, Helena Simonett, Anna Wienhues and Christian Zumbrägel. With artistic articles by Marcus Coates, Alisa Hecke / Julian Rauter, Katrin Petroschkat / Susanne Schmitt, Christina M. Schachtschabel and Lina Tegtmeyer.