Great auk extinction: Humans wiped out giant seabird

Press/Media: Research

Description

Coverage on BBC news website

Period27 Nov 2019

Media coverage

1

Media coverage

  • TitleGreat auk extinction: Humans wiped out giant seabird
    Degree of recognitionNational
    Media name/outletBBC News
    Media typeWeb
    Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
    Date27/11/19
    Description"The great auk will always hold a place in my heart," Dr Jessica Thomas says.

    The Swansea-based scientist spent years piecing together an ancient DNA puzzle that suggests hunting by humans caused this giant seabird's demise.

    Dr Thomas studied bone and tissue samples from 41 museum specimens during a PhD at both Bangor and Copenhagen University.

    The findings paint a picture of how vulnerable even the most common species are to human exploitation.
    Producer/AuthorVictoria Gill
    URLhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-50563953#
    PersonsJessica Thomas, Gary Carvalho