There’s nothing that brings out my inner child more than dinosaurs. I want it all from facts and stories to pictures and movies; something about the species from millions of years ago is beyond interesting. Before humans were running rampant the world was a pretty crazy place full of pretty crazy creatures.
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We basically know what the world looked like before us two-legged folks were present. However, paleontologist Dougal Dixon’s 1981 book After Man: A Zoology of the Future
gives us a look into what our planet’s creatures would look like if we became extinct (sort of). It’s a scary thought indeed, but the book is now released in a new edition with more images. Now, what’s hard to imagine is actually pretty damn cool. Dixon recently sat down to speak with The Verge about what he wants people to know about his book thirty years later. He explains that he doesn’t want this book to be another gloomy prediction for the world; it’s something different.
gives us a look into what our planet’s creatures would look like if we became extinct (sort of). It’s a scary thought indeed, but the book is now released in a new edition with more images. Now, what’s hard to imagine is actually pretty damn cool. Dixon recently sat down to speak with The Verge about what he wants people to know about his book thirty years later. He explains that he doesn’t want this book to be another gloomy prediction for the world; it’s something different.
It’s not about the extinction of man, it’s not a doom-laden thing… It’s showing that life goes on and it doesn’t matter how much damage we do. The Earth will survive and will be repopulated. It’s a note of positivity rather than a note of gloom.
Dixon continues to explain how he got this idea in the first place. He recalls a time when conservationists were urging everyone to help save tigers from extinction. While most people were fighting for the cause, Dixon’s father had a different point of view:
‘Why the save the tiger? If the tiger becomes extinct, something will evolve to take its place. That’s how evolution works.’ And I thought at the time, that’s a very unconstructive attitude. As time went, studying biology, I realized that was actually the case. Things become extinct, other things evolve to take their place. So I used to think about what animal life might be like in the future.
I feel like, in a way, Dixon creates a valid point. Should humans step in or should nature take its course? Check out the images below of what could be if we weren’t around to step in:
Image Via The Verge
Image Via The Verge
Image Via The Verge
For the rest of Dixon’s interview, check it out here!
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