Charles Lyell
Lyell was the foremost proponent of the theory of Uniformitarianism: the suggestion that extinction of species is a gradual process brought on by epochal environmental changes. That theory is significant to the book because it represents the polar opposite of a predominant theory wielding influence today which argues that catastrophic singular events such as enormous meteor strikes being the cause behind sudden mass extinction. Lyell exercised tremendous influence upon Charles Darwin.
Charles Darwin
Darwin, of course, far eclipsed his progenitor in terms of influence. His voyage aboard the Beagle led to his development of the theory of evolution. Darwinian theory is especially important to the book’s premise because his fundamental argument of natural selection has been forced to be revised to account for an unforeseen rise in the threshold of human interaction upon the forces of nature.
Georges Cuvier
Though less famous than Lyell and much less so than the legendary Darwin, the figure of Cuvier dominates the second chapter of the book in a way that even Darwin never manages. Cuvier is worthy of such significant attention because he is the figure most closely associated with the theory of catastrophism that argues strongly against Lyell by proposing the idea of extinction as something happening relatively swiftly resulting from a global disaster.
Luis and Walter Alvarez
The philosophical godsons of Cuvier, this father and son team co-authored the first scientific paper proposing that dinosaurs went extinct as the result of an asteroid colliding with the earth. The paper was roundly criticized, and the theory widely rejected upon initial publication.
Charles Elton
Elton is a British biologist who published The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants in 1958. The pioneering work became the seminal study leading to the awareness of the danger of introducing invasive species into a foreign environment.
Thomas Kuhn
The author describes Kuhn as “the twentieth century’s most influential historian of science.” His importance here is as the developer of the theory of “paradigm shifts” to account for revolutionary scientific discoveries.
