Perished but Preserved: Zoological Material of Extinction

This sub-project investigates extinct species, related to the geographical frameworks of the overall SNF project, as a way to explore historical and contemporary attitudes toward animal preservation. The focus will be on emblematic species such as the quagga, the thylacine, but also some mammals of South Africa and various birds and reptiles from the Pacific and South America. The study analyses both the historical causes of their extinction – primarily linked to colonial violence, native ecosystem disruption, scientific practices during the 19th century – and their contemporary symbolic and educational value – how these animals are testimonies to interspecies history and have become emblems of ecological awareness today.

Methodologically, the project integrates material culture studies with human-animal studies. It adopts a transregional approach to compare the preparation and preservation techniques of specimens held in different major natural history museums. In parallel, it engages with archival sources to highlight the motivations and mechanisms behind the large-scale killing. In doing so, the sub-project examines extinction as both a material and conceptual legacy of violence.