The Last Extinction

“Gerta Keller … is rattling the foundations. And the theory she supports … has unleashed a small tempest of its own among die-hard believers in the meteor theory, who are known as ‘impacters.’ … Keller argues that, besides a series of meteor impacts, the extinction of the dinosaurs was preceded by an intense period of volcanic eruptions that altered the climate… . All this makes her a maverick.” –The New York Times “Scathing and illuminating… . [M]uch of the scientific community and the popular press accepted the idea that a meteor colliding with the Earth was responsible for the planet’s fifth mass extinction. Keller, however, had her doubts, and worked tirelessly to gather data… . Her results are shocking.“  –Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW “A Princeton geologist has endured decades of ridicule for arguing that the fifth extinction was caused not by an asteroid, but by a series of colossal volcanic eruptions. But she’s reopened that debate… . This dispute illuminates the messy way that science progresses and how this idealized process, ostensibly guided by objective reason and the search for truth, is shaped by ego, power, and politics.” –The Atlantic “A fascinating look at the process of researching scientific questions and the power of entrenched theory; Keller was often belittled and blocked from sharing her discoveries. She perseveres in this compelling tale, of interest to readers who enjoy books about scientific study, mass extinction theories, and the work and struggles of women scientists.” –Library Journal

Gerta Keller is a Professor of Paleontology and Geology in the Department of Geosciences at Princeton University, where she has been a tenured faculty member since 1984. She has placed over 260 scientific publications in international journals and is considered a leading authority on catastrophes, mass extinctions, and the biotic and environmental effects of impacts and volcanism. She has coauthored five academic books, including Cretaceous-Tertiary Mass Extinction, Chicxulub and the KTB Mass Extinction in Texas, and Micropaleontology and Stratigraphy: Global Bioevents in Earth’s History. She is a frequent lecturer and regularly receives invitations from academic institutions around the world. In recent years, her work has received increased recognition and continues to make waves in the mainstream media, including TV documentaries and news features, radio and podcast interviews, as well as print and web media, most notably in a widely circulated profile in The Atlantic.