The Last Animal: Human History and the Fate of Life on Earth from the Ice Age to the Sixth Extinction

Kyle Harper presents *The Last Animal*, a sweeping history of humanity’s impact on animal biodiversity. Drawing on global history as well as ecology, evolution, and Earth system science, Harper traces human-driven losses from the megafaunal extinctions of the Ice Age to the accelerating biodiversity crisis of the present and the possibility of a Sixth Extinction.

The event examines how migration, empire, warfare, revolution, and technological progress have reshaped ecosystems and diminished both species diversity and the complexity of the webs of life they support. Harper argues that understanding this long history, viewed against the geological record, is essential to addressing today’s urgent environmental challenges.

When: Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Showtimes: The program begins at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets: Free admission, with first-come, first-served seating.

Speaker: Kyle Harper, G. T. and Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty at the University of Oklahoma and Fractal Faculty at the Santa Fe Institute. His previous books include *The Fate of Rome* and *Plagues upon the Earth*.

Venue: Politics and Prose at The Wharf, 610 Water St SW, Washington, DC 20024

Accessibility: Requests for accommodations and accessibility questions should be sent to events@politics-prose.com, ideally at least one week before the event. The organizers will try to accommodate requests made up to the event time.

Related Book: *The Last Animal: Human History and the Fate of Life on Earth from the Ice Age to the Sixth Extinction* is available for preorder in hardcover for $39.95, with a publication date of October 20, 2026.

Run time: Not specified.

Age guidance: Not specified.