After the last two great auks were killed and stuffed in 1844, they disappeared. A decades-long chase has finally tracked ...

The last pair - a breeding male and female - were killed by hunters in 1844 while defending their egg, researchers said.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world.

IN 1858, John Wolley and Alfred Newton, two British scientists, travelled to Iceland to study the great auk, a large, flightless seabird. They hoped to observe the bird in its natural habitat and ...