The intriguing theory of a land bridge periodically linking Siberia and Alaska during the coldest pulsations of the Ice Ages had been much debated since José de Acosta, a Spanish missionary working in Mexico and Peru, first proposed the idea of a connection between the continents in 1589. But proof of the land bridge - now named Beringia after eighteenth-century Danish explorer Vitus Bering - eluded scientists until an inquiring geologist named Dave Hopkins emerged from rural New England and set himself to the task of solving the mystery. Through the life story of Hopkins, The Last Giant of Beringia reveals the fascinating science detective story that at last confirmed the existence of the land bridge that served as the intercontinental migration route for such massive Ice Age beasts as woolly mammoths, steppe bison, giant stag-moose, dire wolves, short-faced bears, and saber-toothed cats - and for the first humans to enter the New World from Asia. After proving unambiguously that the land bridge existed, Hopkins went on to show that the Beringian landscape cannot have been the "polar desert" that many had claimed, but provided forage enough to sustain a diverse menagerie of Ice Age behemoths. When vast glaciers grew in the north and extended into the Great Plains during the ice ages that have regularly visited this planet, today's subarctic was bizarrely left mostly unglaciated. Because so much of the earth's water was trapped in the glaciers then, the sea level was considerably lower than today, and a great land bridge stretched from Siberia to Alaska. On it massive animals--mammoths, saber-toothed tigers--ranged, and humans migrated together with the game. This land bridge, named Beringia after the arctic explorer Vitus Bering, was the great discovery of New England geologist Dave Hopkins. In this finely researched, elegantly written book, Alaskan historian O'Neill relates a dual story, that of Hopkins, the last giant of the title, and the converging discoveries that led to the articulation of the now-accepted land-bridge theory. With global climate change threatening another ice age in our future, the story of ancient Beringia should interest more readers than just those passionate about Alaska, who will, of course, be enthralled by O'Neill's work. Patricia Monaghan Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "Here is an engrossing chapter of scientific history, a concise, well-written account of Dave Hopkins and Land Bridge discoveries." -- William R. Hunt, Professor of History Emeritus, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and author of Arctic Passage "O'Neill has written a charming portrait of a great Arctic geologist.... an entertaining and informative tale." -- Brian Fagan, author of The Long Summer and The Little Ice Age "O'Neill neatly captures scientific knowledge in the making. Along the way, he brings alive this piece of earth history." -- David J. Meltzer, Henderson-Morrison Professor of Prehistory, Southern Methodist University, and author of Search for the First Americans "This is a stunning contribution that is easy reading, entertaining, and intellectually arousing." -- Tom D. Dillehay, T. Marshall Hahn Professor of Anthropology, University of Kentucky, and author of The Settlement of the Americas Dan O'Neill is the author of A Land Gone Lonesome and The Last Giant of Beringia . He was named Alaska Historian of the Year by the Alaska Historical Society for The Firecracker Boys . He lives in Fairbanks, Alaska. Used Book in Good Condition