Georges Cuvier demonstrated evidence for the concept of extinction in 1796.
Notes on verification
Multiple independent, reputable sources (academic and encyclopedic) confirm Cuvier's 1796 paper comparing elephant, mammoth, and mastodon bones as foundational evidence for extinction, though the paper was formally published in 1800. [tier=silver indep_score=0.875 clusters=4 claim_tier=notable]
Sources
- Paleontology (wikipedia)
- https://www.uky.edu/KGS/education/did-big-bone-lick-georges-cuvier.php (corroboration)
- https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/georges-cuvier-1769-1832 (corroboration)
- https://blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/2015/10/proving-extinction-cuvier-and-the-elephantimorpha (corroboration)
- https://www.famousscientists.org/georges-cuvier/ (corroboration)