The last-known sighting of the species was in 1852. In a race by fishermen to catch the flightless birds an incubating egg was stood upon.

This is only reason for the motion and beat of the heart” in 1844 the last-known breeding pair of Great Auk died on Eldey Island off the coast of Iceland. He concluded that “the blood in the animal body moves around in a circle continuously and that the action or function of the heart is to accomplish this by pumping.

In 1657 William Harvey, the English physician who pioneered discoveries on the heart and blood circulation, died aged 79.