extinguish
Explanation
The Joke
Two people are having a conversation. One asks: "Do you worry we'll extinguish life on Earth?" The other responds optimistically: "Look, we're just one more mass extinction event. Given enough time, animals will learn to adapt." The first person replies: "That would explain the thing I've been seeing on the savanna." The final panel reveals a zebra that has adapted to the post-apocalyptic world -- it appears to be holding a sign or has adapted markings that say something like "fuck off" or similar hostile messaging, suggesting animals have evolved not just to survive humanity but to actively resist and resent it.
The comic plays with the optimistic talking point that "life finds a way" after mass extinctions. Yes, animals may adapt and survive -- but the comic suggests that the adaptation might not be the harmonious recovery we imagine. Instead, animals might evolve specifically to deal with the threat that humans pose, developing hostile or defensive traits specifically directed at us.
The Humor
The humor derives from the gap between the blithe reassurance that "animals will adapt" and the reality of what that adaptation might look like. When scientists talk about species adapting to human-caused environmental change, the implication is usually neutral or positive -- nature's resilience in the face of adversity. But the comic takes the concept literally and imagines animals evolving not just to survive but to express their displeasure with humanity. The visual of a zebra on the savanna that has evolved aggressive anti-human messaging is a wonderful absurdist punchline that undercuts the easy optimism of "life finds a way."
References
The comic references the concept of mass extinction events, of which Earth has experienced five major ones (the "Big Five"), with many scientists arguing we are currently in the midst of a sixth, human-caused mass extinction (the Holocene extinction). The optimistic view that life will recover is based on the fact that after each previous mass extinction, biodiversity eventually rebounded -- though the process typically took millions of years.