Summary

The history of life on Earth is told by its fossils. Fossil records provide valuable insights into the evolution of the Earth, including the origination and extinction of its species throughout geologic time. One of the most fascinating areas of scientific inquiry is the evolution of life forms. Historical Geology provides up-to-date and expanded coverage of the metamorphic span of Earth’s history as told through its fossils, rocks, and species, from the very origins of the planet to the current Holocene interglacial period.

An introductory chapter details basic geologic concepts, followed by chapters—organized according to different geologic time periods—that chronicle the emergence of each successive group of plants and animals. As with other books in this acclaimed series, line drawings and photographs, a thorough glossary, bibliography, tables, and an exhaustive index complement the straightforward text.

Chapter coverage includes:

• The Planet Earth: Origin of Land and Life
• Archean Algae: The Age of Early Life
• Proterozoic Metazoans: The Age of Complex Organisms
• Cambrian Invertebrates: The Age of Shelly Faunas
• Ordovician Vertebrates: The Age of Spinal Life-Forms
• Silurian Plants: The Age of Terrestrial Floras
• Devonian Fish: The Age of Marine Animals
• Carboniferous Amphibians: The Age of Forest Denizens
• Permian Reptiles: The Age of Desert Inhabitants
• Triassic Dinosaurs: The Age of Big Beasts
• Jurassic Birds: The Age of Flying Creatures
• Cretaceous Corals: The Age of Tropical Biota
• Tertiary Mammals: The Age of Advanced Species
• Quaternary Glaciation: The Age of Modern Life.

Specifications

eBook