The History of Life: A Very Short Introduction - Softcover

Benton, Michael J.

 
9780199226320: The History of Life: A Very Short Introduction
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0199226326 ISBN 13: 9780199226320
Publisher: OUP Oxford, 2008

Synopsis

There are few stories more remarkable than the evolution of life on earth. This Very Short Introduction presents a succinct guide to the key episodes in that story - from the very origins of life four million years ago to the extraordinary diversity of species around the globe today.

Beginning with an explanation of the controversies surrounding the birth of life itself, each following chapter tells of a major breakthrough that made new forms of life possible: including sex and multicellularity, hard skeletons, and the move to land. Along the way, we witness the greatest mass extinction, the first forests, the rise of modern ecosystems, and, most recently, conscious humans.

Introducing ideas from a range of scientific disciplines, from evolutionary biology and earth history, to geochemistry, palaeontology, and systematics, Michael Benton explains how modern science pieces the evidence in this vast evolutionary puzzle together, to build up an accessible and up-to-date picture of the key developments in the history of life on earth.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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About the Author

Professor Michael J. Benton is Head of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol. He has written some fifty books, ranging from children's dinosaur and palaeontology books to standard textbooks in palaeontology and vertebrate palaeontology (such as Vertebrate Palaeontology, 3rd edition, Blackwell, 2005). He is also author of some 200 scientific papers and numerous popular articles and reviews.

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Publisher
OUP Oxford
Publication date
2008
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0199226326
ISBN 13 
9780199226320
Binding
Paperback
Edition number
1
Number of pages
184