The Earth: Biography of Life: The Story of Life on Our Planet Through 50 Creatures

It is difficult to conceive of the vast scale of the history of life on Earth, from the very first living organisms that developed in hydrothermal deep-sea vents to the diversity of life today. The evolution of life is a sweeping epic of a tale, with twists and turns, surprising heroes and unlikely survivors. The Earth beautifully distills this complex story into a meaningful scale. In taking a closer look at 50 carefully selected organisms over ten epochs in our planetary history, this book tells the whole story of life on Earth.

Prepare to be confounded by the ingenuity of evolutionary biologies, humbled by our own brief part in this epic history, and disquieted by our disproportionate impact on the world we call home.

ISBN-13: 9781529413984

Media Type: Hardcover

Publisher: Mobius

Publication Date: 07-19-2022

Pages: 256

Product Dimensions: 7.60(w) x 9.50(h) x 1.00(d)

Dr Elsa Panciroli is a Scottish palaeontologist interested in the origins of modern ecosystems. She works on Jurassic fossils from the Isle of Skye, and is especially interested in the origins and evolution of mammals. Based at the University of Oxford, she writes about science and gives regular public talks for all ages. She has spoken at events such as the Edinburgh Science Festival, Popularising Palaeontology, the Inverness Science Festival, and the Hugh Miller's Legacy Conference. Find her on twitter @gsciencelady

Table of Contents

Timeline of Life on Earth 6

Introduction: Deep Time 8

Patterns of Life 12

Precambrian 14

Hadean 18

Archaean 20

Proterozoic 22

Eukaryotes 24

Ediacaran 28

Charnia 30

Kimberella 32

Palaeozoic 34

Cambrian 38

Trilobites 40

Myllokunmingia 44

Ordovician 46

Coral 48

Graptolites 52

Conodonts 56

Silurian 60

Prototaxites 62

Cooksonia 66

Eurypterus 68

Devonian 72

Dunkleosteus 74

Pneumodesmus 78

Ammonites 82

Acanthostega 86

Carboniferous 90

Lepidodendron 92

Meganeura 96

Pohlsepia 100

Hylonomus 104

Permian 108

Glossopteris 110

Dimetrodon 114

Diplocaulus 118

Conifers 122

Mesozoic 126

Triassic 130

Pholidophorus 132

Utatsusaurus 136

Postosuchus 140

Earthworms 144

Jurassic 148

Archaeolepis 150

Pterodactylus 154

Beetles 158

Archaeopteryx 162

Cretaceous 166

Archaefructus 168

Melittosphex 172

Repenomamus 176

Argentisnosaurus 180

Cenozoic 184

Palaeogene 188

Barylambda 190

Waimanu 194

Foraminifera 198

Ants 202

Neogene 206

Grasses 208

Merychippus 212

Tuatara 216

Kelps 220

Quaternary 224

Woolly Mammoth 228

Dodo 232

Drosophila 238

Homo 242

Picture Credits 246

Acknowledgements 247

Selected References and Further Reading 248

Index 251

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