The Book of LifeStephen Jay Gould The Book of Life uses an exemplary fusion of art and science to tell the story of life on earth. The text, under the editorship of Stephen Jay Gould, provides a thorough understanding of the latest research and is accompanied by paintings prepared especially for this book. Never before has our planet's evolution been so clearly, so ingeniously explained. History is marked by disaster. The Book of Lifeexplains how mammals, having survived at least one of these disasters--the impact of a massive comet--luckily inherited the earth. Next came the rise of modern humans, who would shape the world as no creature has. As this fascinating history unfolds, gorgeous illustrations allow us to observe climate changes, tectonic plate movement, the spread of plant life, and the death of the dinosaurs. We discover the chains of animal survival, the causes and consequences of adaptation, and finally the environmental impact of human life. |
Other editions - View all
Book of Life: An Illustrated History of the Evolution of the Life on Earth Stephen Jay Gould No preview available - 2001 |
Common terms and phrases
adapted Africa amphibians ancestors animals apes appear Archaeopteryx archosaurs arthropods Asia Australia Australopithecus bacteria birds body bones bony brain Cambrian carbon Carboniferous carnivores cells Cenozoic changes climate continents Cretaceous cynodonts developed Devonian dinosaurs diversity early Miocene Earth Ediacaran Eocene Europe evidence evolution evolutionary evolved families fauna fishes forest forms fossil record genetic geological giant groups habitats herbivores hominoids Homo erectus Homo habilis human ichthyosaurs insects jaws Jurassic known land larger late Cretaceous late Permian late Triassic later legs limbs living mammals marine marsupials mass extinctions Mesozoic million Miocene modern Neanderthals North America ocean Oligocene organisms oxygen Paleocene paleontologists Paleozoic Paranthropus patterns Permian placentals plants plates Pleistocene predators prey primates probably pterosaurs region reptiles rhinos rocks sauropods savanna sediments shells skeleton skull South species survive tail teeth tetrapods theropods trees tropical types ungulates vertebrates woodland