The story of life / T.R.E. Southwood.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Southwood, Richard, Sir

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Biology--History.

Biology.

Evolution (Biology)--History.

Evolution (Biology).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (273 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2003.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

How did life begin? What was 'snowball earth'? Why did the dinosaurs become extinct? Are we all descended from 'African Eve'? Will humans be responsible for the next major extinction? These and many other fundamental questions are addressed in this masterly account of The Story of Life, by eminent biologist and teacher Richard Southwood.The story unfolds with the formation of the earth around four thousand million years ago. Life first emerged a hundred million years later, and it took another fifteen million years for more complex life-forms to appear. Periods of relative calm were punctuated

Contents:

Cover; Contents; Introduction; CHAPTER 1 Special Chemistry: Pre- and Early Archaean: 4550-3500 Mya; CHAPTER 2 A Quick Start: Middle and Late Archaean: 3500-2500 Mya; CHAPTER 3 Cells with Nuclei: Proterozoic: 2500-600 Mya; CHAPTER 4 Jellyfish, Polyps and Worms?: Late Proterozoic: 700-545 Mya; CHAPTER 5 Claws, Rasps and Shells: Cambrian-Ordovician: 545-438 Mya; CHAPTER 6 Sand, Mud and Shallow Seas: Silurian-Devonian: 438-362 Mya; CHAPTER 7 The Giant Continent Forms: Carboniferous-Permian: 362-248 Mya; CHAPTER 8 A Sparse Start: Triassic: 248-206 Mya

CHAPTER 9 The World of the Dinosaurs: Jurassic-Cretaceous: 206-65 MyaCHAPTER 10 Today's World Dawns: Tertiary-Quaternary: 65 Mya-Today; CHAPTER 11 The Evolution of the Able Ape: 20 Mya-30,000 Years Ago; CHAPTER 12 Humans: The Great Modifiers: 40,000 Years Ago, Today and Tomorrow; Further Reading; Figure Acknowledgements; Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R; S; T; U; V; W; Y; Z

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [257]-258) and index.

ISBN:

0-19-150083-6

1-280-69891-8

9786613675880

0-19-154581-3

OCLC:

778447673