The two most fascinating questions about extraterrestrial life are where it is found and what it is like. In particular, from our Earth-based vantage point, we are keen to know where the closest life to us is, and how similar it might be to life on our home planet. This book deals with both of these key issues. It considers possible homes for life, with a focus on Earth-like exoplanets. And it examines the possibility that life elsewhere might be similar to life here, due to the existence of parallel environments, which may result in Darwinian selection producing parallel trees of life between one planet and another. Understanding Life in the Universe provides an engaging and myth-busting overview for any reader interested in the existence and nature of extraterrestrial life, and the realistic possibility of discovering credible evidence for it in the near future.

South America is home to some of the most distinctive mammals on Earth—giant armadillos, tiny anteaters, the world's largest rodent, and its smallest deer. But the continent once supported a variety of other equally intriguing mammals that have no close living relatives: armored mammals with tail clubs, saber-toothed marsupials, and even a swimming sloth. We know of the existence of these peculiar species thanks to South America's rich fossil record, which provides many glimpses of prehistoric mammals and the ecosystems in which they lived. Organized as a "walk through time" and featuring species from 15 important fossil sites, this book is the most extensive and richly illustrated volume devoted exclusively to the Cenozoic mammals of South America. The text is supported by 75 life reconstructions of extinct species in their native habitats, as well as photographs of fossil specimens and the sites highlighted in the book. An annotated bibliography is included for those interested in delving into the scientific literature.

Do you know that -- the Great Pyramid is made of shellfish? The Grand Canyon has been dipped into the ocean three times? We are sinking at the rate of one foot every nine thousand years? The Mississippi delta will soon be as large as one of the smaller Balkan states? Camels once lived as natives in the United States? The Niagara River is new, the Rio Grande is a vagabond, and the Tennessee a pirate? Chalk is made chiefly of skeletons? "Romance of Geology" is one of Enos Mills' last books, published after his death in 1922. It is a great collection of stories of the lives of rivers, mountains, oceans and deserts, mirages and glaciers, for both the seasoned rock hound and the newly curious about the ways weather and elements have changed our world! Enos A. Mills is known as "The Father of Rocky Mountain National Park" and his many years of adventuring led to several books on the natural world and the fascinating stories he discovered in it. This edition has been published by the Enos Mills Cabin, owned and operated by descendants of Enos A. Mills. We have included letters and other memorabilia from our archives to make your experience with Enos' stories richer and more enjoyable. All purchases from the Enos Mills Cabin help keep his homestead museum and his works available to the public. We receive no financial help from government agencies. Thank you for your support!