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Books > Sport & Leisure > Natural history, country life & pets > Rocks, minerals & fossils
'A splendidly illustrated and thoughtfully constructed account of
one of the greatest ideas ever conceived by the human mind —
evolution.' Donald C. Johanson, Founder of the Institute of Human
Origins, and author of From Lucy to Language. 'Splendid
photographs, vivid language and concise text: a great read.'
—Nature. 'The amount of evolutionary ground covered in the
relatively short text, and the clarity with which it’s laid out
for the benefit of the reader, are exemplary.' Reports of the
National Center for Science Education. Extinction and Evolution
recounts the research of paleontologist Niles Eldredge, whose
discoveries overturned Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution as a
slow and inevitable process. In his 1859 treatise On the Origin of
Species, Darwin posited that evolutionary changes happen very
slowly over millions of years. Eldredge’s work, however,
disproved the accepted Darwinian view, proving instead that
significant changes occurred after a mass extinction event.
Eldredge’s groundbreaking work is now accepted as the definitive
statement of how life evolved on Earth. This book chronicles how
Eldredge made his discoveries and traces the history of life
through the lenses of paleontology, geology, ecology, anthropology,
biology, genetics, zoology, mammalogy, herpetology, entomology and
botany. Remaining rigorously accurate, the text is accessible,
engaging and free of jargon. Extinction and Evolution features 160
beautiful colour plates that bridge the gap between science and
art, and show more than 200 different fossil specimens, including
photographs of some of the most significant fossil discoveries of
recent years. This is a book with appeal to a broad general
audience and especially those with a deeper interest in evolution.
A vibrant and richly detailed guide to fossils for readers with a
passion for the natural world and those that inhabited it long ago.
This is a book for those that want to learn to scan the beach for
fossils, who love the simple pleasure of getting outside or those
who want to develop their relationship with the world around them.
From the Jurassic Coast to the Antrim Coast, our nation is home to
some of the most incredible fossil sites in the world. Weaving an
intricate tapestry of knowledge on the landscape of our own
pre-historic planet, palaeontologist and Education Officer of the
Bristol Dinosaur Project, Rhys Charles beautifully communicates the
joy of fossil-hunting and where best to hunt for them in the
country. Under his guidance, and with The Natural History Museum,
this book invites readers to unlock breath-taking fragments of a
lost world.
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