A New History of Life: The Radical New Discoveries about the Origins and Evolution of Life on EarthThe history of life on Earth is, in some form or another, known to us all--or so we think. A New History of Life offers a provocative new account, based on the latest scientific research, of how life on our planet evolved--the first major new synthesis for general readers in two decades. Charles Darwin's theories, first published more than 150 years ago, form the backbone of how we understand the history of the Earth. In reality, the currently accepted history of life on Earth is so flawed, so out of date, that it's past time we need a 'New History of Life.' In their latest book, Joe Kirschvink and Peter Ward will show that many of our most cherished beliefs about the evolution of life are wrong. Gathering and analyzing years of discoveries and research not yet widely known to the public, A New History of Life proposes a different origin of species than the one Darwin proposed, one which includes eight-foot-long centipedes, a frozen “snowball Earth”, and the seeds for life originating on Mars. Drawing on their years of experience in paleontology, biology, chemistry, and astrobiology, experts Ward and Kirschvink paint a picture of the origins life on Earth that are at once too fabulous to imagine and too familiar to dismiss--and looking forward, A New History of Life brilliantly assembles insights from some of the latest scientific research to understand how life on Earth can and might evolve far into the future. |
Contents
1 | |
8 | |
14 | |
chapter iii Life Death and the Newly DiscoveredPlace In Between | 28 |
42?35 GA | 43 |
3520 GA | 65 |
2010 GA | 90 |
850635 MA | 100 |
252250 MA | 211 |
252200 MA | 225 |
230180 MA | 245 |
20065 MA | 278 |
65 MA | 296 |
6550 MA | 307 |
5025 MA | 320 |
25 MA to Present | 329 |
Other editions - View all
A New History of Life: The Radical New Discoveries about the Origins and ... Peter Ward,Joe Kirschvink No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
adaptation allowed ancient animals appearance atmosphere began birds body body plans bottom called Cambrian carbon dioxide caused cell chapter chemical complex continents Cretaceous dinosaurs diversity early Earth effect eggs energy entire environments event evidence evolution evolutionary evolved existence explosion fact fish fossil record fossils geological giant global heat higher human impact important increase interval Jurassic kind known land larger late least less levels living look lungs major mammals marine mass extinction million years ago molecules moving named Nature occurred oceans organisms origin oxygen oxygen levels past percent perhaps period Permian plants predators present produced regions relatively remains reptiles rise rocks Science single species suggests surface temperature term thousand tion Triassic understanding University warm