How did life begin? What really was "snowball earth"? Why did the dinosaurs go extinct? Are we all descended from "African Eve"? Will humans be responsible for the next major extinction? All these are addressed in this book. The story unfolds with the formation of the earth around 4000 million years ago, though it took until after massive bombardment by asteroids 100 million years later for life to emerge and another 15 million years until more complex life began to appear. Periods of relative calm were punctuated by five vigorous shake-ups representing major extinctions, with innumerable minor jolts along the way, then five million years ago, an able ape evolved that gradually came to dominate and control the other animals and plants. Evolution in all its complexity has been put aside and the future lies in the hands of single species.
- ISBN10 0198525907
- ISBN13 9780198525905
- Publish Date 1 May 2003
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 28 July 2003
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Oxford University Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 272
- Language English