Evolution: The Whole Story contains everything you need to know about the development and survival of life on Earth. Each chapter of this accessible and lavishly illustrated book takes a major living group and presents thematic essays discussing the evolution of particular subgroups as they appeared on Earth with reference to detailed comparative anatomy, evolutionary legacies, and the breakthrough theories of eminent scientists. Accompanying the essays are amazing photographic features that investigate the characteristics of individual organisms in detail: in some, remarkable fossils, assembled skeletons, and lifelike reconstructions are presented and analyzed; while in others, living species are depicted and compared in detail to their direct ancestors, creatures that may have lived millions of years ago.

Klappentext

All humans are fascinated by their origins, and this comprehensive book traces an extraordinary journey, spanning 4 billion years, from the emergence of bacteria to the rise of the species that coexist today. Evolution: The Whole Story equips you with everything you need to know about the development and survival of life on Earth.

Our understanding of evolution has a profound effect on our appreciation of the natural world. The plants and animals alive today account for only one per cent of the species that have ever lived, and this book will enable you to understand why and how the other 99 per cent perished.

Here you will encounter pivotal evolutionary turning points, uncover false starts and global disasters, and trace the crucial scientific breakthroughs that have contributed to our understanding of this planet and the creatures on it.

Zusammenfassung
Contains everything you need to know about the development and survival of life on Earth. This book includes detailed comparative anatomy, evolutionary legacies, and the breakthrough theories of eminent scientists.

Inhalt

Introduction . 1. Earliest Life . 2. Plants . 3. Invertebrates . 4. Fish and Amphibians . 5. Reptiles . 6. Birds . 7. Mammals