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Early Life
  • Authored by: Thom Holmes
  • From the Series: The Prehistoric Earth
  • Trim Size: 7-3/8 x 9-1/4
  • ISBN-10: 0816059578
  • ISBN-13: 978-0-8160-5957-7
  • Status: In Stock
  • List Price: $40.00
  • Imprint: Chelsea House
  • Published: 05/01/2008
  • Dewey Number: 560
  • Reading Level: Grades 9 and up
  • Pages: 224

Summary

The first bursts of life found in the fossil record were single-celled bacteria and algae, the foundation of life that led to the extraordinary cavalcade of organisms that have walked the stage of Earth ever since. From the initial signs of life in the Precambrian Period to the end of the Cambrian Period about 488 million years ago, Early Life explores the development of early life that culminated in one of the most extraordinary periods in the evolution of life on Earth. Characterized as a “biological big bang,” the Cambrian Period was a relatively short span of time during which nearly all basic forms of animal life that still exist first appear in the fossil record of the ancient oceans. Alien-looking marine creatures developed in the oceans, and the first predators began hunting down other species in a biological “arms race” that pitted elegant strategies for defense against increasingly efficient means of attack.

Specifications

Full-color photographs and illustrations. Sidebars. References. Further reading. Web sites. Glossary. Appendixes. Index.

About the Author(s)

Thom Holmes is a writer who specializes in natural history subjects and dinosaurs. He is noted for his expertise on the early history of dinosaur science in America. He was the publications director of The Dinosaur Society for five years and the editor of its newsletter, Dino Times, the world’s only monthly publication devoted to news about dinosaur discoveries. It was through the society and his work with the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia that Thom developed widespread contacts and working relationships with paleontologists and paleo-artists throughout the world.

Reviews and Awards

"...offers readers an excellent primer on evolutionary theory and the science of paleontology...a superb introduction..."


Pack Rat Scat National Speleological Society News

“…a solid foundation…provides a fascinating look at earth…engaging and accessible…Recommended.”


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