Draws on the latest scientific information to recreate the story of life on Earth, with introductory articles on evolution and an index to the hundreds of species depicted in the illustrations.
Presents an introduction to prehistoric life, describing dinosaurs, plant life, and the evolutionary stages of early man, with images of fossil remains and discussions of the possible events that led to the extinction of many early life forms.
Experience a story 3.8 billion years in the making, with this unparalleled visual guide to prehistoric life. Unprecedented visual detail, comprehensive entries on hundreds of species and the latest research provides the whole picture of the creatures and plants that represent Earth's prehistoric life. Journey through the millennia and explore the rise and fall of successive organisms, devastating extinctions and the knife-edge progress of evolution. Fantastic photographs and images present each species in exceptional clarity, including 3D CT scans that transform inert fossils into species that almost live and breath on the page. Discover a huge catalogue, profiling a vast and diverse array of plants, fungi, invertebrates, amphibians, birds, reptiles and mammals and discover how they have evolved through time. From giant dinosaurs to lesser-known species that faced a similar, cataclysmic demise, this is a fascinating and essential reference on prehistoric life for the whole family.
Scientists believe that every human on the planet is descended from a woman who lived in Africa 100,000 years ago. "Origins" tells the incredible story of homo sapiens - where we came from, why we made it (and why 20 human-like species didn't) and what it means to be 'human' anyway. Part one takes us back through evolution to meet our ancestors. From the ape-like Proconsul who lived in Africa 17 million years ago to Homo floresiensis, the dwarf human species which survived on the Indonesian island of Flores until 18,000 years ago. The most accurate facial reconstructions available bring us up close with these familiar yet alien relatives, and artworks give a compelling insight into their lives - where they lived, what they wore, whether they spoke, what they ate, what animals existed. Graphical timelines untangle the relationships between the different species and highlight our remarkable evolutionary journey. The second part shows how humans spread across the planet to form the diverse races and peoples we know today, from our first steps out of Africa 100,000 years ago to our arrival in New Zealand as recently as 1,000 years ago.
A lavishly illustrated who's who of the prehistoric world. Firefly Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals is a stunning new reference to 350 of the most amazing animals ever to have roamed the Earth. More than 1,000 full-color commissioned artworks bring the prehistoric world to vivid life and make the book exciting to look at and read. The encyclopedia covers all of the dinosaurs plus the full scope of prehistoric animals, including birds, camels, fish, reptiles, porpoises, apes and many more. Timelines, family trees and hundreds of fact boxes throughout the book will engage and inform readers. Full-bleed illustrations on every page show the prehistoric world in exciting detail. Easy-to-read text presents accurate, succinct and essential information that includes: Classification of animal groups Vertebrate characteristics Common and species names Biology, anatomy, habitats and survival skills Features on animal behavior Accurate labeled illustrations and maps. This richly illustrated, authoritative reference will capture readers' imagination and provide hours of discovery. It is ideal for home and school where it will be especially useful for reports.
Uncovered here are the 100 groundbreaking discoveries that reveal why Earth is the one lucky blue planet in our Solar System that can support life and how this has come about in its myriad forms. The Material World: clay and quartz, feldspar and diamond, satellite image of deltaic muds, sandy desert, feldspar crystals, diamond, crystal, the water cycle, seawater, clouds, glacier ice, volcanic gas propelling pyroclastic flow. Earth's Engine: computer model of flow in the core and the magnetic field, major fault zone e.g. San Andreas or East African Rift; folded rocks in mountains e.g. one of the alpine 'nappes' or Zagros mountain folds and erupting volcano. Earth's Changing Face: Earth's oldest rocks (Greenland or Pilbara, Australia), stromatolites from Western Australia - early marine rocks, banded iron formation rocks (Australia), snowball Earth glacial deposits in Namibia, Carboniferous coal deposits with seat earths in which the plants grew. Living Earth: hydrothermal vent communities, hot-spring life forms, simple plants e.g. lichens and mosses and complex ones such as modern flowering plants, domesticated plants and animals. Past Life: 3.2 billion year old acritarch spores from South Africa, fossil red algae (Bangiomorpha) and first evidence for sexual reproduction, Cooksonia (first true land plant).Life Evolves: the Ediacaran explosion in late Precambrian times, the Cenozoic explosion of mammals, insects and flowering plants, the human family bursts upon the scene, trilobites slowly evolve, the end of the Palaeozoic world 251 million years ago, the end of the Mesozoic world 65 million years ago. Earth's Future: computer simulations of future plate positions, what the world will look like with changing sealevel, artists impressions of future evolutionary adaptations
Explore the fossil world in stunning close-up, from the sharp claws of a Velociraptor to the scales on the preserved skin of a sauropod. Use the removable magnifer to view some of the ancient world's most incredible creatures close-up.
A voyage into the deep past to discover how we became human, and how modern science is rewriting our family tree. Seven million years ago there were ape- like animals living in the forests and woodlands of Africa who were our ancestors. They were also the ancestors of the chimpanzee. It's still a provocative thought today, but when the first steps toward this realization were taken, most scientists still believed in the special creation of humans and the story of the flood. Over the years, scientific research has uncovered a fascinating human family tree with over twenty members, and more extinct relatives still being identified. Seven Million Years explores the discovery of our own species, our nearest relatives and an ancient shared history. It tells the stories of the archaeological finds, the people who made them, and how these powerful revelations have altered how we perceive ourselves, our uniqueness as human beings, and our sense of self in relation to other animals.
The reader is taken from the known and familiar past in the first chapter, peeling back the layers to the "terra incognita" of the deep past with its completely extinct life forms.
