The Story of Life
Oxford University Press (Verlag)
978-0-19-860786-1 (ISBN)
How did life begin? What was 'snowball earth'? Why did the dinosaurs become extinct? Are we all descended from 'African Eve'? Will humans be responsible for the next major extinction? These and many other fundamental questions are addressed in this masterly account of The Story of Life, by eminent biologist and teacher Richard Southwood.
The story unfolds with the formation of the earth around four thousand million years ago. Life first emerged a hundred million years later, and it took another fifteen million years for more complex life-forms to appear. Periods of relative calm were punctuated by five 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. The future now lies in the hands of this single species, Homo sapiens.
In this carefully crafted story, Southwood's love of his subject, and for the life he describes, shines through, to engage and inform scientist and general reader alike.
Professor Sir Richard Southwood FRS, was head of both Imperial College and Oxford Zoology Departments, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford, holder of thirteen honorary degrees and, above all, a life-long natural historian with an enduring curiosity about the lives of the other inhabitants of Earth. As well as writing and researching, he played a major role in public policy related to the environment.
Introduction ; 1. Special chemistry ; 2. A quick start ; 3. Cells with Nuclei ; 4. Jellyfish, polyps and worms? ; 5. Claws, rasps and shells ; 6. Sand, mud and shallow seas ; 7. The giant continent forms ; 8. A sparse start ; 9. The world of the dinosaurs ; 10. Today's world dawns ; 11. The evolution of the able ape ; 12. Humans - the great modifiers ; Further reading ; Acknowledgements ; Index
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 4.9.2003 |
|---|---|
| Zusatzinfo | numerous maps, and line drawings |
| Verlagsort | Oxford |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 156 x 233 mm |
| Gewicht | 421 g |
| Themenwelt | Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik ► Natur / Ökologie |
| Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Evolution | |
| Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Geologie | |
| Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Mineralogie / Paläontologie | |
| ISBN-10 | 0-19-860786-5 / 0198607865 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0-19-860786-1 / 9780198607861 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
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