History of Life - Softcover

Cowen, Richard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0632044446 ISBN 13: 9780632044443

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell, 2000

Synopsis

History of Life is not just for students, but for everyone interested in the history of life on our planet. Paleontology, the study of ancient life, requires some knowledge of biology, ecology, chemistry, physics and mathematics. However, the average person can have access to it without deep scientific training.

This book serves three audiences: it is an introduction to palaeontology; a general education course that introduces nonspecialists to science and scientific thought; and an introduction to the history of life for biologists who know a lot about the present and little about the past.

The author's aim is ambitious: to take you to the edges of our knowledge in palaeontology; to show you how life has evolved on Earth,;and to explain how we have constructed the history of that evolution from the record of rocks and fossils.

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• Web page tied to use of book boxes.
  
• Case studies.
  
• End chapter questions.
  
• End chapter references.

About this title

Book Description:

This book is aimed at anyone interested in the history of life on our planet. It explores the "whys" of events that occurred, and in this new edition, it takes a closer look at the evolution of the physical earth and the strong interactions between organisms and environment. The book's coverage includes geography, climate, atmosphere, ocean, and land (a changing stage) while following interplay between organisms. Also new to this edition is a devoted website-www.blackwellpublishing.com/cowen-that explores additional environmental factors and supplemental topics and provides key links and additional reader assistance.

From the Back Cover:

The living world today contains all kinds of creatures that do unexpected things—we have come to expect that there were complex and unusual ways of life in the past, and that evolution took some unexpected turns at times. Entertainingly written for students, History of Life 3rd Edition takes you to the edge of current knowledge.

The text covers the field succinctly with the appropriate depth—for the undergraduate market

The only book on the market to cover the vertebrates in depth—the easiest group or organisms for the student to focus on

Examples are drawn from both vertebrate and invertebrate fossil record—all animal life is detailed

The careful choice of subject matter makes this book suitable for introductory courses—it covers only the key processes that have shaped the Earth

New to this edition

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• Fuller coverage of invertebrates within the text and an appendix dedicated to them
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• Glossary and key terms
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• Updated art program
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• Web site component with additional artwork, text, and discussion forums

About this edition

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0632044446
• ISBN 13: 9780632044443
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 432