Catastrophes and Lesser Calamities: The Causes of Mass Extinctions / Edition 1

by Tony Hallam

Overview

In Catastrophes and Lesser Calamities, renowned geologist Tony Hallam takes us on a tour of the Earth's history, and of the cataclysmic events, as well as the more gradual extinctions, that have punctuated life on Earth throughout the past 500 million years.

While comparable books in this field of study tend to promote only one likely cause of mass extinctions, such as extraterrestrial impact, volcanism, and or climatic cooling, Catastrophes and Lesser Calamities breaks new ground, as the first book to attempt an objective coverage of all likely causes, including sea-level and climatic changes, oxygen deficiency in the oceans, volcanic activity, and extraterrestrial impact.

Hallam focuses on the so-called 'big five' mass extinctions, at the end of the Ordovician, Permian, Triassic, and Cretaceous periods, and the later Devonian, and he also includes less well-known examples where relevant. He devotes attention especially to the attempts by geologists to distinguish true catastrophes from more gradual extinction events, and he concludes with a discussion of the evolutionary significance of mass extinctions, and on the influence of Homo sapiens in causing extinctions within the last few thousand years, both on land and in the seas.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780192806680
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	09/01/2005
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	7.78(w) x 5.02(h) x 0.49(d)

About the Author

Tony Hallam is Emeritues Professor of Geology at the University of Birmingham and the author of a range of scientific books and papers including Great Geological Controversies (1992) and Mass Extinctions and their Aftermath (with Paul Wignall, 1997).

Table of Contents

1. In Search of Possible Causes of Mass Extinctions2. Historical Background3. Evidence for Catastrophic Organic Changes in the Geological Record4. Impact by Comets and Asteroids5. Sea-level Changes6. Oxygen Deficiency in the Oceans7. Climate Change8. Volcanic Activity9. Pulling the Strands Together10. The Evolutionary Significance of Mass Extinctions11. The Influence of HumansNotes and Suggestions for Further ReadingBibliographyGlossaryIndex

Editorial Reviews

"This book is a very welcome contribution to popular works on science."—Choice

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