The Evolving Earth

by Donald R. Prothero

Overview

Written by award-winning author Donald R. Prothero, The Evolving Earth provides a lively, engaging tour through 4.5 billion years of earth and life evolution. Completely up-to-date, the book focuses on the evidence for "How do we know what we know?"—explaining how geologists and paleontologists developed our knowledge about the ancient past—rather than focusing on memorization.

While covering the conventional topics of earth history, The Evolving Earth also offers an in-depth discussion of the Big Bang theory and the origin of the universe and solar system; an entire chapter on human evolution; and coverage of topics like climate change, the Anthropocene, and possible future scenarios for the earth. Prothero explains topics in terms of the "human interest" stories of the people who made these discoveries, and how they came to understand key evidence about earth and life history. Featuring unique paleogeographic maps of particular time intervals, integrated with photographs of the actual outcrops on which the map reconstruction is based, the book also includes a full appendix—suitable for use in labs on fossils—providing background to the major groups of fossils.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190605629
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/09/2020
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	544
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Donald R. Prothero teaches in the Department of Geological Sciences at California State Polytechnic University Pomona, and is a Research Associate in Vertebrate Paleontology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. In 2013, he received the James T. Shea Award from the National Association of Geology Teachers for outstanding writing in the geological sciences.

Table of Contents

Part I: DECIPHERING THE EARTH

1. The Abyss of Time
2. Building Blocks: Minerals and Rocks
3. It's About Time! Dating Rocks
4. Stratigraphy
5. Plate Tectonics and Sedimentary Basins
6. Evolution

Part II: EARTH AND LIFE HISTORY

7. Birth of the Earth
8. The Early Earth: The Precambrian
9. The Origin and Early Evolution of Life, (4.6-0.6 billion years ago)
10. The Early Paleozoic: Cambrian-Ordovician, 541-444 Ma
11. The Middle Paleozoic: Silurian and Devonian, 444-355 Ma
12. The Late Paleozoic: Carboniferous and Permian, 355-250 Ma
13. The Mesozoic: Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous, 250-66 Ma
14. The Cenozoic: Paleogene and Neogene Periods, 66-2.6 Ma
15. The Cenozoic: The Pleistocene, 2.6 Ma to 10,000 years ago
16. Human Evolution
17. The Cenozoic: The Holocene—And the Future, 10,000 years ago to the Future

Appendix A: Biological Classification
Appendix B: SI and Customary Units and Their Conversions

Editorial Reviews

"What stands out with The Evolving Earth is the ease in which it is written. Pictures, summaries, and review questions are crucial in making this text stand out from the others. The chapters are written well and are easy to understand. Prothero's writing style is a plus."—Christopher Knubley, University of Arkansas, Fort Smith

"The Evolving Earth is enjoyable, inspiring, and lightly written. It brings up novel ways to look at various subjects and should not overburden students who indeed want to learn. The writing is excellent, vibrant, and interesting—much superior to other textbooks that use more conventional style."—Ervin G. Otvos, University of Southern Mississippi

"The chapters are refreshingly current and the quality of the science is very good. The conversational tone and the use of humor are great—it's one of the things I like most about Prothero's writing."—David Dobson, Guilford College

"Compared to the text I already use, The Evolving Earth works much better at communicating concepts like evolution to my students. I certainly like the concepts of the development of life, and how Prothero explains all possible mechanisms for hosting those complex reactions."—Jonathan Sumrall, Sam Houston State University

From the Publisher