Evolving Planet: Four Billion Years of Life on Earth

By Richard Kissel and Erica Kelly

Evolution, always a hot topic, is the central focus of this wide-ranging history of life on Earth. ? Long before all the life we see today ever came to be--from the lions of Africa, to the ants of the rainforests, to the bacteria that thrive in the depths of the ocean--countless other life-forms once swam, crawled, flew, or bloomed on our planet. ? The very first forms of life appeared on Earth four billion years ago. From single-celled organisms, to dinosaurs, to mammals, and finally to humans, Evolving Planet traces the path of life that has been constantly evolving. The book provides an overview of Earth's amazing diversity of life, both in the seas and oceans as well as on the land, and reveals its variety and uniqueness throughout the ages. With life comes death, and the book discusses the mass extinctions--five thus far--that have also shaped the history of our planet. Readers will be able to see the whole history in perspective in this fascinating volume. The book includes a glossary, a pronunciation key, a bibliography, and an index.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0810994860
• ISBN13: 9780810994867
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Abrams, Inc.
• Length: 136 Pages
• Weight: 2.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 9.4" x 11.3"
• Age Range: 8 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 9

Customer Reviews

Great reference for studying chronological order life

This book was really helpful in putting various groups of organism into context for both science and as a lead up to study of ancient history.

A prehistoric parade!

This book was developed as a companion to the Evolving Planet exhibition at Chicago's Field Museum, but it is a wonderful standalone piece as well. It is beautiful visually, drawing directly from the exhibition itself in a way that is much cleaner than many of the books that are out there. The text is engaging and takes the reader on a journey through both life and time in an exciting and entertaining way. I bought copies for my child, who is an avid fan of the museum, and my nephew who has yet to visit, and they both loved it! This is a fantastic telling of life's history.