Evolution: The Whole Story

This comprehensive book traces an extraordinary journey, spanning 4 billion years, from the emergence of bacteria to the rise of the species that coexist today. An understanding of evolution has a profound effect on our appreciation of the natural world. The plants and animals alive today account for only one per cent of the species that have ever lived, and this book will enable you to understand why and how the other 99 per cent perished. In this book you will encounter pivotal evolutionary turning points, uncover false starts and global disasters, and trace the crucial scientific breakthroughs that have contributed to our understanding of this planet and the creatures on it. This book provides a complete account of all major life groups, from early single-celled organisms to the emergence of today’s species. Features a spectacular variety of images, including fossils, skeletons, life-like reconstructions and living plants and animals. Chronological timelines plot key evolutionary events and discoveries for each major group.