Includes bibliographical references (p. 288-296) and index.

Planet Earth: Origin of land and life -- Archean algae: Age of early life -- Proterozoic metazoans: Age of complex organisms -- Cambrian invertebrates: Age of shelly faunas -- Ordovician vertebrates: Age of spinal life-forms -- Silurian plants: Age of terrestrial floras -- Devonian fish: Age of marine animals -- Carboniferous amphibians: Age of forest denizens -- Permian reptiles: Age of desert inhabitants -- Triassic dinosaurs: Age of big beasts -- Jurassic birds: Age of flying creatures -- Cretaceous corals: Age of tropical biota -- Tertiary mammals: Age of advanced species -- Quaternary lacrimation: Age of modern life -- Conclusion -- Glossary -- Bibliography -- Index.

Provides up-to-date and expanded coverage of the metamorphic span of Earth's history as told through fossils, rocks and species, from the very origins of the planet to the current Holocene interglacial period Annotation. Covering the metamorphic span of Earth's history as told through its fossils, rocks, and species, this book chronicles the emergence of each successive group of plants and animals. Chapters are organized according to the different geologic time periods, from the origins of the planet to the current Holocene interglacial period. An introduction details basic geological concepts, and black and white illustrations are featured throughout. Erickson is a geologist.