A comprehensive atlas that covers all aspects of the history of life on Earth, from its formation to the present time.

The Atlas of Life on Earth offers a comprehensive, chronological survey of the Earth, its landscape and its life forms, from the beginning of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago to the present.The atlas is accessibly organized in six major parts, with 18 chapters devoted to each of the major geological periods, in which the crucial geological and biological developments in the history of our planet are described in lucid and intriguing detail. A concluding section looks at the ways in which the Earth and its biosphere continue to evolve today. Each chapter begins with a timeline of the geological period in question and a vivid and arresting map presenting a ‘snapshot from space' of the world as it was then. These maps, together with detailed artworks (including lavish reconstructions of prehistoric landscapes), stunning photographs, and explanatory diagrams, take the reader on a fascinating, informative, and awe-inspiring journey through time. Specially devised feature spreads illustrating graphically and elegantly the evolution and relationships of each major group of plants and animals provide the reader with an incomparable reference source. Each section of the atlas has been written by an acknowledged expert in the relevant field, ensuring clear, informed coverage of the exciting and extraordinary story of the evolution of our planet. Part 1: In the Beginning Part 2: The Early Paleozoic Part 3: The Late Paleozoic Part 4: The Mesozoic Part 5: The Tertiary Part 6: The Quaternary

A dazzling and stunningly illustrated introduction to the diversity of life on our planet.

Global biological diversity, ecosystem diversity.

This major new atlas offers the first complete look at the evolution of the Earth, from the beginning of the solar system to the present-day. Its six sections are divided into 18 chapters setting out the geological and biological developments of each major geological period. The volume's final section looks at the ways in which the Earth and its biosphere are still evolving today. The distribution today of types of rock, geological formations, fossils and modern species are explained, and the processes of natural evolution and of landscape formation through plate tectonics are revealed here as never before.