About the book “History of the Earth. From Stardust to Stardust”

Abstract

The book gives a detailed picture of the Earth’s history. The authors describe successive changes in paleogeographic settings and their underlying reasons, changes in ocean levels and continent outlines, the processes of volcanism and basic laws of mineral formation. Particular attention is paid to the most important arogeneses of evolutionary development, which created conditions for organisms to leave their habitual environment, thus opening up new prospects for a wide ecological expansion. As nodal points in the evolution of individual groups of the organic world and landscape changes, the authors acquaint readers with the skeletal revolution, the emergence of organs of vision, the appearance of roots in plants, the formation of first soils, the emergence of vertebrates on land, the flourishing of insects, the appearance of mammals and flowering plants. Detailed information on the most interesting extinct organisms of certain periods of the Earth’s geological history is given. Their morphology, size, lifestyle, nutritional strategies and causes of extinction are considered. Of particular interest is the part devoted to the appearance and development of mankind, as well as its large-scale comprehensive impact on nature. In the final section of the book, the authors reflect on the future of our planet.