Research Catalog

When life nearly died : the greatest mass extinction of all time / Michael J. Benton.

Title: When life nearly died : the greatest mass extinction of all time / Michael J. Benton.
Author: Benton, M. J. (Michael J.)
Publication: London ; New York : Thames & Hudson, c2003.

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Status	Format	Access	Call Number	Item Location
Request for On-site Use Request Scan How do I pick up this item and when will it be ready?	Text	Request in advance	QE721.2.E97 B45 2003	Off-site

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Details

Description

336 p. : ill.; 24 cm.

Summary

"Today it is common knowledge that the dinosaurs were wiped out by a meteorite impact 65 million years ago that killed half of all species then living. Far less well-known is a much greater catastrophe that took place at the end of the Permian period 251 million years ago: at least 90 percent of life was destroyed, both on land and in the sea. ... This book documents not only what happened during this gigantic mass extinction but also the recent rekindling of the idea of catastrophism."--Page [2] of jacket.

Subject

Genre/Form

History

Bibliography (note)

Includes bibliographical references (p. 318-328) and index.

Processing Action (note)

committed to retain

Contents

The geological time-scale -- ch. 1 Antediluvian sauria -- ch. 2 Murchison names the Permian -- ch. 3 The death of catastrophism -- ch. 4 The concept that dared not speak its name -- ch. 5 Impact! -- ch. 6 Diversity, extinction and mass extinction -- ch. 7 Homing in on the event -- ch. 8 Life's biggest challenge -- ch. 9 A tale of two continents -- ch. 10 On the river Sakmara -- ch. 11 What caused the biggest catastrophe of all time? -- ch. 12 The sixth mass extinction? -- Glossary -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Illustration credits -- Index.

ISBN

050005116X (hc)

OCLC

51031684

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library