Welcome to Prehistoric Life: An Examination of the History of Life and Evolution!

Textbook Cover Image

Prehistoric Life is a concise, accessible textbook focusing on the history of life and evolution within a geological and climatic context.

Offering critical information and avoiding unnecessary bulk, the book begins with an introduction to the notion of science, the scientific method, and the limits of science. In the first half of the text, students learn about rocks, fossils, the geologic timescale, the structure of earth, abiogenesis, evolution, and classification.

The second half of the book is devoted to exploring the past 3.8 billion years of life, from the earliest single-celled organisms in the Precambrian Eon through the rich evolutionary histories of the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic Eras, to today’s modern organisms, including ourselves.

Prehistoric Life is ideal for courses in introductory geology, biology, and paleontology and can also be used as a reference guide for fossil collectors and enthusiasts alike.

Active Learning for this title includes:

10 decks of flashcards
10 key term matching activities
3 image identification activities. Activity topics include types of fossilization, common dinosaurs, and Paleozoic organisms
1 annotate-the-timeline activity on the geological time scale
6 interactive YouTube videos with embedded "Knowledge Check" questions. Video topics include natural selection, evolutionary theory, and the Avalon explosion.

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Preview of Prehistoric Life (Petsche)