Atlas of the Prehistoric WorldFrom it's beginnings as an accumulation of molten space debris over 4.6 billion years ago, the Earth has undergone astounding transformations, both geological and biological, to arrive at its familiar look today. The Discovery Channel's Atlas of the Prehistoric World is a dynamic portrait of the Earth and the interplay among the various forces that shaped both the planet and the life upon it. Atlas of the Prehistoric World is divided into three major sections, each of which offers a distinctive look at our planet's pre-history. In "The Changing Globe" computer -generated global maps track the Earth's shift in topography during eighteen different geological periods.... From the rise of mountain ranges to the creation of new oceans, the world takes on its different faces through the course of eons. "Life on Earth" chronicles the evolution of plant and animal life, from the first single-celled microbes to land-dwelling mammals. Each of the Earth's major geological eras is profiled in its own chapter, which depicts the life forms that developed as continents drifted, volcanoes erupted, and meteorites crashed to the surface. Specially commissioned panoramic illustrations take "snapshots" of life at a particular time and place....These...reflect the latest scientific thinking about how creatures from each period would have appeared, bringing to life animals and plantlife we can otherwise see only as fossils. "Earth Fact File," an indispensable gazetteer, explains important Earth science concepts and provides a useful tool for understanding prehistory. Accompanied by over 250 full-color photographs and illustrations and 68 maps, the Discovery Channel's Atlas of the PrehistoricWorld is a unique must-have resource for any family member. |
Contents
Contents | 8 |
ANCIENT WORLDS | 49 |
COMPLEX ORGANISMS EMERGE | 56 |
Copyright | |
4 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
50 MA PRESENT Africa ancestors animals Antarctica arthropods Asia Atlantic Australia Avalonia Burgess Shale Cambrian Carboniferous centimeters climate collided continental crust continents creatures Cretaceous period crustal plates cynodonts deposits Devonian dinosaurs Earth earthquakes Ediacarans Europe evolution evolved extinction event feet fish fossil record geological geologists glaciers global Gondwana hominids Homo humans ice age ichthyosaurs igneous Iguanodon impact inches Jurassic kilometers land landmasses late Cretaceous Laurentia lava layers limestone living magma mammals mantle marine meteorite meters mid-ocean ridges miles million years ago minerals mountain Museum Natural History North America ocean crust ocean floor Ordovician organisms paleontologists Paleozoic Pangea Permian Pikaia plant-eating plants Precambrian predators preserved primitive pterosaurs reptiles rift sandstone sea levels seabed sediment sedimentary rock shallow seas shells Silurian skeletons skull South southern species strata subduction supercontinent surface tectonics teeth Tethys Ocean tetrapods Triassic trilobites tsunami Vendian vertebrates volcanic eruptions