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Extinction

Bad Genes or Bad Luck?

David M Raup author Stephen Jay Gould editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:WW Norton & Co

Published:6th Jan '93

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Extinction cover

In the geological record, there are five major mass extinctions—the "Big Five." The most famous happened at the end of the Cretaceous Period, when the dinosaurs and two-thirds of all marine animal species were wiped out, opening the door for the age of mammals and the rise of Homo Sapiens. Using this example as a springboard, David M. Raup leaps into an egaging discussion of the theories, assumptions, and difficulties associated with the science of species extinction. Woven is along the way are stories of the trilobite eye, tropical reefs, flying reptiles, and the fate of the heath hen on Martha's Vineyard, a very modern extinction.

"An eminently entertaining and informative read." -- Malcolm W. Browne - New York Times Book Review
"A delightful little book about life on this planet and about extinctions, in particular. It is as much about the philosophy and methodology of science as about the downside of evolution." -- Clark R. Chapman, Planetary Science Institute

ISBN: 9780393309270

Dimensions: 208mm x 140mm x 15mm

Weight: 290g

230 pages