When Life Nearly Died

The Greatest Mass Extinction of All Time

Michael J Benton author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Thames & Hudson Ltd

Published:20th Jul '15

Should be back in stock very soon

When Life Nearly Died cover

What caused the greatest mass extinction in Earth’s history? Michael Benton assembles all the evidence and gives his verdict.

The greatest mass extinction in Earths history happened some 251 million years ago. In this cataclysm at least 90 per cent of life was killed, both on land and in the sea, almost bringing evolution to a halt. What caused destruction on such an unimaginable scale? Was it the impact of a huge meteorite, or prolonged volcanic eruption in Siberia?The greatest mass extinction in Earth’s history happened some 251 million years ago. In this cataclysm at least 90% of life was killed, both on land and in the sea, almost bringing evolution to a halt. What caused destruction on such an unimaginable scale? Was it the impact of a huge meteorite, or prolonged volcanic eruption in Siberia? In this acclaimed book, now updated to include the most recent research and findings, Michael Benton assembles all the evidence and gives his verdict.

'A superb book that tells a gripping tale … a dénouement worthy of Hercule Poirot' - The Times Higher Education Supplement
'Brings back to Earth Science a sense of adventure ... it is both a wonderfully good read and a valued reference' - James Lovelock, author of Gaia

ISBN: 9780500291931

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 630g

352 pages

Revised and expanded edition