Cowen's History of Life

Description

A newly revised and fully updated edition of the market-leading introduction to paleontology Designed for students and anyone else with an interest in the history of life on our planet, the new edition of this classic text describes the biological evolution of Earth’s organisms, and reconstructs their adaptations and the ecology and environments in which they functioned. Cowen's History of Life, 6th Edition includes major updates, including substantial rewrites to chapters on the origins of eukaryotes, the Cambrian explosion, the terrestrialization of plants and animals, the Triassic recovery of life, the origin of birds, the end-Cretaceous mass extinction, and human evolution. It also features new chapters on plants, soils and transformation of the land; the Mesozoic marine revolution; and the evolution of oceans and climates. Beginning with the origin of the Earth and the earliest life on earth, the book goes on to offer insightful contributions covering: the evolution of Metazoans; the early vertebrates; life of vertebrates on land; and early amniotes and thermoregulation. The book also looks at: dinosaur diversity, as well as their demise; early mammals; the rise of modern mammals; the Neogene Savannas; primates; life in the ice ages; and more. Covers the breadth of the subject in a concise yet specific way for undergrads with no academic background in the topicReorganizes all chapters to reflect the geological series of events, enabling a new focus on big eventsUpdated with three brand new chapters and numerous revised onesPut together by a new editorial team internationally recognized as the global leaders in paleontologyFilled with illustrations and photographs throughoutIncludes diagrams to show internal structures of organisms, cladograms, time scales and events, and paleogeographic mapsSupplemented with a dedicated website that explores additional enriching information and discussion, and which features images for use in visual presentations Cowen's History of Life, 6th Edition is an ideal book for undergraduate students taking courses in introductory paleontology, as well those on global change and earth systems. Title Page Copyright Page Contents Preface About the Companion Website Chapter 1 The Origin of Life on Earth How Geology Works How Paleontology Works The Origin of Life Planets in Our Solar System The Early Earth Life Exists in Cells Making Organic Molecules Toward the First Living Cell Where Did Life Evolve? Energy Sources for the First Life Heterotrophy Photosynthesis References Further Reading Questions for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 2 The Earliest Life on Earth Introduction How to Find the Age of a Fossil Life Alters a Planet Isotope Evidence for Biology Earth’s Oldest Rocks Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) and the Early Evolution of Cells Stromatolites Ancient Stromatolites Identifying Fossil Cells in Ancient Rocks Banded Iron Formations (BIF) Banded Iron Formations, Stromatolites and Oxygen The Great Oxidation Event References Further Reading Questions for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 3 The Origin of Eukaryotes Single-Celled Life Symbiosis and Endosymbiosis The Prokaryotic Ancestors of Eukaryotic Cells Eukaryotes in the Fossil Record The Evolution of Sex The Classification of Eukaryotes Cladistics References Further Reading Question for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 4 The Evolution of Metazoans Proterozoic Microbes Snowball or Slushball Earth The Ediacaran Period Making a Metazoan The Doushantuo Formation Large Ediacaran Organisms Molecular Clocks References Further Reading Question for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 5 The Cambrian Explosion The Cambrian Explosion The Variety of Metazoans The Evolution of Skeletons: Small Shelly Fossils Larger Cambrian Animals Soft-Bodied Cambrian Animals What Caused the Cambrian Explosion? Evolution and Development Oxygen Levels Seawater Chemistry Mineralization Predation Exploiting the Sea Floor References Further Reading Questions for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 6 Changing Life in a Changing World Today’s World Energy and Ecology Biogeography and Paleobiogeography Provinces Poles and Tropics Islands, Continents, and Climates Geographic Isolation and Evolution Diversity Patterns in the Fossil Record Global Tectonics and Global Diversity Changing Faunas Through Time Three Great Faunas Explaining the Three Great Faunas Mass Extinctions Explaining Mass Extinction The Ordovician Mass Extinction The Late Devonian (F–F) Mass Extinction The Permian–Triassic (P–Tr) Extinction Plume Volcanism The Hyperthermal Killing Model Ocean Chemistry Crisis The End-Triassic Extinction Evolutionary Radiations Mass Extinctions Invading a New Habitat New Biological Inventions References Further Reading Diversity Through Time Mass Extinctions Question for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 7 The Early Vertebrates Vertebrates Vertebrate Origin The Cyclostomes – Vertebrates Without Vertebrae Ostracoderms Heterostracans Anaspids Thelodonts Galeaspids Osteostracans The Evolution of Jaws Placoderms Acanthodians Cartilaginous Fishes (Sharks and Rays) Bony Fishes Air Breathing The Problem Respiration in Early Fishes Oxygen Intake Air Gulping and Fishy Lungs Actinopterygii (Rayfin Fishes) Sarcopterygii (Lobefin Fishes) Coelacanths Lungfishes Tetrapodomorpha References Further Reading Question for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 8 Leaving the Water Problems of Life in Air How Plants Engineered the Landscape Genomic Data and the Origin of Land Plants How Plants Adapted to Life on Land The Earliest Land Plants The Bryophytes: Mosses and Relatives The Earliest Tracheophytes The Rhynie Chert as a Window into Early Life on Land Later Devonian Tracheophytes – Diversification of Lycophytes and Euphyllophytes Early Plant Innovation Comparing Plant and Animal Evolution The First Land Animals References Further Reading Plants Animals Question for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 9 Early Tetrapods and Amniote Origins Vertebrates Conquer the Land Tetrapodomorphs From Tetrapodomorph to Tetrapod Limbs and Feet: Why Become Tetrapod? Fresh Food Supplies? Basking? Reproduction? The First Tetrapods: Devonian Tetrapods Diversify: Carboniferous Ancestors of Living Amphibians: Batrachosaurs Ancestors of Living Amniotes: Reptiliomorphs Amniotes and the Amniotic Egg Why Were the First Amniotes Small? Carboniferous Land Ecology Further Reading Question for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 10 Early Amniotes and Thermoregulation The Amniote Radiation Pelycosaurs Pelycosaur Biology and Ecology Locomotion Carnivorous Pelycosaurs Vegetarian Pelycosaurs How Does Herbivory Evolve in Tetrapods? Thermoregulation in Living Reptiles Thermoregulation in Pelycosaurs Permian Changes The Invasion of Gondwana Thermoregulation in Therapsids Therapsid Evolution Dinocephalians Advanced Therapsids Dicynodonts Parareptiles Synapsids and Their Diapsid Replacements Further Reading Question for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 11 The Mesozoic Marine Revolution Mesozoic Ocean Ecosystems Recovering Seas Crisis on the Seabed Reefs Ammonites and Belemnites Fishes Arms Races and New Predatory Modes Ichthyosaurs Sauropterygians Mosasaurs Turtles Crocodiles Air Breathers at Sea References Further Reading Questions for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 12 The Triassic Takeover Diapsids Basal Diapsids Lepidosauromorphs Archosauromorphs The Triassic Diapsid Takeover: The Pattern Rhynchosaurs Triassic Archosaurs: Crurotarsi Dinosaur Ancestors: Avemetatarsalia Respiration, Metabolism, and Locomotion The Carnian Pluvial Episode (CPE) and the Rise of the Dinosaurs Reference Further Reading Question for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 13 Dinosaurs Dinosaurs Theropods Sauropodomorphs Ornithischians Dinosaur Paleobiology Feeding Locomotion How Could Dinosaurs Be So Huge? Metabolic Rate and Temperature in Dinosaurs Dinosaur Eggs and Nests Dinosaur Feathers The Origin of Feathers Dinosaur Behavior References Further Reading Questions for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 14 Birds and the Evolution of Flight Flying Animals Pterosaurs Pterosaur Feeding and Fossils Pterosaur Flight Getting Off the Ground Birds Archaeopteryx The Origin of Flight in Birds Cretaceous Birds Cenozoic Birds The Largest Flying Birds References Further Reading Pterosaurs Birds Questions for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 15 The Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution Life on Land in the Ascendant Dating the Origin of Angiosperms The Oldest Fossil Angiosperms Angiosperms and Changing Mesozoic Ecology Seeds and Pollination Reasons for Angiosperm Success Pollination and Insect Pollinators Seed Dispersal Fast-Growing Seedlings Explosion in Insects Ants and Termites Later Stages in the Revolution Angiosperm Chemistry Reference Further Reading Questions for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 16 The End of the Dinosaurs The Extinction at the End of the Cretaceous An Asteroid Impact? Iridium and Glass Spherules Finding the Crater The Impact and Its Consequences A Giant Volcanic Eruption? Paleobiological Evidence from the K–Pg Boundary Land Plants Dinosaurs Lizards, Birds, and Mammals Freshwater Communities Marine Life Where Are We? Further Reading Question for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 17 Changing Oceans and Climates Climate Scientific Ocean Drilling and Proxies Changes in Marine Life over Time The Cretaceous Hothouse Hyperthermals Descent into the Icehouse The Pliocene The Ice Ages Climate Change References Further Reading Questions for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 18 The Origin of Mammals The Derived Features of Mammals Cynodonts and Defining the First Mammals Teeth and Tooth Replacement Skulls and Jaws Hearing Locomotion Thermoregulation and Metabolic Level Evolution of Hair Mammalian Reproduction Lactation Early Mammaliaformes Early Crown-Group Mammals Therian Mammals The Inferiority of Mammals Reference Further Reading Questions for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 19 Cenozoic Mammals Evolution Among Cenozoic Mammals Morphological Evidence Molecular Evidence The Paleocene The Eocene The End of the Eocene The Later Cenozoic Ecological Replacement: The Guild Concept Cenozoic Mammals in Dinosaur Guilds The Savanna Story Evolutionary Change over Time Bats Whales Reference Further Reading Questions for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 20 Geography and Evolution Mammals and Geography Australia New Zealand South America Africa Madagascar Islands and Biogeography Further Reading Questions for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 21 Primates Primate Characters The Earliest Primates The Living Prosimians The Origin of Anthropoids The Eocene and Oligocene Radiation of Anthropoids The New World Monkeys (Platyrrhines) The Old World Monkeys Emergence of the Hominoids Early and Middle Miocene Hominoids Late Miocene to Pleistocene Hominoids References Further Reading Questions for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 22 Evolving Toward Humans The Earliest Hominins Early Australopithecines Australopithecus afarensis Australopithecus in South Africa Robust Australopithecines Transitional Species and Early Tool Use Homo erectus and the Modern Body Plan Into Asia After Homo erectus The Origin of Homo sapiens The Neanderthals Ancient DNA Evolution among Humans Today References Further Reading Questions for Thought, Study, and Discussion Chapter 23 Life in the Ice Age Ice Ages and Climatic Change The Present Ice Age Life and Climate in the Ice Ages Faunal Changes Causes of the End‐Pleistocene Extinction: Human Hunting Causes of the End‐Pleistocene Extinction: Climatic and Environmental Change North America: Human Arrival and Human Hunting North America: Patterns of Megafaunal Extinction South America Old World Continents Australia Island Extinctions The World Today Further Reading Questions for Thought, Study, and Discussion Glossary Index EULA