The Crucible of Creation The Burgess Shale and the Rise of Animals

About this book

Challenging the views of scientists including Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Dawkins, this confrontational book takes us on a journey back in time through the Burgess Shale - the astonishing collection of pre-Cambrian creatures so different from everything now living that many rank as separate trunks of life's tree. In an entertaining and readable style, Morris presents a vivid picture of a critical period in the history of life which saw the diversification of all major animal groups.

Contents

INTRODUCTION; 1. SETTING THE SCENE; 2. THE DISCOVERY OF THE BURGESS SHALE; 3. JOURNEY TO THE BURGESS SHALE; 4. THE SEARCH FOR NEW BURGESS SHALES; 5. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BURGESS SHALE; 6. THE ORIGIN OF PHYLA; 7. OTHER WORLDS; 8. THE LAST WORD; ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; APPENDIX 1: FURTHER READING; APPENDIX 2: EXHIBITIONS; APPENDIX 3: LOCALITIES; GLOSSARY; INDEX

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