When Life Nearly Died

May 15, 2003
A meteor striking Earth 65 million years ago is now held as a plausible explanation for the demise of the dinosaurs. But what caused events like the Permian extinction 251 million years ago, often considered the most devastating of the five big extinctions, when an estimated 90 percent of all life disappeared from the planet? Paleontologist Benton sets out to unravel this puzzle, building his case by beginning with the history of geology and modern improvements in the ability to analyze information from the fossil record. He contrasts a comprehensive picture of living sea and land organisms with life just after the extinction. In the final chapters, he offers his explanations for the extinction ("a combination of volcanic activity and a release of gas hydrates...produced a devastating cascade of acid rains, global warming, land weathering, ocean stagnation, and marine anoxia"). The author covers a lot of information, but he connects it all in a readable and interesting way, while striving to present a balanced and open-ended viewpoint. For public and academic libraries.-Kimberly Megginson, DeWitt Medical Lib., Ft. Belvoir, VA

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