Description
Book SynopsisTwo hundred sixty million years ago, life on Earth suffered wave after wave of cataclysmic extinctions, with the worst wiping out nearly every species on the planet. The Worst of Times delves into the mystery behind these extinctions and sheds light on the fateful role the primeval supercontinent, known as Pangea, might have played in causing these
Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2016 "[Wignall] presents a sound examination of an 80-million-year span, which began nearly 260 million years ago, that is considered by scientists to have been the most extreme extinction event in Earth's history... [A] great example of scientific sleuthing."--Publishers Weekly "[An] excellent introduction to the latest thinking about this key period in Earth's history... Wignall's book is enthralling."--Matthew Cobb, New Scientist "In this scholarly but accessible analysis, geologist Wignall explores the perfect storm of cataclysms, plate tectonics and other forces that led to 'The Great Dying'--and the rebound of life in its aftermath."--Gemma Tarlach, Discover magazine "Well written and persuasive."--Choice "Over the 170-odd pages [Wignall] discusses in great yet concise detail the point and counterpoint of large igneous provinces, massiv accumulations of millions of cubic kilometers of igneous rock, and mass extinctions that occurred repetitively and in synchrony from the middle of the Permian to the middle of the Jurassic... A well-researched, thorough, and stimulating volume for anyone looking for a scientific account of this time period and the notable geological and biological events that took place over its course."--William Gearty, Quarterly Review of Biology
Table of ContentsILLUSTRATIONS ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi PROLOGUE xv CHAPTER 1 A TIME OF DYING 1 CHAPTER 2 EXTINCTION IN THE SHADOWS 12 CHAPTER 3 THE KILLING SEAS 39 CHAPTER 4 TROUBLED TIMES IN THE TRIASSIC 89 CHAPTER 5 TRIASSIC DOWNFALL 117 CHAPTER 6 PANGEA'S FINAL BLOW 137 CHAPTER 7 PANGEA'S DEATH AND THE RISE OF RESILIENCE 154 NOTES 177 REFERENCES 179 INDEX 191
