Excavating four billion years of history from the ground beneath our feet Over the past four billion years, life on our planet has evolved from microscopic single-celled organisms to today's incredible array of flora and fauna. In the course of this time, layer upon layer of life was buried in sediment, turning into a fossilised record of the planet's history. This highly-illustrated, large-format book looks at all the incredible things that scientists have learned from the fossil record. The ways in which continents have drifted, merged and fragmented again. The life forms that have evolved and the great extinction events that wiped them out. Fish turned into tetrapods, turned into archosaurs, turned into dinosaurs and mammals. Eventually, a mere two million years ago, humans appeared, transforming the planet into what we know today. Clear, concise texts along with colourful diagrams and timelines can be understood by readers as young as six, and case studies of the stranger ends of the life spectrum bring incredible histories to life. A unique 'Paleontology Today' section highlights the importance of learning from the past to protect our future. Illustrations by Sophie Williams (Earth Shattering Events and Map of You) illuminate the texts with a warmth and humour that will make it a book to cherish and return to.