Paul D. Taylor (1) (1953–)

A History of Life in 100 Fossils showcases 100 key fossils that together illustrate the evolution of life on earth. Iconic specimens have been selected from the renowned collections of the two premier natural history museums in the world, the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, and the Natural History Museum, London. The fossils have been chosen not only for their importance in the history of life, but also because of the visual story they tell. This stunning book is perfect for all readers show more because its clear explanations and beautiful photographs illuminate the significance of these amazing pieces, including 500 million-year-old Burgess Shale fossils that provide a window into early animal life in the sea, insects encapsulated by amber, the first fossil bird Archaeopteryx, and the remains of our own ancestors. show less

I'm not sure whether to give this 3 or 4 stars - it's fairly light; just a page or so of text for each of the fossils. In the case of the ones I already knew something about, I could tell it was a nice overview. So...three stars. But it's a coffee table-type book, so why do I think there should be more depth? Plus, if it was the kind of book that DID go into more depth, I probably wouldn't understand it! Ok, let's go with 4 stars.

This book is very thorough. I would use this with older kids. There's probably not much you'd want to know about fossils not in this book.

This book goes in to detail of every fossil imaginable and the history behind their discovery. This book can be used partnered with a text book to elaborate and build interest in fossils and their origins in a Science classroom.