Edward is a paleontologist who did important work on the Permian Extinction, a period in Earth’s history that seems to have undergone a catastrophe even more spectacular than the better known Cretaceous meteor impact that turned the dinosaurs to toast. In the mass extinctions that took place 248 million years ago, ninety to ninety-five percent of marine species were eliminated, and on land a complex proto-mammalian fauna was wiped out. Edward’s book contains only a simplified summary of the science. It’s primarily autobiographical. He did most of his research in the Great Karoo region of South Africa, and his visits there coincided with dramatic periods in South Africa. He describes the totalitarian atmosphere during the late Apartheid era, and then the chaotic one of the post-Apartheid era. This, and description of the physical and emotional challenges of doing hard science in the field are the reason to read the book.
[If you want to learn more about the Permian Extinction Event, a good place to start is the Hooper Virtual Natural History Museum, run by Carlton University, Ottawa. It’s a user-friendly site, geared to the general public. A section devoted to “Creationism” makes no attempt to pussyfoot with the tide of ignorance: it begins with a primer on the fourteen most common logical fallacies of argument, straight out of Aristotle]
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