The Earth is home, according to one estimate, to some 3,000 million million million million living things. But that's just a fraction of those that have existed throughout history. Vast mountain ranges have risen and been worn away. Continents have broken up and drifted across the globe only to collide again to form new land masses. This book is the story of the Earth from its fiery beginning to the arrival of man.An introductory chapter focuses on the processes that underlie the development of life on Earth. Each of the following chapters examines a single period of geological time and introduces us to terrific trilobites, amazing ammonites, dynamic dinosaurs, and humble humans. Throughout are fascinating sidebars and an index, glossary, and extensive timeline are added as excellent study and research tools to enable the reader to access information in several different ways.From the beginning of the universe, through the beginnings of life, to the arrival of humans, The Young Oxford Book of the Prehistoric World tells the story of life and death throughout the centuries, and how every living thing that is or ever was contributes to the rich and complex world that is the Earth today.