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A New History of Life
Life is stranger than fiction. Recent investigations hint at episodes in the history of life on Earth that rival the most imaginative movies. For example: Could our planet have been seeded with life from elsewhere? Did the development of life create conditions that threatened to poison the biosphere? How have natural forces conspired, over and over, to remove most traces of life from the planet? And how has life itself responded with determination to survive and thrive in a multitude of astonishing forms? Topics:
1 The Interconnected Earth
2 The Vast Depths of Earth Time
3 Fossil Clocks
4 Paleontologists as Detectives
5 The Shifting Surface of Planet Earth
6 Earliest Origins—Formation of the Planet
7 Origins of Land, Ocean, and Air
8 The Early Chemical Evolution of Life
9 Hints of the First Life Forms
10 How Life Transformed the Early Earth
11 Snowball Earth—Another Crisis
12 Metazoans—Life Grows Up
13 Incredible Variety—The Cambrian Explosion
14 Window to a Lost World—The Burgess Shale
15 The Forgotten Fossils in Earth’s Story
16 Introduction to the Great Mass Extinctions
17 The Collapse of Earth’s First Eden
18 Making the Break for Land
19 Getting a Backbone—The Story of Vertebrates
20 The Evolution of Jaws
21 These Limbs Were Made for Walking?
22 Tiktaalik—The Search for a Fishapod
23 Carboniferous Giants and Coal
24 Amniotes—The Shape of Things to Come
25 Permian Extinction—Life’s Worst Catastrophe
26 Finding the Killer—The Greenhouse Earth
27 The Dinosaurs Take Over
28 Letting the Dinosaurs Speak—Paleobehavior
29 Conquering the Air—The Evolution of Flight
30 Monsters of the Deep—Mesozoic Oceans
31 The Cretaceous Earth—A Tropical Planet
32 The Sky Is Falling—End of the Dinosaurs
33 The Collision of North and South America
34 The Rise of Mammals and the Last Ice Age
35 The Humble Origins of Human Beings
36 The Conscious Earth
1 The Interconnected Earth
2 The Vast Depths of Earth Time
3 Fossil Clocks
4 Paleontologists as Detectives
5 The Shifting Surface of Planet Earth
6 Earliest Origins—Formation of the Planet
7 Origins of Land, Ocean, and Air
8 The Early Chemical Evolution of Life
9 Hints of the First Life Forms
10 How Life Transformed the Early Earth
11 Snowball Earth—Another Crisis
12 Metazoans—Life Grows Up
13 Incredible Variety—The Cambrian Explosion
14 Window to a Lost World—The Burgess Shale
15 The Forgotten Fossils in Earth’s Story
16 Introduction to the Great Mass Extinctions
17 The Collapse of Earth’s First Eden
18 Making the Break for Land
19 Getting a Backbone—The Story of Vertebrates
20 The Evolution of Jaws
21 These Limbs Were Made for Walking?
22 Tiktaalik—The Search for a Fishapod
23 Carboniferous Giants and Coal
24 Amniotes—The Shape of Things to Come
25 Permian Extinction—Life’s Worst Catastrophe
26 Finding the Killer—The Greenhouse Earth
27 The Dinosaurs Take Over
28 Letting the Dinosaurs Speak—Paleobehavior
29 Conquering the Air—The Evolution of Flight
30 Monsters of the Deep—Mesozoic Oceans
31 The Cretaceous Earth—A Tropical Planet
32 The Sky Is Falling—End of the Dinosaurs
33 The Collision of North and South America
34 The Rise of Mammals and the Last Ice Age
35 The Humble Origins of Human Beings
36 The Conscious Earth
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2013
8 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Stuart Sutherland
1 book3 followersDr. Stuart Sutherland is a Professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at The University of British Columbia (UBC). Raised in the United Kingdom, he earned an undergraduate degree in geology from the University of Plymouth and a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from the University of Leicester for his studies on Silurian microfossils called chitinozoa. Professor Sutherland discovered his passion for teaching during an appointment at Brunel University in London. He went on to postdoctoral research at the Natural History Museum in London, working with other paleontologists to understand the Devonian organic-walled microfossils of the Cantabrian Mountains of northern Spain. During this time, he completed a postgraduate teaching degree at Sheffield Hallam University. Since 2000, Professor Sutherland has been on the faculty at UBC’s Vancouver campus, where his interests center on Earth history and paleontology.
Main research interest involves the elucidation and study of global paleoenvironmental change in the Paleozoic utilizing the disciplines of micropaleontology, palynology and sedimentology to identify changes in oceanic conditions. An understanding of the mechanisms and effects of environmental shifts in the geological past is essential to provide context for current changes.
Main research interest involves the elucidation and study of global paleoenvironmental change in the Paleozoic utilizing the disciplines of micropaleontology, palynology and sedimentology to identify changes in oceanic conditions. An understanding of the mechanisms and effects of environmental shifts in the geological past is essential to provide context for current changes.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 30, 2020
Overview of evolution since the origins of life all the way to the emergence of human beings.
It is easy to follow, engaging, and the lecturer has a good pronunciation. The contents are quite basic so I took it as a review to refresh my knowledge, for that or served is purpose well, although I did not learn much new.
It is easy to follow, engaging, and the lecturer has a good pronunciation. The contents are quite basic so I took it as a review to refresh my knowledge, for that or served is purpose well, although I did not learn much new.
August 6, 2018
A fantastic survey of life on earth focusing mostly on the realm of paleontology. Extremely interesting and enlightening. Highly recommended in case one is interested in the evolution of life through the lens of deep time and the dynamic changes in the Earth's systems. Sutherland is an excellent lecturer. Even though it is a survey approach Sutherland provides plenty of details making the experience palatable for both neophytes and biologists. It is certainly a wonderful gateway to the realm of paleontology with its hidden wonders. Topics range from Earth systems, plate tectonics, first life, the fossil record, the Cambrian seas, dinosaurs, mass extinctions (including fascinating details of the the Permian and Cretaceous mass extinctions), climate dynamics, the mammalian mega fauna as well as the "rise" of the primates and much, much more. It is so interesting that I am going for a second round to absorb it all! :) Highly recommended to anybody interested in life on earth.
April 1, 2021
This audiobook is a time-travel chronicle where Stuart Sutherland, your paleontologist guide, sends you on a journey that begins with the origin of our solar system, to an early earth virtually devoid of life for almost four billion years, and then zips along 550 million years of natural history from the Cambrian explosion through mankind's origins within the Pleistocene.
His discussion of the Ordovician and Permian mass extinctions (that almost obliterated life during the Paleozoic Era) is included in this adventure.
His discussion of the Ordovician and Permian mass extinctions (that almost obliterated life during the Paleozoic Era) is included in this adventure.
March 26, 2023
Exceptional Interdisciplinary course, presented by a geologist + paleontologist, from the Earths very beginnings, formation of Life, and its development, through the interaction of multiple systems, to our most recent Anthropocene age. Many fascinating questions, with the most meaningful discussion of scientific evidence.
Regrettably due to my work schedule, it took me several years to get through most of this course, but more recently could enjoy at a meaningful tempo. Most everyone will learn much from this course. Highly recommended.
Regrettably due to my work schedule, it took me several years to get through most of this course, but more recently could enjoy at a meaningful tempo. Most everyone will learn much from this course. Highly recommended.
August 25, 2024
Engaging and informative. I didn’t know much about the history of earth before the dinosaurs.
September 29, 2022
Excellent lectures recounting the development of Earth from pre-life to today. very informative and entertaining. I felt the ancient creatures and biomes come to life inside Stuart's colorful descriptions.
September 16, 2024
This 36-lecture series is a fine summary of Big Earth history, covering a number of subdisciplines from a very introductory bit on astronomy focused on the formation of our solar system and the Earth itself to geology, chemistry, and biology. All serve the “systems approach,” that is, how each subdiscipline interacts with the others. For example, volcanism from under coal fields and carbon-rich limestone once erupted to fill the atmosphere with carbon dioxide, causing a mass extinction. In another era, an explosion of plant life pulled CO2 out of the air, leading to a snowball earth.
What I liked most about this series is not only its telling of what we know about Earth’s evolution and that of life on it but how we know it: radioactive dating to mark time, oxygen isotope concentrations in sea-floor or ice cores to gauge atmospheric temperature, humidity, and rainfall of a long-gone era, or stratification of dated rock layers and their fossils to place the evolution of life in context. There are hundreds of such proxies that take the place of clocks, thermometers, and videos nonexistent 4.6 billion years ago when Earth was formed to the creation of life to the several billion years of boredom waiting for nature to cross multiple energy, complexity, organization, and replication thresholds toward the Cambrian explosion of life 550 million of years ago.
As this audio refers to images of the video version, it doesn’t hurt to have a web link to look up various transition species (missing links found) and maps of Earth’s wandering continents, such as Gondwana and Pangea, and have a look at the geologic time chart at the back of the course guidebook.
What I liked most about this series is not only its telling of what we know about Earth’s evolution and that of life on it but how we know it: radioactive dating to mark time, oxygen isotope concentrations in sea-floor or ice cores to gauge atmospheric temperature, humidity, and rainfall of a long-gone era, or stratification of dated rock layers and their fossils to place the evolution of life in context. There are hundreds of such proxies that take the place of clocks, thermometers, and videos nonexistent 4.6 billion years ago when Earth was formed to the creation of life to the several billion years of boredom waiting for nature to cross multiple energy, complexity, organization, and replication thresholds toward the Cambrian explosion of life 550 million of years ago.
As this audio refers to images of the video version, it doesn’t hurt to have a web link to look up various transition species (missing links found) and maps of Earth’s wandering continents, such as Gondwana and Pangea, and have a look at the geologic time chart at the back of the course guidebook.
October 16, 2014
Excellent history of Life on Earth packed with latest research - love the 8 fingered fishapods.
August 23, 2020
(Another work I finished during the pandemic lockdown and am only writing about months later. Goodness knows when I actually finished it, but late March seems a decent estimate. Also, I actually watched the DVD version, but I feel like it is still fair to rate here.)
This is a solid 2.5 stars, that I'm being kind of rounding up to 3 since it wasn't bad per se, just lacking. First place it falls behind is the title, which suggests at least novel content and insight, if not something that is flat out innovative or even revolutionary. I'm sure it was as up to date is it could be, but nothing about it really leapt out to me as especially new, particularly when I consider that not long before watching this series, I had finished up The Origin and Evolution of Earth which featured a truly revolutionary idea in the concept of mineral evolution and how changes in the inorganic world are intimately tied to changes in organisms.
Secondly, there were some real issues with the video editing and presentation. On several occasions, the lecturer would draw a fossil or rock out of his pocket and talk about it in detail, apparently oblivious to the fact that the camera could not zoom in close enough to capture the details he was highlighting; sometimes a close-up shot of the object would be edited in, sometimes not. Likewise, on occasion he would describe the important details of an image or picture that might not be shown, or would be shown too late and/or too briefly. The overall feeling was surprisingly inept, especially given the usually high production values of The Great Courses.
Criticisms aside, it is a decent set of lectures if you need an overview of its topic, the history of life. The presentation is flawed at times, but the information was solid and comprehensive, and I enjoyed the attention given to various obscure but interesting and/or important organisms from the long span of evolution.
This is a solid 2.5 stars, that I'm being kind of rounding up to 3 since it wasn't bad per se, just lacking. First place it falls behind is the title, which suggests at least novel content and insight, if not something that is flat out innovative or even revolutionary. I'm sure it was as up to date is it could be, but nothing about it really leapt out to me as especially new, particularly when I consider that not long before watching this series, I had finished up The Origin and Evolution of Earth which featured a truly revolutionary idea in the concept of mineral evolution and how changes in the inorganic world are intimately tied to changes in organisms.
Secondly, there were some real issues with the video editing and presentation. On several occasions, the lecturer would draw a fossil or rock out of his pocket and talk about it in detail, apparently oblivious to the fact that the camera could not zoom in close enough to capture the details he was highlighting; sometimes a close-up shot of the object would be edited in, sometimes not. Likewise, on occasion he would describe the important details of an image or picture that might not be shown, or would be shown too late and/or too briefly. The overall feeling was surprisingly inept, especially given the usually high production values of The Great Courses.
Criticisms aside, it is a decent set of lectures if you need an overview of its topic, the history of life. The presentation is flawed at times, but the information was solid and comprehensive, and I enjoyed the attention given to various obscure but interesting and/or important organisms from the long span of evolution.
June 12, 2023
If you ever want to come to grips with a true understanding of exactly how puny the existence of the human race is, A New History of Life – a series of lectures given by Professor Stuart Sutherland (Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at The University of British Columbia) will set you right. Brought out by The Great Courses, this series takes you on a journey right from the theoretical origin of our solar system all the way to our current rather catastrophic Anthropocene Age – a subset of the Holocene.
Understandably, any attempt to frame Earth's history in easy-to-digest chunks is, ahem, a mammoth task. But Townsend is lovely. Not only does he break down the super-technical terms in plain language for mere mortals like you and me to understand, but he does so in an often funny, very informative manner as he takes us on a journey through the ages. Actually, he's not just lovely, he's frigging adorable, because he often stumbles over his own words in his enthusiasm, which just makes his talks all the more delightful.
I walked away from this series feeling like I've gained an even greater perspective of and better appreciation for the centuries of work scientists have put into figuring out how it all fits together. This knowledge has also hammered home how incredibly fragile life is, and how exceptional it is that life as we know it has even come into being on this ball of water and dirt with its molten core in the first place. If you possess even an ounce of interest in our origins as Earthlings, then dig into this series.
Understandably, any attempt to frame Earth's history in easy-to-digest chunks is, ahem, a mammoth task. But Townsend is lovely. Not only does he break down the super-technical terms in plain language for mere mortals like you and me to understand, but he does so in an often funny, very informative manner as he takes us on a journey through the ages. Actually, he's not just lovely, he's frigging adorable, because he often stumbles over his own words in his enthusiasm, which just makes his talks all the more delightful.
I walked away from this series feeling like I've gained an even greater perspective of and better appreciation for the centuries of work scientists have put into figuring out how it all fits together. This knowledge has also hammered home how incredibly fragile life is, and how exceptional it is that life as we know it has even come into being on this ball of water and dirt with its molten core in the first place. If you possess even an ounce of interest in our origins as Earthlings, then dig into this series.
March 8, 2022
A Great Clarifier
I took on this course because it promised to synthesize and integrate several fields of science related to the beginning of life on this planet. I was not disappointed, it does that and with clarity. While I had studied many of the facts and concepts in other courses, I found Professor Sutherland's explanations systematic, clear, and cogent.
For example, his explanation of the KT extinction was a model of clarity. He methodically developed the sequential series of facts and studies which explain this extinction. While I had encountered descriptions and explanations of the KT extinction in other courses, this pulled all the evidence together into a coherent whole.
On the other hand this trait - this need to explain every fact and detail as a true scientist reached the level of tedious and boring in other areas. I found this part of the content way beyond what I felt I needed and wanted to know.
I took on this course because it promised to synthesize and integrate several fields of science related to the beginning of life on this planet. I was not disappointed, it does that and with clarity. While I had studied many of the facts and concepts in other courses, I found Professor Sutherland's explanations systematic, clear, and cogent.
For example, his explanation of the KT extinction was a model of clarity. He methodically developed the sequential series of facts and studies which explain this extinction. While I had encountered descriptions and explanations of the KT extinction in other courses, this pulled all the evidence together into a coherent whole.
On the other hand this trait - this need to explain every fact and detail as a true scientist reached the level of tedious and boring in other areas. I found this part of the content way beyond what I felt I needed and wanted to know.
November 15, 2025
GREAT set of lectures on past 4.6B years for earth.
I found the pdf fell short on illustrations, then I learned this is FAR BETTER in its video format at Great Courses PLUS, than as Audible only. 5 stars/EXCELLENT for video version (which does cost unfortunately), but 3-4 stars for audible only without enough illustrations via the pdf. The only real negative is Prof Sutherland's regularly reminding us all about how often it rains in the home of his youth (in the UK)! He is otherwise an excellent presenter.
I found the pdf fell short on illustrations, then I learned this is FAR BETTER in its video format at Great Courses PLUS, than as Audible only. 5 stars/EXCELLENT for video version (which does cost unfortunately), but 3-4 stars for audible only without enough illustrations via the pdf. The only real negative is Prof Sutherland's regularly reminding us all about how often it rains in the home of his youth (in the UK)! He is otherwise an excellent presenter.
April 29, 2025
A lot of this material was familiar from courses I took decades ago, but so many of the blanks have been filled in. About a third of the course covers the period before multicellurar life, much of which was new to me. A lot of it was informed speculation as opposed to established fact, but I suppose you have to have a lively imagination to interpret the scant remains of life from millions of years ago.
November 28, 2022
So this book/class is amazing. I graduated from College in 1987, long before many of the advances in science detailed by Professor Sutherland. I learned a TON and had to listen a second time to pick up things I missed. I might listen a 3rd time. If you are curious about the origins of life this is a good introduction to the current school of thought.
December 30, 2023
3.5/5
Audiobook narrated by the author.
On a whim I got this audiobook from an audible sale. It is a connected collection of lectures about how life on Earth began and evolved over geological time.
- The course is well structured, starting with how the Earth and solar system came to be and moving forward through each development in life's history up to the modern era. Very occasionally there is some backwards movement around certain parts (memorably the dinosaurs) but it otherwise flows well.
- The content of the course is the right level for someone with a cursory or secondary school level of science knowledge. It assumes the reader knows a little but not anything in-depth and the concepts are well explained throughout. That said, if you already have a reasonable knowledge of prehistoric life, the course may be a little basic and recount things you already know.
An enjoyable, clear and interesting listen. Recommended for those with a beginner level interest in the science of life on Earth.
Audiobook narrated by the author.
On a whim I got this audiobook from an audible sale. It is a connected collection of lectures about how life on Earth began and evolved over geological time.
- The course is well structured, starting with how the Earth and solar system came to be and moving forward through each development in life's history up to the modern era. Very occasionally there is some backwards movement around certain parts (memorably the dinosaurs) but it otherwise flows well.
- The content of the course is the right level for someone with a cursory or secondary school level of science knowledge. It assumes the reader knows a little but not anything in-depth and the concepts are well explained throughout. That said, if you already have a reasonable knowledge of prehistoric life, the course may be a little basic and recount things you already know.
An enjoyable, clear and interesting listen. Recommended for those with a beginner level interest in the science of life on Earth.
October 17, 2022
Great courses, need I say more....excellent
October 14, 2024
audiobook
December 2, 2015
Video download...without graphics these lectures would be very hard to follow...you might hurt yourself by falling off that pesky treadmill.
This review comes from a practicing geologist, somewhat older than Prof Sutherland, but one quite familiar with the overall tenets of basic geology and paleontology. He covers it all at a high level.
The most difficult concept for us all is understanding Deep Time (and by that I mean the incredibly long periods of time that represents the history of the Planet Earth) since it explains how we got here, biologically (as well as physically) speaking. Paleontology is an aspect of geology that connects ancient (very, very ancient) life forms to physical geologic environments, or systems. Dr Sutherland aptly defines and describes this relationship but using four basic systems: biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere, and shows how they are inexorably connected. This explanation is college-level, first or second year, but it is not 'dumbed-down'. It is not possible to cover all aspects of the history of life on earth in 18 hours...I've been at it for more that 40 years, and still I learned quite a few new things from the good doctor.
A basic knowledge of biology and chemistry (e.g. you might want to know the differences between worms and birds, or the composition of salt) is very helpful. The evolution of life is assumed, but not overly emphasized...paleontology shows the results of evolutionary changes through the examination and description of fossils, after the strata from which the fossil was found, when it is placed in the proper stratigraphic context. The relationships between these constantly varying contexts and vast amount of time is both mind-boggling and fascinating...but I'm a bit biased here.
For those considering purchasing this course...and almost everybody should...consider it an investment in understanding how our planet, and all it's varying lifeforms, got here. It's not all about dinosaurs and cavemen...it's a lot more...covering basic physical and (pre)historical geology. The visuals are quite good and Dr Sutherland is well organized, clear-spoken and intellectually stimulating...plus he has that characteristic dry wit found in all geologists. It also helps if you are passionate about earth science, as Stuart and I are.....
Highly recommended...I found it on sale (with a coupon), making it less than $1/lecture.
This review comes from a practicing geologist, somewhat older than Prof Sutherland, but one quite familiar with the overall tenets of basic geology and paleontology. He covers it all at a high level.
The most difficult concept for us all is understanding Deep Time (and by that I mean the incredibly long periods of time that represents the history of the Planet Earth) since it explains how we got here, biologically (as well as physically) speaking. Paleontology is an aspect of geology that connects ancient (very, very ancient) life forms to physical geologic environments, or systems. Dr Sutherland aptly defines and describes this relationship but using four basic systems: biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere, and shows how they are inexorably connected. This explanation is college-level, first or second year, but it is not 'dumbed-down'. It is not possible to cover all aspects of the history of life on earth in 18 hours...I've been at it for more that 40 years, and still I learned quite a few new things from the good doctor.
A basic knowledge of biology and chemistry (e.g. you might want to know the differences between worms and birds, or the composition of salt) is very helpful. The evolution of life is assumed, but not overly emphasized...paleontology shows the results of evolutionary changes through the examination and description of fossils, after the strata from which the fossil was found, when it is placed in the proper stratigraphic context. The relationships between these constantly varying contexts and vast amount of time is both mind-boggling and fascinating...but I'm a bit biased here.
For those considering purchasing this course...and almost everybody should...consider it an investment in understanding how our planet, and all it's varying lifeforms, got here. It's not all about dinosaurs and cavemen...it's a lot more...covering basic physical and (pre)historical geology. The visuals are quite good and Dr Sutherland is well organized, clear-spoken and intellectually stimulating...plus he has that characteristic dry wit found in all geologists. It also helps if you are passionate about earth science, as Stuart and I are.....
Highly recommended...I found it on sale (with a coupon), making it less than $1/lecture.
February 28, 2015
Incredibly well-done course!!
February 9, 2023
I'm sure some will find this fascinating. I would have if I had the patience ,I had in the past . One it is way too detailed and scientific for me
July 28, 2020
DNF. It's too elementary. I should have noticed in the description, "...in a manner that assumes no background in science."
November 16, 2014
An excellent history of life, I was sorry when it ended. The lecturer does an excellent job.
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