The Complete Ice Age

The Complete Ice Age

Evolutionary change has been shaped in no small measure by climate. Examining the critical period in Earth’s history from two million years ago to 10,000 BC, The Complete Ice Age reveals how the climate fluctuated wildly between severe glacial periods and warmer intervals. It shows how long-extinct creatures once roamed harsh landscapes, and how humans adapted as they spread from tropical Africa and colonized the world. Brian Fagan and three contributors begin by describing how the Ice Age was discovered and put on a firm scientific footing. They continue on to a discussion of current knowledge, including that of the dramatic Pleistocene epoch, wherein during the past 800,000 years, at least nine glacial periods were separated by shorter periods of rapid warming. During the cold snaps, huge ice sheets mantled most of what is now Canada and Scandinavia; global sea levels plunged to at least 295 feet below their current level; and a land bridge joined Siberia and Alaska. Meanwhile, the interglacials periods witnessed dramatic global warming. When the Ice Age began, modern Homo sapiens had not yet evolved. The Complete Ice Age portrays the original peopling of Eurasia and Asia and the subsequent arrival of ancestors of Neanderthals in Europe. The latter group was the first to settle the plains of eastern Europe during the last interglacial some 125,000 years ago. Later, anatomically-modern humans moved into a bewildering array of climatic zones, reaching Europe 42,000 years ago and adapting to climate change by making and utilizing sewn clothing. Furthermore, the demise of megafauna and the rise of agriculture and cities are discussed in detail. In a final chapter, we ponder our species’ influence on climate change. Beautifully illustrated, The Complete Ice Age portrays the power of climate to shape the planet and the lives of its inhabitants. HC. 240pp. 2009.

Hardcover: 240 pages

Publisher: Thames & Hudson Inc. ( October 01, 2009 )

Item #: 68-3395

ISBN: 9780500051610

Product Dimensions: 8.0 x 10.25 x 0.0 inches

Product Weight: 39.0 ounces