"Extinction"--A Book Review

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews Douglas H. Erwin's book "Extinction," which addresses one of several mass extinctions that have been found in the history of life on earth. The author describes the books format, as well as some of Erwin's theories behind the end-Permian mass extinction. The reviewer concludes by describing how Erwin's book can be applied to today's climatic changes. The book can thus be a warning as well as an informative discussion of the past.

From the Paper:

"The author also begins by considering some of the other mass extinctions that took place at a much earlier date, in part to see what caused those extinctions in order to see if the same causes applied to the Permian extinction. The evidence from the extinction at the K-T boundary (between the Cretaceous and the Triassic) has been much analyzed because of the discovery of higher deposits of iridium from that period. Iridium is found primarily in meteors or in some volcanic explosions, and so the higher levels have caused many to see the extinction of the dinosaurs as caused by a large meteor crashing into the earth and depositing iridium around the world on the same geologic level. Another substance found at the site of extinctions has been fullerenes, which can be produced by lightning strikes, forest fires, and meteorite impacts. Some evidence exists for an impact around the time of the Permian extinction, but the author says this is inconclusive at this time."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Erwin, Douglas H. Extinction. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006.

More papers on "Extinction"--A Book Review:

• Book Review # 133989 : "Book Review: "Planet of Slums"
• Book Review # 51105 : "Who Says Elephants Can't Dance"
• Analytical Essay # 23552 : "Blaut's "Eight Eurocentric Historians"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: