A history of life in 100 fossils / История жизни в 100 ископаемых останках

The history of life is written in the rocks, or more precisely in the fossils contained within the rocks. Fossils are the remains of ancient animals and plants, as well as fungi and microbes, preserved by natural processes of burial and entombment. Without the existence of fossils it is doubtful whether Charles Darwin would ever have devised his theory of evolution by natural selection. The fossils collected by Darwin in South America during his formative years as a naturalist aboard HMS Beagle convinced him that the Earth was once inhabited by animals and plants unlike any that are living today. Life has changed through time, with old species becoming extinct and new ones evolving from the old. Over 99% of all species that have ever lived are now extinct. Change is a necessary part of evolution. However, it is not simply a matter of new species replacing old ones, as Baron Cuvier and other prominent naturalists at the same time as Darwin believed. For evolution to occur there must also be the modification of existing species into new species <...>