Trilobite!

Eyewitness to Evolution

Richard Fortey

Trilobite! is an unashamedly trilobito-centric view of the world unravelling the history of the exotic, crustacean-like animals which dominated the seas for three hundred million years. These arthropods witnessed continents move, mountain chains elevated and eroded; they survived ice ages and volcanic eruptions, evolving and adapting exquisitely to their environment. They watched through their crystal eyes whilst life evolved. Their own evolution calibrated geological time itself.

Structured like a detective story, this is a light, but highly informative account of the wonders of scientific discovery and an engaging, quirky and fascinating introduction to evolution.

First published:: 2000
Published by:: HarperCollins
Length:: Hardcover 284 pages

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About the author

Richard Fortey is a British paleontologist and writer. He studied geology at the University of Cambridge and had a long career as a palaeontologist at the Natural History Museum in London. His research interests include, above all, trilobites; he has named numerous trilobite species and still continues his research despite having retired from the Museum. Professor Fortey was elected President of the Geological Society of London for its bicentennial year of 2007 and was recently awarded an honorary degree by the University of St Andrews. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2009.