This fascinating and stunning course opens brand new doors onto the 4.54 billion-year history of our world.How did we-not just humans, but all of life, and planet Earth itself-come to be? To find out, you need everything from paleobotany and paleogeography to paleozoology-in short, what you need is the science of paleontology. From recently exposed fossils to new theories about our ancestors, this exciting science is positively exploding with new, game-changing discoveries.Introduction to Paleontology provides a walk back in time through Earth's history from a lifeless planet to initial bursts of life, from extinctions to life again, and ultimately to our world today.