Book "Les temps géologiques" (geological eras) and posters on the history of the Earth, the evolution of vertebrates and invertebrates.
© BRGM
The book, published by Éditions du BRGM, looks back at the history of planet Earth and describes the different forms of life throughout the various geological periods. Richly illustrated chapters present evidence of biological extinctions, major climate change, major volcanic episodes and asteroid impacts.
The journey begins with the Hadean Eon, the first period of this long history, named after Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. It has left no rocky vestiges, with rare exceptions. After moving through the Archean, Proterozoic and Phanerozoic eons, the voyage ends in the Quaternary, the most recent period on the geological time scale. This is characterized by the development of glacial and interglacial cycles and by the wide distribution of the Homo genus in Eurasia.
In addition, the book reviews the construction of the geological time scale, an indispensable tool that is constantly updated by geologists. Through this book, BRGM, a specialist in subsurface studies, illustrates concepts that are difficult to grasp, yet handled daily by researchers.
Let's travel back in time!
The Éditions du BRGM has also published three posters to accompany the book. The first one covers the history of the Earth from the Big-Bang to the present day. The other two show the evolution of invertebrates and vertebrates over the last 540 million years.
Geological epochs
Let's travel back in time!
While there is something wonderful about millions and billions of years, in that the notions are so difficult to grasp, geologists manipulate them on a daily basis.
Here is a 4.5 billion year history that allows us to navigate through geological eons and take in the important milestones in the life of our planet: biological extinctions, climate change, major volcanic episodes, major asteroid impacts, etc.
The life and landscapes of ancient times were very different from those we know now. The fascinating history of our planet will unfold for you. It's time for a change of era...
On sale at Éditions du BRGM.
106 pages – €15
