Science Comics: Prehistoric Mammals: From the Jurassic to the Ice Age

Science Comics

by Joe Flood

Learn how mammals survived the test of time in this volume of Science Comics, the smash-hit STEM graphic novel series that has sold over a million copies!

Mammals are survivors—when dinosaurs went extinct, they survived. From lush jungles to deep oceans to sweltering deserts, mammals now dominate nearly every environment on Earth. But how did they do it? Take a trip back in time and discover how extreme changes in climate have pushed mammals to evolve new traits, including hooves, claws, tusks, big brains, and even blow holes. Join us as we explore our mammalian history, and maybe the past will hold the key to surviving in the future.

Genres: Graphic Novels

128 pages, Paperback

Expected publication April 21, 2026

About the author

Joe Flood is a comic book author and illustrator whose work includes the Cellies series, The Cute Girl Network, the Pirates of the Caribbean series, and Orcs: Forged for War. For the Science Comics series, he collaborated with author MK Reed on Dinosaurs: Fossils and Feathers and wrote and illustrated Sharks: Nature’s Perfect Hunter. He lives with his wife and daughter in New York’s Hudson Valley.

Reviews

[Jenn Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of this series. I love that the language isn't dumbed down even thought the primary audience is kids. I also love that even though I usually know quite a bit about the topics I read about, I always learn something new. The art is well done and I love the animals.

5 stars

[Shilo Quetchenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun in-depth look at prehistoric mammals. Kiddo (11) and I had already read The Rise and Reign of Mammals, so there wasn't really any new information here, but it was nice to be able to see what each of the prehistoric mammals looked like and what the bones look like. That's information you can't really convey via audiobook.

If you have not read The Rise and Reign of Mammals, then this is an excellent introduction to the topic. There is a lot of information here, presented in a fun and interesting manner. The illustrations are colorful and vivid and really enhance the presentation of the material.

I loved the art style and the colors that were chosen. I also really appreciated the visuals of the branching evolutionary trees, which is something else that is difficult to visualize when listening to an audiobook. The animals were also presented in really dynamic poses and the panels had engaging compositions which really kept our attention.

I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in prehistoric mammals age maybe 8 and up.

*Thanks to First Second Books for providing an early copy for review.

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 plus. A remarkable graphic novel with detailed and extensive information explaining evolution in an easy-to-understand manner. Survival of the fittest is not about the strongest individuals, but rather about those that fit the location/environment, and conditions. We learn about convergent evolution, which occurs when a branch of animals resembles another due to the environment's requirement for certain physical attributes for survival. Did you know Sabertooth Cats were not cars at all, but actually from the same line as Kangaroos? From the start, we go through the different golden and end periods, from the Great Dying to the meteorite strike, to the frozen Ice Age, and reach modern times. Many animals have become extinct over these ages, evolving into others, but what we are doing now is getting them extinct before they have a chance to adapt and become something else that can survive our human behavior. One of the most problematic is bees. Their extinction will affect our ability to grow food. Very educational, very well built, and easy to comprehend. Congratulations, publisher and author, on this project.

[Shanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have enjoyed many of the Science Comics books, and this one definitely delivered! My 8 year-old-son and I thoroughly loved this next installment and learned a ton. The graphics were of the high quality we have learned to trust with these books, and we enjoyed all the detailed anatomy and species information. Definitely recommend this one if you are at all interested in prehistoric mammals!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Amy Sheng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Science Comics: Prehistoric Mammals tells the reader all about prehistoric mammals. As usual this comic book is full of information and presents it in a way that is entertaining. I love this series of comics and will always recommend them.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this book. All opinions are my own.

[Ashley (scatteredthistle) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much wonderful information in these! So glad to have the opportunity to review these! This one will be great for homeschoolers who want to dive into this subject.