Extinctions: How Life Survives, Adapts and Evolves

by Michael J. Benton

Genres: Nonfiction, Palaeontology

304 pages, Paperback

Published January 13, 2026

About the author

Michael J. Benton FRS is Professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology at the University of Bristol. He is particularly interested in early reptiles, Triassic dinosaurs, and macroevolution, and has published over 50 books and 300 scientific articles. He leads one of the most successful palaeontology research groups at the University of Bristol, and has supervised over 60 PhD students.

Reviews

[Elentarri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nicely written, broad overview of various extinction events, examining how life dies, adapts and survives. Extinctions are an end... but also a beginning.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. If you like evolution, paleontology and/or geology then you'll probably like this book.

It goes into detail about the 5 mass extinctions, how they happened, the result, and how animals came back from them. It does have technical terminology but the author does well to explain it.

[Neil Saltmarsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written very clearly and entertaining as far as extinction events could go. It is a great natural history of extinctions occurring as far as the geological evidence can go. The only part where it wasn't ringing true was in the last chapter dealing with humanity. I feel sure that the publisher asked for a more upbeat assessment of humanity's chances but frankly, anything that shows the rise of mankind and the environmental effects will have a devastating effect upon the world. Meanwhile propaganda from humanity's spin doctors and deniers of climate change stupidly bury our heads in the sand. This feels like humanity's death spiral if we are honest with ourselves. Barring a cataclysmic geological or biological event, humanity as a parasite seems about to kill the host.

[Gleb Berloff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic introduction to life on Earth.
Only, it is so much more than that- it is concise, it is engaging, and it is almost impossible to put down. And the breadth of ideas is so astonishing that you won't find much excluded from it either.
Anyone interested in how we got here will surely enjoy this book. I certainly did.

[AD · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to the history of life on Earth, a few technical terms here and there, but still an easy and enjoyable read overall

[Michelle Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative and interesting trip back in time.

[Jay Heap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good educational read