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Origins: The Search for Our Prehistoric Past
"Fossils are the fragments from which, piece by laborious piece, the great mosaic of the history of life has been constructed. Here and there, we can supplement these meager scraps by the use of biochemical markers or geochemical signatures that add useful information, but, even with such additional help, our reconstructions and our models of descent are often tentative. For the fossil record is, as we have seen, as biased as it is incomplete. But fragmentary, selective, and biased though it is, the fossil record, with all its imperfections, is still a treasure. Though whole chapters are missing, many pages lost, and the earliest pages so damaged as to be, as yet, virtually unreadable, this—the greatest biography of all—is one in whose closing pages we find ourselves."—from Origins
In Origins, Frank H. T. Rhodes explores the origin and evolution of living things, the changing environments in which they have developed, and the challenges we now face on an increasingly crowded and polluted planet. Rhodes argues that the future well-being of our burgeoning population depends in no small part on our understanding of life’s past, its long and slow development, and its intricate interdependencies.
Rhodes’s accessible and extensively illustrated treatment of the origins narrative describes the nature of the search for prehistoric life, the significance of geologic time, the origin of life, the emergence and spread of flora and fauna, the evolution of primates, and the emergence of modern humans.
In Origins, Frank H. T. Rhodes explores the origin and evolution of living things, the changing environments in which they have developed, and the challenges we now face on an increasingly crowded and polluted planet. Rhodes argues that the future well-being of our burgeoning population depends in no small part on our understanding of life’s past, its long and slow development, and its intricate interdependencies.
Rhodes’s accessible and extensively illustrated treatment of the origins narrative describes the nature of the search for prehistoric life, the significance of geologic time, the origin of life, the emergence and spread of flora and fauna, the evolution of primates, and the emergence of modern humans.
341 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 29, 2016
15 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Frank H.T. Rhodes
16 books8 followersFrank Harold Trevor Rhodes (born October 29, 1926 in Warwickshire, The United Kingdom), a professor of geology and mineralogy, was the ninth president of Cornell University from 1977 to 1995.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
November 30, 2021
Everybody: “You cannot squeeze 4 billion years of evolutionary history, including the taxonomy of millions of existing species and billions of extinct species, into a 344 page textbook.”
Frank Rhodes: “Hold my beer.”
—————————————————————
An ambitious overview of the origin, evolution, and classification of all life on planet earth.
*One thing kept this from being a 5-star read for me: Rhodes includes several references to abrahamic creation myths (e.g. Noah’s “great flood,” Adam’s affinity for taxonomy, etc.) that are scientifically irrelevant and unnecessary even if they are anecdotal and (quite possibly) tongue-in-cheek.
Frank Rhodes: “Hold my beer.”
—————————————————————
An ambitious overview of the origin, evolution, and classification of all life on planet earth.
*One thing kept this from being a 5-star read for me: Rhodes includes several references to abrahamic creation myths (e.g. Noah’s “great flood,” Adam’s affinity for taxonomy, etc.) that are scientifically irrelevant and unnecessary even if they are anecdotal and (quite possibly) tongue-in-cheek.
February 14, 2021
Informative, thorough, but textbook like in its telling of our origins through fossil evidence --including how scientific tools have advanced to help us investigate evolution from single cells to complex animal structures.
July 4, 2021
I was one of those kids who grew up watching way too many National Geographic documentaries at a child, so every once in a while I still love to indulge in content that will not only prove to challenge me, but also broaden my understanding of the natural world. Origins: The Search for Our Prehistoric Past by Frank HT Rhodes, narrated by Derek Perkins, is one such title that, as the the name suggests, digs deep into the origins of life on our planet.
This is an ambitious work, and the periods it covers is vast, but what I really appreciate about it is that it really put into perspective our position as a species when viewing the vast history of life on Earth. Truth be told, our existence as member of the family of great apes is a mere addendum when all is considered. In evolutionary terms, mammals are pretty much latecomers on the planet.
Rhodes not only delves into the history of life on earth, and all the multiple theories and hypotheses lying at the root of our understanding, but he also tells the story of the very early geologists and palaeontologists whose life works contributed to the theories that are currently accepted by the majority of scientists this day. Great care is taken into explaining how the theory of evolution functions, as well as how the taxonomy of living things is executed. It doesn't matter if you know next to nothing or, like me, are an armchair enthusiast – you'll get a wonderful broad overview that acts as a springboard for further study.
To be fair, this is such an enormous topic to cover, but I do think Rhodes does admirably well to paint in broad strokes – especially when it comes to explaining how evolution works. What I appreciated also was the way in which he touched on the reality of extinction, examining the mass extinction-level events or circumstances of the past, as well as reminding readers of the essential ephemeral and somewhat tenuous nature of life.
The only downside to listening to the audiobook is that you don't have ready access to any of the accompanying diagrams or illustrations that you'd find in the printed book, but you can download a handy reference guide as a PDF from the Audible website if you're of a mind to delve deeper.
This is an ambitious work, and the periods it covers is vast, but what I really appreciate about it is that it really put into perspective our position as a species when viewing the vast history of life on Earth. Truth be told, our existence as member of the family of great apes is a mere addendum when all is considered. In evolutionary terms, mammals are pretty much latecomers on the planet.
Rhodes not only delves into the history of life on earth, and all the multiple theories and hypotheses lying at the root of our understanding, but he also tells the story of the very early geologists and palaeontologists whose life works contributed to the theories that are currently accepted by the majority of scientists this day. Great care is taken into explaining how the theory of evolution functions, as well as how the taxonomy of living things is executed. It doesn't matter if you know next to nothing or, like me, are an armchair enthusiast – you'll get a wonderful broad overview that acts as a springboard for further study.
To be fair, this is such an enormous topic to cover, but I do think Rhodes does admirably well to paint in broad strokes – especially when it comes to explaining how evolution works. What I appreciated also was the way in which he touched on the reality of extinction, examining the mass extinction-level events or circumstances of the past, as well as reminding readers of the essential ephemeral and somewhat tenuous nature of life.
The only downside to listening to the audiobook is that you don't have ready access to any of the accompanying diagrams or illustrations that you'd find in the printed book, but you can download a handy reference guide as a PDF from the Audible website if you're of a mind to delve deeper.
February 1, 2017
A nice detailed overview. I am interested in evolution, but have never been strong on the fossils. This was a painless way to get a bit of background
April 16, 2023
3,5 stars; serviceable overview of geological time and the evolution of life on earth; at times bit tedious but overall an admirable effort of the committed author
November 23, 2020
This was a great book. As a geologist, this book was still a little hard to digest and took quite a bit of focus. It was a spray down of ancient geologic landmasses, ancient critters, geologic time, evolutionary biology and so on.
That being said, rereading or relistening to sections again really helped it sink in. My favorite part was his in-depth discussions of life in each period of the geologic time scale. He would talk about it in terms of multiple processes (biological, geological, environmental) and would patch these processes in with times before and after. That’s something they don’t teach you very well in geology- the continuem of geologic time and how it all links together. He explains this super well and greatly broadened my understanding of the origins of life on this planet.
Well done. 4/5 because the lingo heavy sections were a little rough.
That being said, rereading or relistening to sections again really helped it sink in. My favorite part was his in-depth discussions of life in each period of the geologic time scale. He would talk about it in terms of multiple processes (biological, geological, environmental) and would patch these processes in with times before and after. That’s something they don’t teach you very well in geology- the continuem of geologic time and how it all links together. He explains this super well and greatly broadened my understanding of the origins of life on this planet.
Well done. 4/5 because the lingo heavy sections were a little rough.
January 23, 2022
Maybe a 3.5...I liked it, but it really didn't offer anything new.
My background is in earth science and I am fairly well versed in the doctrine of evolution and the recent advances in paleontology, paleobotany and the more thorough understanding of the rock record. This book acts as a sort of update and reinforcement of some of those basic tenants, as well as explaining new advances and discoveries that continue to this day. What I learned as an undergraduate in geology in the late 1960's has changed into something that is nearly unrecognizable, making it even more remarkable and exciting.
This is a familiar stroll for those who have kept up. For those old(er) farts out there, it's just an eye-opening update to an old friend.
My background is in earth science and I am fairly well versed in the doctrine of evolution and the recent advances in paleontology, paleobotany and the more thorough understanding of the rock record. This book acts as a sort of update and reinforcement of some of those basic tenants, as well as explaining new advances and discoveries that continue to this day. What I learned as an undergraduate in geology in the late 1960's has changed into something that is nearly unrecognizable, making it even more remarkable and exciting.
This is a familiar stroll for those who have kept up. For those old(er) farts out there, it's just an eye-opening update to an old friend.
June 15, 2017
I really enjoyed this book although it takes someone who nerds out on Earths history and the life on it to enjoy this book. It gets pretty heavy on taxonomy and I spent a lot of time googling different genius and species, but its a great comprehensive view on how we got here.
December 14, 2020
A deeply factual summary of evolution, natural selection, extinction events, and the long chain of species that have and still roam the earth. For those curious about evolution but aren't put off by a textbook-style writing, this will be quite satisfactory.
March 1, 2022
What should have been an engaging read about geological history, origins of life, evolution, extinction and the perplexing nature of survival turned out to be most of that, but was somehow lacking. The author came across as authoritative - which he is, but cold, distant and aloof in a manner where I found I had factoids thrown at me but in a manner and style where I checked off stuff I knew, check new facts but did nothing for me to integrate or enhance my retained knowledge. Of course, I make up a lot of the moving parts in the above analogy and as such the reading connection just was not there.
September 27, 2022
This book is a great example of getting exactly what the title promises. It's true that it's written in a textbook like manner, but that really seems like an appropriate way to write about this topic. It makes me think that this is what Darwin's "Origin of Species" would read like if it were written today, I think you really have to be interested in the topic to enjoy this book, and I got through it more easily with the audiobook edition than I would have with the printed one. Still, worth a read or listen for any amateur historian and scientist.
July 20, 2021
A pure science book with a limited audience. It does a good job weaving together geology, paleontology, biology, genetics, and evolution to explore possible origins of life and answer the ages-old question "How did we get here?"
Definitely a book that inspires more questions than it answers. That's a good thinng.
Definitely a book that inspires more questions than it answers. That's a good thinng.
August 22, 2017
This book is excellent at following along the path of natural history and explaining what each era of geological time brings. Evolution is explained well in a way for anyone to understand. The book is well organized and easy to look back through and find a certain time or topic.
February 18, 2021
Very informative, very dense. Rhodes’ effort at making the information accessible to the layperson was mostly successful, although some of the longer lists were hard to maintain attention on. I feel that I learned something though.
March 30, 2022
Good. extremely dense, treated it as a primer listened at high speed, not trying to capture every detail rather listening for the big patterns. If I was expecting a more narrative based or pop sci book I’d be disappointed.
July 19, 2024
Read this book after a trip to the Green Lakes State Park in Syracuse NY. What an amazing source of historical biology. I was so interested in primordial knowledge of our world that I launched into this book. So so so good.
August 20, 2024
Hay momentos en que se torna muy taxonómico y por ende algo pesado, casi que solo enumerando o describiendo animales, pero muestra la evolución en forma amplia, no fui capaz de aprenderme los nombre de todas las eras.
November 28, 2020
Detailed, but dry.
September 9, 2021
Interesting journey through the origins of life. Fascinating but I would confess that some of it went over my head !
November 4, 2021
very dry overview of evolutionary biology that reads like a textbook or reference.
February 26, 2022
Enjoyable but much of the information is now out of date, and was out of date when this was originally published.
May 12, 2022
A bit meandering but altogether a delightful trip through the fossil record. I found it interesting learning about the history and updating of the classifications and current theories.
October 13, 2022
Another scientific introspection. Good book to crown a life of research and be remembered. For lay people... Not sure if this is too interesting or relevant.
October 15, 2022
Pretty dry but ultimately fascinating, the facts of life.
November 30, 2022
Some books are not meant to be in audible and some should have lots of supporting pictures
January 10, 2023
A detailed and well written book, however not my cup of tea. Felt too stiff for some reason and too much detail that was not able to grab my attention.
March 19, 2023
It’s a very interesting and informative book - well written. It is a bit dry and textbook like. Definitely worth reading if you are interested in Earth’s prehistoric past.
November 30, 2023
Really nice overview of our evolutionary history. 4.5 stars
December 7, 2023
Very informative and well-written. This book brought together many things I had learned about previously in fuller context as well as in depth. I enjoyed reading it.
January 12, 2017
You may know the theory of evolution, but prepare to be amazed by the practice. I will never look at any landscape, but particularly exposed rocky mountainsides, the same way again.
Professor Rhodes simultaneously displays confident authority based on firm knowledge, as well as even-handed scientific skepticism, since he is not promoting e.g. a particular scenario for abiogenesis or a specific solution to the mystery of the K-Pg extinction event. This is a survey, a grand tour, and (for me, not having studied the biological sciences) quite an education.
Professor Rhodes simultaneously displays confident authority based on firm knowledge, as well as even-handed scientific skepticism, since he is not promoting e.g. a particular scenario for abiogenesis or a specific solution to the mystery of the K-Pg extinction event. This is a survey, a grand tour, and (for me, not having studied the biological sciences) quite an education.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews