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Evolutionary Catastrophes: The Science of Mass Extinction | 
 enlarge | Author: Vincent Courtillot
Creator: Joe Mcclinton
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Category: Book
List Price: $27.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 998539
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 188
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.5
ISBN: 0521891183
Dewey Decimal Number: 551
EAN: 9780521891189
ASIN: 0521891183
Publication Date: March 18, 2002
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Product Description
Why did the dinosaurs and two-thirds of all living species vanish from the face of the Earth sixty-five million years ago? Throughout the history of life a small number of catastrophic events have caused mass extinction, and changed the path of evolution forever. Two main theories have emerged to account for these dramatic events: asteroid impact, and massive volcanic eruptions, both leading to nuclear-like winter. In recent years, the impact hypothesis has gained precedence, but Vincent Courtillot suggests that cataclysmic volcanic activity can be linked not only to the K-T mass extinction, but to most of the main mass extinction events in the history of the Earth. Courtillot's book debunks some of the myths surrounding one of the most controversial arguments in science. This story will fascinate everyone interested in the history of life and death on our planet.
Book Description
Why did the dinosaurs and two-thirds of all living species vanish from the face of the Earth sixty-five million years ago? Throughout the history of life a small number of catastrophic events have caused mass extinction, and changed the path of evolution forever. Vincent Courtillot suggests that cataclysmic volcanic activity can be linked to most of these dramatic events. Courtillot's book debunks some of the myths surrounding one of science's most controversial arguments, and will fascinate everyone interested in the history of life and death on our planet.
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| Customer Reviews:
The Impact of Catastrophes on Evolution February 27, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Vincent Courtillot graduated from the Paris School of Mines, Stanford University, and the University of Paris where he is a Professor of Geophysics. Courtillot studied the earth's magnetic fields, plate tectonics, magnetic reversals, and flood basalts. He published 150 papers in professional journals, and held many official jobs (p.i). The dinosaurs and most living species became extinct about 65 million years ago. Catastrophic events have cause mass extinction and affected evolution. There are two theories for this: asteroid impact, or massive volcanic eruptions, to cause extremely cold weather from a lack of sunlight. Courtillot suggests volcanic eruption caused most mass extinctions. The `Preface' notes that most species are extinct, and there were times when this was rapid along with the appearance of new species. The fossil records gave the answer. Geochemists and geophysicists sampled and analyzed the surviving records of metals and minerals. "Deciphering past catastrophes may perhaps be the only way of predicting the future effects of human activity on this planet's climate" (p.ix).
Chapter 1 discusses mass extinction. There are a few "living fossils", but most species have a limited span of existence ranging from a few hundred thousand years to several million years (p.9). The Milankovic cycle cause variations in climate. Generally the larger or more specialized animals vanished, while the smaller or more generalized animals survived (p.16). Chapter 2 discusses an asteroid impact that led to a "nuclear winter" and the extinction of many species, such as dinosaurs (p.25). Magnetic anomalies in oceanic crusts suggest reversals in earth's magnetism over millions of years (p.54). The formation of the traps was about the same time when dinosaurs disappeared, hence the volcanist theory (p.56).
Chapter 4 explains the effects of volcanic eruptions, such as in 1783 Iceland. The destruction of vegetation and cattle led to the greatest famine; a quarter of the population died (p.61). The sulfur content determines the climactic impact (p.62). Volcanism may explain the levels of arsenic, antimony, and selenium (p.67). Volcanic gases can explain the extinction of species 65 million years ago (p.72). The greatest mass extinction occurred at the end of the Paleozoic Era (p.88). Chapter 8 tells about the Chicxulub crater that was created by a giant asteroid and discovered by oil exploration. Courtillot explains why this wouldn't cause magnetic reversal (p.130). Attempts at scientific research often tell about the researchers as much as about the object of inquiry (Chapter 9). The example is the explanation for the disappearance of the dinosaurs: asteroid or volcanoes. The story of an asteroid impact seems more believable than centuries of volcanic eruptions (p.139). Eruptions coincide with seven mass extinctions (p.141).
Chapter 10 says the gases of volcanism were sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen chloride. Human activity is now producing these same gases at the same or higher rates (p.144). Ancient catastrophes should be studied for their knowledge and to prevent another extinction. Most species have eventually died out (p.146). Only 11,000 years ago two-thirds of the large mammals in the Americas disappeared suddenly (p.147). Most species leave no fossils behind. Two catastrophe theories are popular today. An asteroid or comet hit the earth, or, there were colossal eruptions of volcanoes (p.149). Catastrophes wiped out species that had been the fittest to survive (p.154). Courtillot mentions the scientific revolution of plate tectonics (continental drift) which upset the earlier notions of an unchanging earth (p.155). What new secrets will be discovered (p.156)? [The average reader may find this hardcover book difficult.]
Controversial re-examination of geology's hottest topic September 9, 2005
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
____________________________________________
We all know that a BIG meteor hit the Gulf of Mexico at the end of the
Cretaceous and wiped out the dinosaurs, right? So, big meteor-strikes
probably caused the other mass-extinctions too?
Well -- the Chicxulub impact at the KT boundary, 65 my ago, is indeed
well-documented. What's less well-known is that the Deccan Traps,
an enormous outpouring of flood-basalts in what is now western
India -- over 2 million cubic km(!) of lava, along with billions of
tons of SO2, CO2, HCl, and other toxics -- were also in full eruption
then. In fact, the famous KT iridium-signature has recently been
identified in Deccan interflow sediments [note 1]. From recent
radiometric dating, it looks like all of the Deccan eruptions occurred
within a brief, 0.7 my time-span. The biggest and most violent
eruptions apparently occurred within a few thousand years of the KT
boundary; individual flows of several thousand cubic kilometers of
basalt were not uncommon.
Compare this to the largest historic 'flood'-basalt eruption: Laki in
Iceland produced 12 cu. km of lava in 1783-84. The SO2 and other gases
that Laki released, destroyed most of the island's crops and forage.
Then 50-80% of the island's livestock, and about 1/4 of the Icelandic
people, starved to death. Laki lowered global temperatures by about
1 deg. C (from fine-particle ash & sulfur aerosols).
Extrapolating to a 5,000 cu. km flood-basalt eruption, the average
global temperature might decrease by around 7 deg. C (13 deg. F). The
volcanic HCl emissions could destroy most of the ozone layer [note 2],
dramatically increasing UV at the surface, and injuring or killing
many organisms. The familiar volcanogenic "toxics" -- F, As, Sb, Hg, Se
etc. -- would poison nearby life. And the volcanic SO2 & HCl would
cause severe acid-rain damage as they were washed out of the
atmosphere. Then, repeat this disaster with the next big eruption, over
& over again, a dozen or more times in the next 10,000 years or so. The
total 'kill factor' would very likely be greater than that from the
Chicxulub impact, albeit spread out over tens or hundreds of
thousands of years. And a more gradual die-off is (usually) a better
fit to the known fossil record.
So it turns out that the volcanists and the meteor-strike proponents
were *both* right, at least for the KT mass-extinction. The
combination of the Chicxulub strike with the Deccan mega-eruption
turned an 'ordinary' mass-extinction into the second-worst ever.
And thoroughly muddied the scientific waters while this was being
worked out. Once again, reality trumps fiction -- Nemesis atop Shiva!
But, for the 10 or so "big" mass-extinctions known [note 3], *seven*
are of the same age as major flood-basalt eruptions, vs. one or two
with major same-age impacts. And those two meteor-strikes coincide
with massive flood-basalt eruptions -- *no* major mass-extinctions
appear to be solely impact-caused. So it's fair to say that flood-basalts
are more deadly to Earthly life than meteor-strikes. And a hazard not
amenable to any engineering solution that I know of -- except being
ready to move off the planet, when the next new hot-spot head nears
breakout. Which will come, sure as death [note 4]. An unpleasant
reminder of our fragility.
Mea culpa: I'd pretty much taken the "KT impact killed off the dinos"
theory as proven -- I didn't even bother to read the last volcanist
counter-argument I saw. As Courtillot notes, I'm hardly the only one
to do so. Hey, those guys are the old fuddy-duddies, right? The
'stamp-collectors', Luis Alvarez called them. Hence this review, a
'heads-up' to others, and an expiation for me.
_Evolutionary Catastrophes_ is clearly written and is (mostly)
accessible to the general reader [note 5]. This is the latest chapter in the
gradualist vs. catastrophist dialog that is as old as geologic science.
Writing with great good humor, skepticism, and a love for a scientific
tale well-told, Courtillot goes a long way towards redressing the
balance in the hottest earth-science argument at the turn of the 21st
century. Highly recommended.
_______________
Note 1) Courtillot relates a cute story of the serendipities of field work:
a paleontology student had worked for years in one of these basins,
with little sucess. A visiting paleontologist, answering nature's call,
washed out a fine freshwater ray tooth, of a species previously known
only from Niger, "under the very eyes of the unhappy student."
2) If the eruption is powerful enough to inject HCl into the
stratosphere. Historic basalt eruptions haven't done so, but we're
talking eruptions 500 times larger than any ever seen....
3) Various authors propose from 5 to about 20 "major" mass-
extinction events. There seems (to this non-specialist) to be a rough
consensus for the "Big 5": [see SF Site review for link]
4) Though, sadly, not so predictable. Hot-spot flareups appear to be a
deep-seated core-cooling mechanism, with an unknown, but random,
trigger. Average time between breakouts seems to be around 30 my,
but the events are far from regularly-spaced. We really don't know
very much about what goes on at the Earth's core.
5) Minor caveats: Courtillot goes a bit overboard at times in
arguing for vulcanism and against impact. Nor does he pay quite
enough attention to the probable multiple causes of major mass-
extinctions. Some of the citations are incomplete, there's no
bibliography, and the index is pretty sketchy.
Peter D. Tillman
Consulting Geologist, Tucson & Santa Fe (USA)
Review first appeared in the Arizona Geological Society newsletter, and reprinted at SF Site, April 2000. G00gle there for links.
important information about geology and exciting September 4, 2000
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
This kind of analysis and extrapolation adds a great deal of information for the layman who is willing to follow the discus- sion about geology and has background such as the Mcphee books, seismic theories of interior earth movements and plate tectonics. Because it is written by a French Scientist I feel it may not be given the attention it might if written by an American. It is slow going in the beginning because he explains the Alvarez discoveries and theories in more detail than I had previously had. When he gets to the discussion of the great volcanic events that created the huge lava plateaus such as the one in the Grand Coullee in Washington State, it gets very exciting because he gives a great deal of information that is new to me. This infor- mation brings a whole new dimension to plate techtonics, hot spots and possible extinctions. A great adventure in time.
 Evolutionary Catastrophies. April 11, 2000
22 out of 22 found this review helpful
Probably no single mass extinction of the five known to have occurred has captured popular notice so thoroughly as has the KT event. Ideas about what might have caused this disaster, which may have brought about the end of the dinosaurs, abound and range from change in the oxygen content of the atmosphere to astroid impacts. Mr. Courtillot, a French investigator of the Deccan Traps in India and China, has been the leading proponent of the volcanic-climatic disaster motif. In this book he defends his hypothesis, primarily against its leading opponent the Alvarez' astroidal impact theory, and believes that the evidence from the field more completely supports his theory of the cause of extinctions, not only at the KT boundary but through most of life's history. The volume is somewhat less readable than the Alvarez book (see T. Rex and the Crater of Doom or the review of it under my name), because it contains more technical information. The author defines many of his terms for the lay reader, but the discussion is definitely more understandable for the reader with some knowledge of geology in his/her background.
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