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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.
E-Book Content
Evolutionary Catastrophes: The Science of Mass Extinction
VINCENT COURTILLOT
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Evolutionary Catastrophes
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 also to most of the main mass extinction events in the history of the Earth. Courtillot’s book explodes some of the myths surrounding one of the most controversial arguments in science. It shows among other things that the impact and volcanic scenarios may not be mutually exclusive. This story will fascinate everyone interested in the history of life and death on our planet.
VINCENT COURTILLOT is a graduate of the Paris School of Mines, Stanford University, and University of Paris. He is Professor of Geophysics at the University of Paris (Denis Diderot) and heads a research group at Institut de Physique du Globe. His work has focused on time variations of the Earth’s magnetic field, plate tectonics (continental rifting and collision), magnetic reversals, and flood basalts and their possible relation to mass extinctions. He has published papers in professional journals, and a book entitled La Vie en Catastrophes (Fayard, Paris, France, ). This volume is a translation and update of this book. Courtillot is past-director of graduate studies and funding of academic research of the French Ministry of National Education (–), past-director of the Institut de Physique du Globe (1996–98), and past-president of the European Union of Geosciences (–). He has been a consultant for the French Geological Survey (BRGM). He is a Fello of the American Geophysical Union, Member of Academia Europaea, and Associate of the Royal Astronomical Society and he won the Silver Medal of the French Science Foundation (CNRS) in . He has lectured at Stanford University, the University of California at Santa Barbara, Caltech (Fairchild Distinguished Scholar), and the University of Minnesota (Gerald Stanton Ford Lecturer) and is a senior member of Institut Universitaire de France. In June , he became special advisor to the Minister of National Education, Research and Technology, in charge of higher education and research and in December 1998, the Director in charge of research for the Ministry. Vincent Courtillot is a Chevalier de l’ordre national du Mérite and Chevalier de la légion d’honneur.
For Michèle, Carine and Raphaël
Evolutionary Catastrophes The Science of Mass Extinction