In the retitled paperback edition of his book What on Earth Evolved?, Christopher Lloyd leads us on an extraordinary journey, from the birth of life to the present day, as he explains, in a jargon-free way, the phenomenon we call ??life on Earth.? Lloyd starts with the Earth ??before humans,? when loose strands of genetic code swarmed over the planet, and moves on to explore the creatures that evolved in the murky deep and crept up on the shore to become pioneers of life on land. He then investigates the world ??after humans? and how the coevolution of humans and a range of other key species has transformed the planet over the last twelve thousand years. In the process, he identifies the hundred most influential species that have ever lived--with candidates as diverse as slime, sea scorpions, dragonflies, potatoes, ants, tulips, sheep, and grapes--and reveals those that have most changed life on Earth.

"First published in Great Britain in 2009 as What on Earth evolved?"--Title page verso.

Before humans -- On viruses -- On simple cells -- On symbiosis -- On sea life -- On pioneers of the land -- On fish that came ashore -- On biodiversity -- On the rise of reason -- After humans -- On agriculture -- On material wealth -- On drugs -- On companionship -- On beauty -- On rivalry -- The ladder of life: a table of the top 100 species ranked in order of overall impact -- Postscript: thirty species that nearly made it!.