Otherlands: A World in the Making
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- Author：Thomas Halliday
- ISBN：0241510449
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Summary
What would it be like to experience the ancient landscapes of the past as we experience the reality of nature today？ To actually visit the Jurassic or Cambrian worlds， to wander among their spectacular flora and fauna， to witness their continental shifts？ In Otherlands， the multi-talented palaeontologist Thomas Halliday gives us a breath-taking up close encounter with worlds that are normally unimaginably distant。
Journeying backwards in time from the most recent Ice Age to the dawn of complex life itself， and across all seven continents， Halliday immerses us in sixteen lost ecosystems， each one rendered with a novelist's eye for detail and drama。 Every description - whether the colour of a beetle's shell， the shambling rhythm of pterosaurs in flight or the lingering smell of sulphur in the air - is grounded in fact。 We visit the birthplace of humanity on the shores of the great lake Lonyumun， in Pliocene-era Kenya; in the Miocene， we hear the crashing of the highest waterfall the world has ever known as it fills the evaporated Mediterranean Sea; we encounter forests of giant fungus nine metres tall in Devonian-era Scotland; and we gaze at the light of a full and enormous moon in the Ediacaran sky， when life hasn't yet reached land。
To read Otherlands is to time travel， to see the last 550 million years not as an endless expanse of unfathomable time， but as a series of worlds， simultaneously fantastical and familiar。
Journeying backwards in time from the most recent Ice Age to the dawn of complex life itself， and across all seven continents， Halliday immerses us in sixteen lost ecosystems， each one rendered with a novelist's eye for detail and drama。 Every description - whether the colour of a beetle's shell， the shambling rhythm of pterosaurs in flight or the lingering smell of sulphur in the air - is grounded in fact。 We visit the birthplace of humanity on the shores of the great lake Lonyumun， in Pliocene-era Kenya; in the Miocene， we hear the crashing of the highest waterfall the world has ever known as it fills the evaporated Mediterranean Sea; we encounter forests of giant fungus nine metres tall in Devonian-era Scotland; and we gaze at the light of a full and enormous moon in the Ediacaran sky， when life hasn't yet reached land。
To read Otherlands is to time travel， to see the last 550 million years not as an endless expanse of unfathomable time， but as a series of worlds， simultaneously fantastical and familiar。
Reviews
Laura Hannaway
，
This was a fascinating and well written story of deep history。 Starting from the present and moving through time Halliday describes the fascinating and often alien worlds that have existed on the earth since life began 550 million years ago。This was incredibly well written and it often felt as though you were moving through these ancient environments with Halliday as your tour guide。 The only thing I think would have been an added benefit was if there was some sort of glossary， particularly for This was a fascinating and well written story of deep history。 Starting from the present and moving through time Halliday describes the fascinating and often alien worlds that have existed on the earth since life began 550 million years ago。This was incredibly well written and it often felt as though you were moving through these ancient environments with Halliday as your tour guide。 The only thing I think would have been an added benefit was if there was some sort of glossary， particularly for some of the animal groups。 It didn’t stop me from enjoying the book but I was often a bit frustrated as I knew my understanding was being limited。As I read this I found myself hoping the television rights have been sold to to an organisation like the BBC Natural History Team as I think it would make a fascinating and powerful documentary series。 The thing that I think will stay with me the longest about reading this book is the Epilogue。 Halliday is able to bring home the consequences of climate change by referring the reader to the specific time periods that resemble the world we’re creating！ Truly powerful imagery that really brings home the reality we as a species are facing！！！*** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher *** 。。。more
Vivian
，
5 Great Extinction events in the Earth’s history。 I found this extremely comforting and reassuring—yes， if we screw it all up as humans—life finds a way。 No environment stays the same for ever， and if your niche disappears， extinction follows。 90% of all livings things can die and it resets。 Of course， if we want to live as humans， then we need to consider our actions—Now。 Life evolves to fit the world in which it finds itself， but geography， of ocean currents， the position of continents， wind pa 5 Great Extinction events in the Earth’s history。 I found this extremely comforting and reassuring—yes， if we screw it all up as humans—life finds a way。 No environment stays the same for ever， and if your niche disappears， extinction follows。 90% of all livings things can die and it resets。 Of course， if we want to live as humans， then we need to consider our actions—Now。 Life evolves to fit the world in which it finds itself， but geography， of ocean currents， the position of continents， wind patterns and atmospheric chemistry defines the parameters of that world。 This is the kinds of book that made me happy， how marvelous and beautiful， truly exquisite life is and how it tumbles along。 It is awe inspiring。 Plus， it had all these little tidbits in the day of life telling of major fossil finds being set down that Eureka！ was said more than once。 Things like chloroplasts are mutated cyanobacteria—it makes so much sense but I don’t remember knowing this。Here are a few passages to give you a feel for the content:By the time the mammoth steppe finally came to an end， when Wrangel’s mammoths glinted on cliffs overlooking the flooded plains of Beringia， the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Norte Chico in Peru had already existed for generations， and the civilizations of the Indus Vally were centuries old。 tAt about the time the last Wrangel mammoths died， the Mesopotamian city of Uruk was ruled by Gilgamesh， the Sumerian king and protagonist of the oldest written story， one of the oldest works of literature in any form。The rocks record a decline in the large carnivore number and diversity that peaks in intensity 2 million years before the present， just as the first species of Homo emerge from the Rift。 The large carnivores that will survive to the present are the specialist meat-eaters—big cats， hyenas and wild dogs — that prey on large， dangerous herbivores。 Those that will be lost — otters， a bear， giant civets — are mixed feeders on plants， mollusks， fish， fruit — precisely the niche that we will ultimately make our own。 What is important in conserving a ecosystem is conserving the functions， the connections between organism that form a complete， interacting whole。 In reality， species do move， and the notion of ‘native’ species is inevitably arbitrary， often tied into national identity。 Our biology in the modern day， our poor colour vision， is a direct consequence of our reliance on scent， our abandonment of vision， our ancestral journey into the night。 The Triassic is a period of change and experimentation， a time on Earth when， to modern eyes， it would seem as if anything goes。In part， this is probably thanks to the hangover from the mass extinction that occurred at the boundary between the Permian and Triassic periods[…]Every animal phylum that exists in modern day has its origins during the Cambrian or， in some cases， earlier。 I loaned this from my library， but I like this book so much that I want a copy。 。。。more
Bob Delaney
，
I have a interest in palaeontology but much has been discovered in the last 20 years and I haven't kept up。 This book moves through unimaginable periods of time and travels over the surface （and beneath the waves） of an ever changing Earth describing the scene like a naturalist on a field trip。 My only criticism is that the world maps are too small to be useful。 I was surprised to have reached the end of the book at 64% the rest was filled with references。 The Epilogue should be compulsory readi I have a interest in palaeontology but much has been discovered in the last 20 years and I haven't kept up。 This book moves through unimaginable periods of time and travels over the surface （and beneath the waves） of an ever changing Earth describing the scene like a naturalist on a field trip。 My only criticism is that the world maps are too small to be useful。 I was surprised to have reached the end of the book at 64% the rest was filled with references。 The Epilogue should be compulsory reading for all climate change deniers - the "hockey stick" chart is not the only evidence of man made climate change and the consequences are plain to see in the fossil record。 。。。more
Wendelle
，
Read 2/3。。 I think this would have worked movingly and excitingly as accompanying narration to a visual documentary。 Or at least had tons of photos or diagrams showing what the words were referring to。 The writing is unimpeachable， the book topic is top-shelf， the scope of timespans covered is immense。 Furthermore I'd like to think I have as much fortitude and eagerness for nature writing and reams of descriptions of flora and fauna as any layman。 Yet this book， to me only， read as tantalizingly Read 2/3。。 I think this would have worked movingly and excitingly as accompanying narration to a visual documentary。 Or at least had tons of photos or diagrams showing what the words were referring to。 The writing is unimpeachable， the book topic is top-shelf， the scope of timespans covered is immense。 Furthermore I'd like to think I have as much fortitude and eagerness for nature writing and reams of descriptions of flora and fauna as any layman。 Yet this book， to me only， read as tantalizingly as the most tedious of encyclopedias。 I feel like unless one is a previously trained evolutionary biologist whose heart palpitates at discussions of obscure paleogeography， one can't help one's eyes glazing over the delirious amount of incomprehensible terminology。 The following passage drawn at random is a more accessible sample of the writing in this book:"The pouched metatherians， the progenitors of marsupials， used to be common over North America。 Now only a few survive here。 Eventually， they too will be restricted to the south。 Two other unusual insectivorous mammal groups， the sprawling symmetrodonts with their piercing triangular molars and ankle spurs， and dryostelids， animals like spineless hedgehogs， may have survived。 The only symmetrodont is a controversial specimen named Chronoperates， the time wandered， a late paleocene tooth from a Mesozoic group。 A dog sized dryolestid， Peligrotherium， the lazy beast， is known from the early Paleocene of Patagonia， while another， necrolestes， the 'grave robber'， from the same part of the world， but much later in the Miocene。 A mole-like burrower with a sensitive snouth， Necrolestes is so highly specialized that the group it belongs to remains uncertain， while Peligrotherium has been thought to be a placental mammal by some。"With no exaggeration did I say that this is a random sample and that this is accessible。 At least some words remained intelligible。 With other passages I wasn't so lucky。 Take this paragraph， ratchet up the statistic of species references， and multiply it by 300-odd pages， and there one can have an idea of this sprawling book。 There's like 10 pictures to prevent the reader from drowning in the sea of references-- actual dinosaur and history-of-life textbooks have more pictures。 Hats off to the author for the fantastic level of research and loving detail that went into this book， but the level of granularity was beyond my competence level。 I'll watch the documentary version when it comes， it'll surely be incredible。 。。。more
Tom McGlynn
，
A fantastic portrayal of various ecosystems throughout the history of Planet Earth。 Thomas Halliday has woven a vibrantly encompassing tapestry of each individual time period， providing us with crystal clear snapshots of particular spaces in time。 A long read， sure， but worth every second for those looking for a more in-depth explanation of individual biotas of times long passed。
Dale Dewitt
，
I loved this book。 While it was a bit lengthy in some places I felt that the format， A Journey Through Deep Time written as a travelogue was innovative and engaging。 I felt that Mr Halliday sought to bring his reader along for the ride through 500 million years of life on this planet while making sure we felt the sights， smells and experiences of each of the highlighted eras。
Bagus
，
Otherlands read like a crash course in palaeontology。 It’s packed with explanations of the history of life and how we came into being。 Quoting from the poem loving like an existentialist by Savannah Brown: There are many theories as to how we came to be/ and I’m not sure which one I believe。 Thomas Halliday himself likens his explanation to reading an excerpt that happens to be the last chapter of a novel。 We might guess the developments of the story， the plots， and the characters， yet never get Otherlands read like a crash course in palaeontology。 It’s packed with explanations of the history of life and how we came into being。 Quoting from the poem loving like an existentialist by Savannah Brown: There are many theories as to how we came to be/ and I’m not sure which one I believe。 Thomas Halliday himself likens his explanation to reading an excerpt that happens to be the last chapter of a novel。 We might guess the developments of the story， the plots， and the characters， yet never get the whole picture of what the real stories might be。 But at least， reconstructing the story could give us an impression of how much the world has changed since it came to be and the diverse types of creatures that inhabited it before humans。I’m pretty sure this book was written by the author with climate change in mind。 Climate change might be the most important war of the twenty-first century， to achieve a balance called “net-zero” between the greenhouse gases put into the atmosphere and those taken out by 2050。 Otherlands describes factual changes in the earth’s climate and its inhabitants throughout the millions of years of its history。 One thing being emphasized is that the temperature did change in the past。 The author argues that change is inevitable， but never on a scale as rapidly as the change that occurred after the Industrial Revolution。 However， I am under the impression that human extinction is something given， as happened to many other species that we only know now through their fossilized remains。 But we， as humans， have the liberty to choose to mitigate the climate issues and prolong our existence due to our collective knowledge and ability to coordinate。The author also makes points that the shape of the continents keeps changing through time。 Even now， the continents are moving。 Within those continents are the entire ecosystems within them。 Different ecosystems that exist within different continents might not be easy to replicate in case of the extinction of some species， due to – let’s say – climate change。 On this， the author emphasized that climate change did occur in the past and it might occur again on a rapid scale。 But the changes in climate in the past always gave rise to something entirely new on top of the earth， with new ecosystems and new creatures adjusted to the new temperature。 The process also occurred at a slow pace that could take thousands or millions of years。 And this is why climate change is the pressing issue of today。Otherlands could be read as an intersection between biology and history。 Instead of using archives， palaeontologists use fossils and geochemical evidence to determine the trace of the earth’s history。 The illustrations of now-extinct creatures included in this book are merely approximations of their physical appearance， but their fossilized remains could become a testament to the cycle of life and death throughout the ages。 Perhaps humans should go extinct， perhaps humans should inhabit the earth for longer， both sides of the story are arguable。 But if humans collectively want to prolong their existence， palaeontology could teach us that we need to set a condition for the earth to be habitable for our species， and that involves mitigating climate change。 。。。more
Chris Chaffin
，
Otherlands is a magnificent book that takes the reader on an adventure through the last 600 million years of life on planet Earth。 The books starts with thawing ice sheets and the Mammoth Steppe then leaps backwards in geologic time with each chapter describing the flora and fauna of different， ever more remote world。 I learned something fascinating with each chapter。 Jurassic landscapes are brought to life with ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs hunting among the glass sponge reefs of the European ar Otherlands is a magnificent book that takes the reader on an adventure through the last 600 million years of life on planet Earth。 The books starts with thawing ice sheets and the Mammoth Steppe then leaps backwards in geologic time with each chapter describing the flora and fauna of different， ever more remote world。 I learned something fascinating with each chapter。 Jurassic landscapes are brought to life with ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs hunting among the glass sponge reefs of the European archipelago。 Millions of years deeper in time， the ice sheet that covered Gondwana's south polar regions calves ice bergs into the Soom Sea as life recovers from snowball earth in the Ordovician。To me this book was the epitome of a good read。 。。。more
Rebecca
，
I was captivated by the premise and have enjoyed other books about deep time， but I quickly found that this was too dense with detail to hold my attention。 It is a very impressive recreation of ancient ecosystems， however。 I appreciated how Halliday finds parallels with our situation， acknowledging that the climate and spread of species have changed multiple times over the millennia， but noting that the speed and direction of the current changes are unprecedented and undeniably due to human beha I was captivated by the premise and have enjoyed other books about deep time， but I quickly found that this was too dense with detail to hold my attention。 It is a very impressive recreation of ancient ecosystems， however。 I appreciated how Halliday finds parallels with our situation， acknowledging that the climate and spread of species have changed multiple times over the millennia， but noting that the speed and direction of the current changes are unprecedented and undeniably due to human behaviour。 He is hopeful that technology can help us mitigate the environmental crisis， but only if we reduce consumption and move away from polluting energy。 。。。more
Tara Sypien
，
I picked this book up because I needed a break from current events。 Some chapters were very interesting and some I found myself skimming。 It got a little bogged down in the science at times and that is why I only gave it 4 stars。 It would of been a 5 star read for me if every chapter held my attention with its beautiful descriptions of worlds gone by and deep time on planet earth。
Ben
，
Vivid prose， epic scale。 Halliday immerses the reader in past ecosystems， and puts our current world in context。 > During this foray into the nocturnal world， there is no need to distinguish color， only to concentrate on any bit of light， and so the pigments decay from lack of use or are lost。 Metatherians， including marsupials， have three-color vision， having lost one pigment， while eutherians， including placentals， are down to two。 Even in the modern day， almost all placental mammals are dichr Vivid prose， epic scale。 Halliday immerses the reader in past ecosystems， and puts our current world in context。 > During this foray into the nocturnal world， there is no need to distinguish color， only to concentrate on any bit of light， and so the pigments decay from lack of use or are lost。 Metatherians， including marsupials， have three-color vision， having lost one pigment， while eutherians， including placentals， are down to two。 Even in the modern day， almost all placental mammals are dichromatic – they have cells detecting red light and cells detecting blue light。 Two diurnal groups of placental mammal that depend on being able to distinguish ripe and unripe fruit – catarrhines （monkeys from Africa and Eurasia， including us humans） and one species of howler monkey – have recovered a green-sensitive pigment by duplicating and modifying their red-sensitive pigment。 The similarity in the DNA sequences that control the red and green pigments， and the fact that they are next to one another on the X chromosome means that copy-errors occur very frequently， causing red-green color-blindness。 About 8 per cent of human males are dichromats of one kind or another> Even unsealed， a large log like this could last a couple of years， but the adult sea lilies attached are a good ten years old。 This is in part because in the Jurassic oceans， there are no wood-boring predators。 Shipworms， the scourge of mariners during the age of sail， will not appear until the Cretaceous> The Himalayas have the thickest crust in the modern day， about 70 kilometres thick， but Mount Everest reaches only 9 kilometres above sea level。 Mountains are tall because they have deep roots bobbing in the denser mantle。> Even today， the parts of the Earth that were ice-laden in the Pleistocene are rising， not yet having shaken off the weight of the ice age。 Great Britain， for instance， is tilting around a line that can be drawn very approximately from Aberystwyth to York， with the land to the north rising at up to about a centimeter a year， and， as the magma flows into the space below， the land to the south sinking。 The process will continue for thousands more years into the future> In the modern day， two species of fish – Russian sturgeons and American paddlefish – went on their separate evolutionary ways about 150 million years before the present， and yet they have been documented as producing functional offspring。> As with the functioning of a computer， fiddling with the code of a single application is relatively simple， and unlikely to damage the overall function of the machine， but editing a line from the operating system is likely to cause problems。 Natural selection， then， ends up being a tinkering mechanism， unable – or at least extremely unlikely – to take a sledgehammer to the basic internal structure。 In this view， a new phylum cannot arise in the modern day because the anatomy of living beings is simply too complex compared with that of their Cambrian and Precambrian forebears。> In this view， the world of the Cambrian is fresh for the taking， with the ecosystems simpler， with fewer roles available， fewer possible ways in which to live。 The origin of the phyla is described as a ‘barrel-filling’ model。 Establishing the basic roles within an ecosystem is like adding large rocks into a barrel。 Now， if a new body plan arose， it would have to compete in an ecological space already occupied by other species that have evolved to fit their niche very well。 This is hard， and a natural barrier to novelty。 Rather than adding more large rocks， then， evolutionary processes make the ecosystems more integrated， more complex， adding in finer and finer divisions of ecological processes， pebbles and sand falling into the barrel between the gaps left by the larger stones， structures built on other structures。> Although organisms consuming one another are observed in the fossil record before the Cambrian， it is only in this period that the networks of predator–prey relationships become widespread， complex and clear enough to study。 Suddenly， energy does not flow through the ecosystem solely as producer to consumer， then straight into decay。 The consumer can itself become the consumed。 Animals have adopted all sorts of strategies to avoid this fate， such as armor to prevent or deter attack， eyes and other sense organs to rapidly detect both predator and prey， and efficient movement to catch prey or escape。 The innocence of the Precambrian Eden is over， and the arms races have begun> The idea of the Cambrian as a frenzied burst after 4 billion years of inactivity is in part an illusion， based on a characteristic of Cambrian animals – their hard parts。 Mouthparts， exoskeletons and mineral eyes are all preserved far better in the fossil record than muscle or nerve。 These hard parts are thought to be adaptations to the new， predatory world: the Cambrian is the time when multicellular life truly turned on itself for food。> For most of the last 200 million years， glass sponges have cultivated a solitary and beautiful existence in the deep ocean。 One species， the Venus’ flower basket， Euplectella aspergillum， traps a pair of shrimps as cleaners， becoming a crystal cage from which the adults never escape， fed by particles specifically trapped and transferred inside by the sponge。 Only the offspring of the shrimp， small enough to fit between the bars that imprison their parents， will leave。 Venus’ flower baskets live alone， but in the oxygen-depleted waters of British Columbia in Canada， at the top of the California Current， these glass sponges are aggregating， and reefs are now growing again， some already tens of meters tall and several kilometers long。 They filter the water gently， so they don’t need much oxygen to live， and are mostly made of silicon， which is less affected by acidic waters。 If they can face the threats of trawling and oil exploration， the era of the glass sponge reef – and the extraordinary biodiversity it fosters – may be returning， a Lazarus ecosystem in a warming world， a small gain in an ocean of loss 。。。more
Miguel
，
This was a really good one， so much so that I listened to most of the audiobook when it popped into my inbox after I had already read the eBook。 My only gripe is that in presenting in reverse chronological order one is kind of seeing a Memento-like approach to Earth history and one might benefit by taking in the chapters in reverse order。 In spite of that it’s still such an engrossing and surprisingly intimate history of earth that covers so much ground but doesn't feel like it's necessarily ski This was a really good one， so much so that I listened to most of the audiobook when it popped into my inbox after I had already read the eBook。 My only gripe is that in presenting in reverse chronological order one is kind of seeing a Memento-like approach to Earth history and one might benefit by taking in the chapters in reverse order。 In spite of that it’s still such an engrossing and surprisingly intimate history of earth that covers so much ground but doesn't feel like it's necessarily skipping anything。 And not solely homo sapien focused， which is a nice change。 。。。more
Herb
，
Endlessly engaging， fascinating look at the history of the Earth。 Included are several solid theories on how life developed from "nothing。" The descriptions of the plants， animals and life during the Eras and Periods are a novel way of bringing the history to life。 If the book had more drawings of the things he was describing， it would have made it even better。 Very good。 Endlessly engaging， fascinating look at the history of the Earth。 Included are several solid theories on how life developed from "nothing。" The descriptions of the plants， animals and life during the Eras and Periods are a novel way of bringing the history to life。 If the book had more drawings of the things he was describing， it would have made it even better。 Very good。 。。。more
Monica
，
This was a very well written book; I have seen other reviews and blurbs talk about the beautiful ways that Halliday can describe these scenes from Earth's past， and they are on the mark。This is definitely a book for those with a decent grounding in science， geologic history and evolution。 A few times I found myself looking something up to refresh my knowledge since I am now more years than I would like acknowledge past my last science classes。 The fact that this book touches on topics I am less This was a very well written book; I have seen other reviews and blurbs talk about the beautiful ways that Halliday can describe these scenes from Earth's past， and they are on the mark。This is definitely a book for those with a decent grounding in science， geologic history and evolution。 A few times I found myself looking something up to refresh my knowledge since I am now more years than I would like acknowledge past my last science classes。 The fact that this book touches on topics I am less familiar with also led to that。But I liked the journey through deep time， and found several sections mind-boggling， in a very good way， as I tried to wrap my head around the changes our planet has seen。 。。。more
Bruce Katz
，
What a trip！ Through time， space， paleontology， evolution， geology， the dictionary。。。 Other reviewers have used words like "beautiful，" "spellbinding，" "wonderful，" and it's all these and more。 "Otherlands" takes the reader back through time， from the "recent" （Pleistocene -- 20，000 years ago in what is now Alaska） to the Ediacaran Period （550，000 years ago in what， going back through the breaking up and reshaping of continents， is now part of Australia）。 He examines how life （from the most basi What a trip！ Through time， space， paleontology， evolution， geology， the dictionary。。。 Other reviewers have used words like "beautiful，" "spellbinding，" "wonderful，" and it's all these and more。 "Otherlands" takes the reader back through time， from the "recent" （Pleistocene -- 20，000 years ago in what is now Alaska） to the Ediacaran Period （550，000 years ago in what， going back through the breaking up and reshaping of continents， is now part of Australia）。 He examines how life （from the most basic to the creatures that inhabit the planet today）， geography， and climate have changed， and why -- what forces （chemical， physical， biological， climatic） led to this or that outcome rather than another。 Halliday describes his book as an exploration of "the settings in which extinct creatures lived， settings that shaped them into the forms that now seem so unusual。 It is an encyclopaedia of the possible， of landscapes that have disappeared， and this book is an attempt to bring those landscapes to life once more， to break from the dusty， iron-bound image of extinct organisms or the sensationalized， snarling， theme-park Tyrannosaurus， and to experience the reality of nature as one might today。"（Bam！ Take that， Spielberg！）He succeeds。 My digital text is filled with colorful highlights of things that struck me。 Things like how recent simple grass is: "There were never dinosaur grasslands， and， in the northern hemisphere， grass simply did not exist。" The book is a tour de force。 And more than a little mind-blowing。 Like this throw-away line that captures how inconceivably deep Time is: "More time passed between the lives of the last Diplodocus and the first Tyrannosaurus than passed between that of the last Tyrannosaurus and your birth。" Similar observations center of geological features or bioligical structures or even weather patterns。 Reading "Otherlands" is like watching the history （a word entirely inadequate for hundreds of millions of years） of the world unwinding in reverse: first as a world recognizably like our own， albeit with large and fearsome creatures， then back further and further until what is before us might as well be another planet altogether。 Among other things， I learned:• That over time the planet has frozen over almost from pole to equator， heated up almost beyond imagining， became more like what we have today， and everything in between。 For a time， summer temperatures in what is now Antarctica reached the high seventies， and "the entire continent is covered with a lush closed-canopy forest and filled with the shrieks of birds and rustling undergrowth。" And， of course， there were extinctions。• That there was a time -- something more than 5 million years ago （yesterday， as geological time goes） -- when the Mediterranean dried up and became， in the east， a lake。 And how what is called the Zanclean flood （5。33 million years ago） opened the basin to the Atlantic Ocean， letting water in， a meter every two-and-a-half hours。 The process created "the greatest waterfall ever to have graced the Earth。 It [was] 1，500 metres – nearly a mile – high， one and a half times the height of the modern-day Angel Falls in Venezuela。" • That South America was once an island （it joined with North America 2。8 million years ago）， and that much of what we take to be native South American wildlife actually came from Africa on downed trees and other accidental "rafts": Every monkey in the Amazonian rainforest， from spider monkeys to howler monkeys， tamarins to marmosets， owes its existence to a few lucky survivors from their own presumably difficult and traumatic ocean voyage。 The distance to cross from Africa to South America at the time was considerably lower， about two thirds of the width of the modern Atlantic， but this is still a huge distance when relying on rain and pooled water in leaves for a supply of drinking water。 Similarly， "All native South American rodents， from capybaras to agoutis to guinea pigs， are descended from a population that crossed a thousand miles of ocean and survived， also arriving at least by the late Eocene。"• That Earth's seasons have a cosmic origin quite different than what I had imagined: The annual rhythm that life settles into anywhere on the planet is a particular consequence of Earth’s early history。 Careless collisions in the crowded solar system knocked the north–south axis off kilter。 Without a lean， our orbit would be uniform， each day unchanging， our progress around the sun unmarked。• That what is today Europe was， in the Jurassic period， "an archipelago。 A series of islands up to about the size of modern-day Jamaica， separated by warm， shallow seas， the flooded margins of continents which here and there dive into deep oceanic trenches。"• That there was an eruption in the Arctic some 250 million years ago， when most of the world's land masses were part of a single massive continent， "a blast unlike any other。。。 4 million cubic kilometres of lava – enough to fill the modern-day Mediterranean Sea – which will flood an area the size of Australia。 That eruption will tear through recently formed coal beds， turning the Earth into a candle， and drifting coal ash and toxic metals over the land， transforming watercourses into deadly slurries。 Oxygen will boil from the oceans; bacteria will bloom and produce poisonous hydrogen sulphide。 The foul-smelling sulphides will infuse the seas and skies。 Ninety-five per cent of all species on Earth will perish in what will become known as the Great Dying。"• That Africa spent time at the South Pole， the Sahara was covered by a glacier， that the northern hemisphere was almost entirely landless， that Siberia was an island， that the moon was much closer to the earth and the day significantly shorter than it is now， and that North America was mostly divided by a warm， shallow sea。• That the planet was once home to "mammalian predators such as Repenomamus， a badger-sized carnivorous mammal， the largest in the Cretaceous world， known to catch and kill baby dinosaurs。" And "Azhdarchid pterosaurs， the largest-ever living flyers， bigger and lighter than Orville and Wilbur Wright’s early aeroplanes， glided overhead。" And horses the size of cats， Canadian camels， flightless geese， penguins that were more than 6 feet tall and weighed more than 260 pounds， and "short-faced" bears that were four times the size of an adult male grizzly bear。 And similarly gargantuan otters。• That words like these exist: regurgitalite （fossilized vomit）sharovipterygids， priapulids （" ‘penis worms’， named for their appearance"）， chelicerates， trigonotarbid， anomalocaridids， cnidarian。。。 I'll stop here。 The spell-checker has raised a white flag。I could go on。 The book is eye-opening in every way。 Halliday not only shows sides of the planet's past that are hardly known outside scientific circles， but also how these things are known and why they were the way they were。 I found some parts of the book denser than others， and I wish there had been more illustrations， but the book is remarkably accessible。 Halliday shows -- perhaps most importantly -- what all these facts and discoveries tell us about global climate change: the first child born in Antarctica was Emilio Marcos Palma （1978）。 There were at that time 2。5 times as many wild vertebrates as there are today。 In barely 40 years -- "a geological snap of the fingers，" as Halliday puts it， " we have lost more than half of the living individual vertebrates on the planet。" One seemingly mundane put this in perspective for me: Sixty per cent of all birds on Earth today are from a single species -- domestic chickens。Critically， in the final chapter Halliday brings it all together and urges us not to become "despondent。 Human-induced change is， in itself， not new and， to a large extent， can be considered natural。" We understand the why and the how and the what。 What remains to be revealed is whether we can act on what we know。 。。。more
sarah zhou
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on pause， this sounds interesting so far and the narrator is really good， but i'm just not feeling it rn on pause， this sounds interesting so far and the narrator is really good， but i'm just not feeling it rn 。。。more
The Book Club
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After being off sick I found really difficult reading， and so I was glad to be offered the opportunity by @penguinukbooks to listen to #otherlands by Thomas Halliday。This #audiobook has been a great opportunity to explore the Earth as it used to exist。Halliday in his book is able to evoke vividly beautiful landscape， which I found highly fascinating。I just found a little tough to be multitasking while listening to it， as I didn’t want to miss any details。 But overall a great experience and I hig After being off sick I found really difficult reading， and so I was glad to be offered the opportunity by @penguinukbooks to listen to #otherlands by Thomas Halliday。This #audiobook has been a great opportunity to explore the Earth as it used to exist。Halliday in his book is able to evoke vividly beautiful landscape， which I found highly fascinating。I just found a little tough to be multitasking while listening to it， as I didn’t want to miss any details。 But overall a great experience and I highly recommend it to all of you audiobook’s lovers out there！ 。。。more
Sharath Reddy
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Good in the sense that the author really describes historic environments。 It also gives a feel for how our changes to the Earth could change the world。 I found it hard to follow the descriptions and spatial orientation。 But that could have been me and my lack of direction。
James Whitmore
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How to make sense of the global environmental changes that are taking place before our eyes？ The ice is melting， species are on the move or disappearing， ecosystems are on the brink of collapse。 One way is， as Thomas Halliday might say， “rockwise”: by considering the global changes that have happened all through Earth’s history， evidence for which can be found in the world’s rocks， “visiting extinct sites with the mindset of a traveller， a safari-goer”。 Hallliday delivers on that promise and the How to make sense of the global environmental changes that are taking place before our eyes？ The ice is melting， species are on the move or disappearing， ecosystems are on the brink of collapse。 One way is， as Thomas Halliday might say， “rockwise”: by considering the global changes that have happened all through Earth’s history， evidence for which can be found in the world’s rocks， “visiting extinct sites with the mindset of a traveller， a safari-goer”。 Hallliday delivers on that promise and then some in this fascinating， enlightening and ultimately urgent safari through time。 Read more on my blog。 。。。more
Jim French
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A rare and amazing book， b/c it's loaded with scientific observations of the biology of long-lost plants and animals， astute observations on food webs and the role of ecology in changing floras and faunas， plus beautiful lyrical accounts of the land， water， sky and feel of ancient sites， brought to you by the author's fertile imagination。 A rare and amazing book， b/c it's loaded with scientific observations of the biology of long-lost plants and animals， astute observations on food webs and the role of ecology in changing floras and faunas， plus beautiful lyrical accounts of the land， water， sky and feel of ancient sites， brought to you by the author's fertile imagination。 。。。more
Sandy
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An excellent walk backwards thru geological time and the life that abound in each era。 It emphasizes such how recent we， and our relatives， are。 The map of the earth before each chapter highlights the changes that occurred and locates the reader in the present-day site。 I would have loved many more drawings as I'm too lazy to look up each creature mentioned。 An excellent walk backwards thru geological time and the life that abound in each era。 It emphasizes such how recent we， and our relatives， are。 The map of the earth before each chapter highlights the changes that occurred and locates the reader in the present-day site。 I would have loved many more drawings as I'm too lazy to look up each creature mentioned。 。。。more
The Inquisitive Biologist
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Otherlands is a spellbinding tour of extinct worlds while its carefully crafted yet poetic reflections on evolution and deep time are a masterclass in science communication。 Read my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist。com/2022。。。 Otherlands is a spellbinding tour of extinct worlds while its carefully crafted yet poetic reflections on evolution and deep time are a masterclass in science communication。 Read my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist。com/2022。。。 。。。more
Shuhui Shen
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His pen is ready for a poetic nature。
Leonard Kim
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If you like wax rhapsodic nature documentaries， then 5* for sure。 I guess I find the subject wondrous enough that I didn’t need those parts， though they were well-done。
Robin
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This book was full of so much information。 I lived it， but it was hard to retain it all through audio。 I think if I pick it up through ebook， I might just have to ip my rating。 ;）。 It was still amazing to find out about all of these bygone eco systems and creatures。
Jenn
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Fascinating and beautifully written。 （Also， there were many things that I have no idea if the narrator was pronouncing correctly or not， but he has a lovely voice！）
Jemima Pett
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For anyone with a passing interest in fossils， or in earth’s history， or in possible alien lifeforms， Otherlands is a must-read。I can’t think of another book which really sets out the flora and fauna of a past era （or possibly epoch）， in an ecosystem way。 How does every lifeform depend on each other？ What are the predator-prey relationships？ Why are certain adaptations made， given the other life around， the climate conditions， and the genetic pathways…To undertake this sort of detailed analysis For anyone with a passing interest in fossils， or in earth’s history， or in possible alien lifeforms， Otherlands is a must-read。I can’t think of another book which really sets out the flora and fauna of a past era （or possibly epoch）， in an ecosystem way。 How does every lifeform depend on each other？ What are the predator-prey relationships？ Why are certain adaptations made， given the other life around， the climate conditions， and the genetic pathways…To undertake this sort of detailed analysis for one specific time period would probably provide a doctoral thesis。 To do it for several–sixteen–site/age combinations， is remarkable。And then make it not only readable， but beautifully descriptive， creating an illusion of the world he is describing in breathtaking detail。I highlighted several passages that make imagery a cliched word。 The way the Atlantic poured through the Pillars of Hercules to create the western proto-Mediterranean was breath-taking… but the consequential waterfall， miles high， as the Sicilian ridge was breached so it formed the eastern Med… That was awe-inspiring。Some of the writing is clunky， and occasionally strays into academic style （much like Stephen Hawking， so Dr Halliday is in good company）。 Occasionally I found the gist of his argument contradictory。 He also has a habit of shifting to a different time and place to compare or contrast with the chapter in question， which confused me。 But this can be forgiven。 You catch on eventually （possibly faster than with Stephen Hawking）。And for readers concerned about the percent left to read in an ebook， around 25% is devoted to references， further reading， and appendices。If you would like to know more about the world we live in （and what might happen when we leave it） read Otherlands。 。。。more
Lewis Fisher
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a cracking piece of science writing， it offers a wonderful insight into the worlds that have come before， both famous and not， and of the sheer vast mass of life that has come before us。 let it not be us who causes the end to such a journey
Richard
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The book read like a thoughtful and wonderful story that should be done as a movie （ probably though going forward in time rather than going back in time chapter by chapter）。 Clearly well done and detailed and complex but also done in an approachable manner。
Sandra Vdplaats
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