The evolution underground : burrows, bunkers, and the marvelous subterranean world beneath our feet
(Book)

"February 2017"--Title page verso.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 305-391) and index.

"What is the best way to survive when the going gets tough? From dinosaurs to penguins, from trilobites to humans, discover the marvelous subterranean secret to survival. Humans have "gone underground" for survival for thousands of years, whether in ancient underground cities or Cold War-era bunkers. But our burrowing roots go back to the very beginnings of animal life on earth. Without burrowing, our planet would be very different today. Many animal lineages alive now, including our own, only survived a cataclysmic meteorite strike 65 million years ago because they went underground. On a grander scale, burrows have changed the chemistry of the planet itself, with whole ecosystems being altered by these animals. Every day we walk on an earth filled with an underground wilderness teeming with life. Most of this life stays hidden, yet these animals and their subterranean homes are ubiquitous, ranging from the deep sea to mountains, from the equator to the poles. Burrows are a refuge from predators, a safe home for raising young, or a tool to ambush prey. Burrows have protected animals against all types of natural disasters, be it volcanic eruptions, meteors, or global warmings and coolings. In a book filled with with spectacularly diverse fauna, acclaimed paleontologist and ichnologist Anthony Martin reveals this fascinating, hidden world that will continue to influence and transform life on this planet."--Jacket.