Discovering Life on Earth by David Attenborough

First published: 1979; illustrated

Subjects: Animals, nature, and science

Type of work: Science

Recommended Ages: 10-15

Form and Content

Approaching the diversity of animal life on Earth from a natural history and natural selection approach, David Attenborough provides a compact overview of what his first chapter calls “The Endless Variety.” Discovering Life on Earth is referred to as a “shorter, simplified text” version of the thirteen-part television series on which it is based. Through the thirteen chapters of this book, the reader follows the development of the animal kingdom as illustrated by stories about increasingly complex organisms and their interrelationships with the various facets of their environment.

Simple, one-celled organisms begin the story and lead the reader into the fossil record of the earliest lifeforms. From there, the text progresses through the first forests and the animals that constituted the planet’s first inhabitants. Attenborough then moves on to “The Conquest of the Waters” by aquatic organisms both great and small. From there, the emergence of complex lifeforms onto the lands of the earth is described. Insects, birds, marsupials, then predators and prey—all major groups of animals are considered, along with some of the less well known representatives that occupy specialized niches in the earth’s vastly complex communities.

The chronicle of life on Earth concludes with “The Arrival of Mankind.” In this chapter, the author describes the emergence of humankind on the African plains more than five million years ago, the lifestyle that these individuals are thought to have had, and the animals found in the environment in which they lived. The manner of evolution from ape to modern Homo sapiens is hypothesized, and some of the artifacts of humankind’s history on Earth are described and illustrated. In concluding this chapter, the lifestyles of modern aboriginal peoples, which may be similar to those of humankind’s earlier ancestors, are described.

Generously supplied color photographs (more than five hundred in number) and illustrations are found throughout the book, often three or more per page. These graphics fulfill an important function, and each provides a caption relating the image to the content within the text. In addition, several time lines are provided. These charts help the reader develop an understanding of the appearance and disappearance of important animal groups throughout geologic ages, and they provide a relative means of comparing when various lifeforms lived on the earth. Artistic renderings of what life may have looked like in the ancient coal forests, under the ancient seas, and in the times of the dinosaurs are also included.

Critical Context

Discovering Life on Earth demonstrates to the reader that zoology is a fascinating, diverse, and complex science. Attenborough has done a commendable job of condensing his thirteen-week television series into a book that can be comprehended by young readers. His approach to natural history—in which specific, isolated examples of behaviors within the animal kingdom are described and illustrated—can be criticized for being scattered. Yet, it can be argued that the amount of information available on this subject is too vast to present in its entirety in a way that would engage young readers.

Given Attenborough’s intention, the flow of the subject matter and the coherence among the chapters are commendable. Discovering Life on Earth delivers a large number of interesting stories and examples that should inspire young readers to keep reading, to seek other sources in order to learn more about animal behaviors and relationships. The text is useful both as an entire volume and as a reference work on specific animals, animal behaviors, and the diversity within the animal kingdom.