Dinosaurs to Chickens: How Evolution Works

Book by Nick Lund. Illustrated by Lucy Rose.

Workman Publishing. 2024.  91 pages. Hardbound.  $24.99. 

This somewhat large-sized, very attractive book is richly illustrated in color with c. 265 animals and their pithy biographies.  The fine color paintings, most schematic, especially those of prehistoric animals, should not fail to stimulate any reader.  Appropriate for young adults, but adult readers should find it rewarding, in the same manner as National Geographic’s fine magazine Ranger Rick, that I look forward to each month.

Sections deal with an introduction to evolution and then: chapters on insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and, especially mammals.  Plus end sections discuss where does evolution take us from here.  There is a glossary, and list of references.  In most cases with the books listed in References there is no indication of the publisher and date.

Most but not all illustrations are accompanied by a usually partial scientific name, often limited to genus, plus the English name of the animal in question.  The book, to its credit, does not stint in supplying the difficult but correct “Latin” name for its often obscure animals, such as Melittosphix, Proganochelys, Microbiotheria, Erethizon, and Sahelanthropus, as well as the more familiar Australopithecus, Homo erectus, and Archaeopteryx, not to mention common English names such as Great White Shark, Monarch, Moose, Gorilla, and many others.

After most of the animals is an indication of how long ago they first appeared, e.g. for American Alligator it says: (=8 mya).  It means the animal in question first appeared c. 8 million years ago.  In similar fashion: Common Box Turtle, Terrapene carolina, 2.5 mya.

Accompanying many illustrations are diagrams showing schematically the evolutionary course resulting in specific animals.  Botanic evolution is not the focus of Dinosaurs to Chickens.

An attractive, informative, book.  Highly recommended.

Harry Armistead
Mar 20, 2025