Science Comics: Prehistoric ­Mammals: From the Jurassic to the Ice Age

Gr 4-10–Prehistoric mammals get a thorough examination in this dense, descriptive entry in the ever-captivating “Science Comics” series. Though the mention of prehistoric mammals brings to mind a book full of saber-toothed tigers and woolly mammoths, Flood’s comprehensive overview of modern mammals’ ancient ancestors reaches much farther back. It begins 358 million years ago, in the Carboniferous period, when the evolutionary predecessors of dinosaurs and the ancestors of warm-blooded animals split off from each other, largely determined by the way their jaws developed. Other evolutionary advantages helped small pre-mammals survive the Permian-Triassic “Great Dying” caused by ongoing volcanic eruptions, and during the Triassic period, mammals ­developed their defining characteristics: fur, a three-boned inner-ear, and the ability to lactate. At times, the level of detail feels overwhelming as millions of years of history are packed into 128 pages, but the specificity will also fascinate readers. Through the book’s graphic novel format, it’s impressive to watch life on earth weather multiple extinction events, continents become reshaped by tectonic activity and ­climate changes, and to see totally unfamiliar ­animals slowly develop into recognizable relatives of the mammals of today. Back matter includes a glossary. ­