In Chapter 2, "Setting the Stage: Time and Change," Fortey discusses the age of the Earth and how geological time has been divided into the different periods and eras, using micropaleontology and radiometric determination. He also examines some of the major cycles in earth history, such as plate tectonics, fluctuating ocean levels, changing climates, and the resulting changes to the animal life.
In Chapter 3, "Rocks and Fossils," Fortey discusses the different types of sediments that may contain fossils such as reefs, rivers, lakes, and deep sea deposits. He also discusses some of the environments which are not represented in the fossil record due to preservation bias. In Chapter 4, "Bringing fossils Back to Life," he discusses how the behaviour of extinct animals may be determined by examining their fossil remains and trace fossils.
In Chapter 5, "Origin of Life and Its Early History," Fortey discusses the early life forms from the first traces of sedimentary rocks approximately 3,800 million years ago, through the Pre-Cambrian (3,800 to 570 million years ago), to the Cambrian Period (570 to 500 million years ago). He shows representative organisms for these times.
In Chapter 6, "Evolution and Extinction," Fortey looks at extinction from two points of view: animals which became extinct and left no descendants, and animals which became extinct but left descendants. The latter group contains species which have evolved or changed over time into new species. He examines some of the gaps and holes in the fossil record which prevent paleontologists from unraveling the story of evolution directly from the rocks. Fortey also examines some mass extinction events.
In Chapter 7, "Fossils in the Service of Humans," Fortey discusses some of the fossils and fossil products that are used in our everyday lives, such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal. He also covers how micropaleontology is used to find petroleum, and the ornamental use of decorative, fossil-bearing stones.
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