A collection of essays by scientists which present the current state of thought about the evolution of life in terms of cosmological theory and the fossil record. The contributors have summarized and interpreted current knowledge on the stages of the development of life from the origins of the universe and early life, to the emergence of the primates and man and including reference to evolution patterns of invertebrates, vertebrates and plants, the colonization of the land and evolution of flight. The work concludes with a consideration of the controversy of evolution versus creationism.