Description: Long before history was ever recorded, fascinating creatures swam in oceans, soared through skies, and roamed across terrains very different from those of Earth today. Humans have never laid eyes on these creatures, so how do we know about them? How did they come to be, and why are they not around today? What was Earth like millions and even billions of years ago?

From the first microscopic single-celled organisms to the largest whales alive today, life has been emerging, flourishing, and dying out on Earth for nearly four billion years. Discover how fossils are the keys to unlocking our understanding of prehistoric life. Learn about many species of dinosaurs and pterosaurs, some of the most prolific and impressive creatures to ever exist on Earth. Find out how fossils form, make models of your own, and examine a real fossil. Delve into the geologic ages of Earth and uncover the creatures that defined them.

Recording at:
City College of San Francisco - The Story of Time and Life

Recording on March 20, 2010 at: City College of San Francisco - The Story of Time and Life

The Story of Time and Life uses a combination of fossils, rock samples, panels, posters, murals, and scaled models - some produced in house, others donated by or on indefinite loan from the California Academy of Sciences (CAS) - to tell the story of Earth's formation and evolution, supported by the evidence that has led to our current understanding. The exhibit is laid out as a continuous walk through all four floors of the Science Building and begins in our Fossil Gallery with an introduction, self-guided maps, and the presentation of seven large vertebrate fossils, including four dinosaurs. The exhibit continues, with a timeline, through the departments of Earth Sciences, Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Astronomy - actively demonstrating the importance and connection of all the sciences in our understanding of our planet.