Fossils for Africa explores Africa's incredibly rich fossil heritage and shows the importance of fossils in unraveling the history of life on Earth. Right here in Africa we have evidence of the earliest traces of life, dating to about 3.8 billion years, when life on Earth was still single-celled and microbial. From these humble beginnings Africa's fossil record shows how life became increasingly complex and diversified. Dedicated chapters focus on the evolution of plants, insects, reptiles and mammals. The book concludes with the five mass extinction events that rocked Earth's biodiversity and ponders the current crisis facing our planet's biodiversity.