What 250 million years of mass extinctions can teach us about climate change and resilience.
Surviving Climate and Chaos is a book by paleontologist Evan Jevnikar exploring what Earth's five mass extinctions reveal about resilience, evolution, and the climate crisis we're navigating now.“A lively account of how changing climates have influenced the history of life on Earth.”
Dr. Mike Benton, professor at the University of Bristol and author of Extinctions: How Life Survives, Adapts and Evolves
Also available at audiobook platforms and your local independent bookseller.
Direct purchase from dailydinoguy.shop keeps the full margin with the author. Shipping typically arrives within 5–7 business days.
If dinosaurs went extinct, what's the actual point of learning about them in 2026?
That's the question that wouldn't leave me alone. Readers were asking it. Friends at parties were asking it. I was asking it.
The answer is that dinosaurs aren't the lesson. Mass extinction is the lesson, and dinosaurs are just the most charismatic species in the deepest, longest case study we have.
Earth has been through five of them. Every time, a different combination of species came out the other side, and they came out for specific reasons, body size, metabolic strategy, geographic range, dietary flexibility, generation time. Not random luck. Real biology.
Surviving Climate and Chaos walks through 250 million years of that record. It explains what worked, what didn't, and what that pattern says about the climate moment we're navigating now. It's written for the people who didn't read the academic papers but want to understand what the academic papers actually said.
The opening chapter of Surviving Climate and Chaos is available as a free PDF. No email required.
When there is a global effort by the reckless right to promote fossil fuels over renewable energy, Evan Jevnikar's Surviving Climate and Chaos is a cautionary tale of how another time the atmospheric CO2 levels rose to exceptional levels, the result was disastrous, including for the mighty dinosaurs Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops among them.
Dr. Gregory Paul, author and illustrator of The Princeton Field Guides to Dinosaurs
In accessible language, Evan Jevnikar narrates how life on our planet evolved and changed in response to changing climates over the last half billion years. By deftly weaving between ancient environments and their plant and animal inhabitants and the present day, Jevnikar demystifies the science behind climate change by explaining its underlying drivers and ancient roots using relatable metaphors and examples. This is an engaging and fun read for anyone curious about Earth's geological, biological, and climate history, and how those bear on present-day challenges.
Dr. Peter Makovicky, professor at the University of Minnesota
A brilliant blend of adventure and evidence. Evan Jevnikar makes the age of dinosaurs speak directly to today's climate crisis. A must-read for all lovers of prehistoric life!
Joshua Jung, paleoartist (@Ingen_fx)
A fascinating blend of deep-time paleontology and modern climate science. Jevnikar shows us the past to help us navigate the future. There is hope for a better tomorrow if we act today.
Dr. Brian Curtice, founder of Fossil Crates
A lively account of how changing climates have influenced the history of life on Earth.
Dr. Mike Benton, professor at the University of Bristol and author of Extinctions: How Life Survives, Adapts and Evolves
Surviving Climate and Chaos is used in book clubs, classroom curriculum (high school and undergraduate), and reading groups across the country.
10 questions designed to spark conversation, organized by chapter.
Classroom-ready activity prompts and supplementary reading lists (Grades 9–12 and undergrad).
Evan does virtual book club appearances and Q&A calls for groups reading the book. Email hello (at) dailydinoguy.com to schedule.
| Where | Format | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| dailydinoguy.shop, Daily Dino Guy direct | Paperback | Direct support of the author; full margin stays with Evan |
| Barnes & Noble | Paperback | Familiar retailer, fast shipping |
| Amazon, Daily Dino Guy storefront | Paperback | #1 New Release in 4 paleontology categories |
| Your local independent bookseller | Paperback | Independent bookstore support; ask at the counter or use Bookshop.org |
| Bulk orders for schools / book clubs | Custom | Email hello (at) dailydinoguy.com for bulk pricing |
Surviving Climate and Chaos: What Dinosaurs Teach Us About Climate Change and Resilience is a book by paleontologist Evan Jevnikar exploring what 250 million years of mass extinction biology reveals about resilience and the current climate crisis. It walks through Earth's five mass extinctions, identifying which species survived, why, and what that pattern means for the climate moment we're navigating now.
Surviving Climate and Chaos was written by Evan Jevnikar, a paleontologist and science storyteller. Evan earned his MS in Biological Sciences from NC State University, where he studied tyrannosaur tooth morphometrics and growth patterns in Dr. Lindsay Zanno's paleontology lab, after completing a geology degree at the University of Kansas. He has fieldwork experience on Nanotyrannus and Fona herzogae, is the founder of Daily Dino Guy, and is based in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Yes. Surviving Climate and Chaos was a #1 New Release on Amazon in four categories, Biology of Fossils, Biology of Dinosaurs, Evolution, and Paleontology. It has been endorsed by paleontologists including Dr. Mike Benton (University of Bristol), Dr. Peter Makovicky (University of Minnesota), Dr. Gregory Paul (author of The Princeton Field Guides to Dinosaurs), and Dr. Brian Curtice (founder of Fossil Crates).
Surviving Climate and Chaos is available directly from the author at dailydinoguy.shop (direct support, full margin to the author), from Barnes & Noble, from Amazon, and from your local independent bookseller. The book is currently available in paperback.
Yes. Surviving Climate and Chaos is used in high school and undergraduate classrooms covering paleontology, biology, geology, environmental science, and climate change. A free discussion guide is available for educators and book clubs, and the author offers virtual visits to classes and reading groups.
No. Surviving Climate and Chaos is Evan Jevnikar's own book. Evan also partnered with HarperCollins on a separate book launch campaign for a different author's title that did land on the New York Times bestseller list, but the two are distinct works.
For press inquiries related to Surviving Climate and Chaos, email press (at) dailydinoguy.com. Bios, headshots, and interview-ready resources are at dailydinoguy.com/press.