★ A monumental biography of life on Earth, blending scientific depth with a humanistic perspective.
★ By Stanislav Drobyshevsky, a Russian PhD in Biology and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Moscow State University!
★ From the toxic atmosphere of the primordial oceans to the triumphant reign of Mesozoic giants, and to the very moment when Homo sapiens first wielded stone tools, Russia’s leading anthropologist, Stanislav Drobyshevsky, uses 4.6 billion years as his timeline to vividly reconstruct every breath, every catastrophe, and every rebirth of our planet.
★ “Long Night Planet” transcends the confines of mere popular science, revealing how ancient creatures, by reshaping the biosphere, indirectly compelled our ancestors to pick up stone tools—a grand historical narrative that redefines the reader’s worldview.

This series comprises three volumes:
“Long Night Planet • Volume I: The Precambrian and Paleozoic Eras”
“Long Night Planet • Volume II: The Mesozoic Era and the Evolution of Life”
“Long Night Planet • Volume III: The Cenozoic Era and the Rise of Homo Sapiens”

The primordial ocean and a toxic atmosphere, the first organisms venturing onto land, and cataclysmic mass extinctions—these might sound like the plot of a horror film. But in fact, they describe the Precambrian and Paleozoic eras. How did life originate? How did Earth’s atmosphere evolve? And how did all this shape our planet’s history? Packed with fascinating historical facts and featuring original illustrations that recreate the landscapes of Earth’s various geological periods, this book immerses readers in the wondrous world of paleontology.
This book is the first installment of the “Long Night Planet ” trilogy, offering a sweeping reconstruction of life on Earth during the Precambrian and Paleozoic eras. Written by Stanislav Drobyshevsky, a Russian PhD in biology and associate professor of anthropology at Moscow State University, it presents a unique anthropological perspective on Earth’s deep history: the primordial ocean, the toxic atmosphere, the colonization of land by life, and ancient mass extinctions—all centered on the Precambrian and Paleozoic. It addresses fundamental questions about the origins of life, the evolution of the atmosphere, and the development of life on Earth, while including engaging historical anecdotes and original paleogeographic reconstructions.

[Author] Stanislav Drobyshevsky
A Russian paleoanthropologist, Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor at the Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, and a bestselling author. He was nominated for the “Devotion to Science” Award as “Popularizer of the Year” in 2017 and received the Russian Academy of Sciences Prize for Outstanding Popular Science Works in 2019.
From 1995 to 2000, he studied anthropology at the Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, graduating with honors. From 2000 to 2004, he pursued graduate studies and successfully defended his dissertation on January 9, 2004, earning the degree of Candidate of Biological Sciences. His thesis was titled “A Comprehensive Analysis of the Phylogenetic Relationships of Pliocene–Pleistocene Hominids Based on Cranial, Skeletal, and Paleo‑neurological Data.” Since 2003/2005, he has worked at the Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, and has been an Associate Professor since 2011. His research focuses primarily on human origins (human evolution), cranial measurements, paleoneurology (brain evolution), hominid systematics and phylogeny, and the influence of environmental factors on the evolution of human ancestors.
Stanislav is a co‑founder and scientific editor‑in‑chief of the website “Human Origins.RU” (launched around 2010–2011, together with science journalist Alexander Sokolov), one of the most important platforms for popularizing human origins in the Russian‑speaking world. He also runs a personal YouTube channel, frequently delivers public lectures, and participates in popular science projects such as “Scientists Against Myths.” He often appears on television and radio, and since March 2021 has hosted the program “Homo Sapiens” on the RTVI channel. He has taken part in numerous archaeological excavations and anthropological expeditions. He is the author of several bestselling popular science books, including the “Brief History of Plants” series, as well as “The Missing Link,” “Monsters of Eden,” “The Origin of Humans,” “Stories from the Cave,” and “Fighting for Lunch.” He excels at presenting rigorous science as engaging “detective stories” in clear, humorous language.