Major Themes
Just as Far-Seer explored the intersection of science and religion, Fossil Hunter does as well, with its protagonist, Toroca, functioning as the Quintaglios' version of Charles Darwin. His discovery of unique Pterosaur species at the South Pole parallels the exotic flora and fauna Darwin encountered on the Galapagos Islands, and Toroca likewise comes up with a theory of Natural Selection to explain their specialised features. However, Robert J. Sawyer alters the situation for the Quintaglios slightly by making it appear as if their fossil record supports Creationism, due to the transplant of life from Earth millions of years earlier.
Compared to Far-Seer, however, the science vs. religion angle has been downplayed slightly, and rather than following a single, linear narrative as the previous book did, Fossil Hunter has several plot threads which tie into and complement one another. Robert J. Sawyer, a self-professed murder/mystery fiction fan, wrote a murder/mystery plot line into Fossil Hunter.
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