Nothing fills us with a sense of wonder like fossils. What looks at first like a simple rock is in fact a clue that reveals the staggering diversity of ancient environments, the winding pathways of evolution, and the majesty of a vanished earth. But as much as one might daydream of digging a hole in the backyard and finding a Tyrannosaurus, only a few places contain these buried treasures, and when a scientist comes across a remnant of prehistoric life, great care must be taken. What do budding paleontologists need to know before starting their search?
In Fantastic Fossils, Donald R. Prothero offers an accessible, entertaining, and richly illustrated guide to the paleontologist’s journey. He details the best places to look for fossils, the art of how to find them, and how to classify the major types. Prothero provides expert wisdom about typical fossils that an average person can hope to collect and how to hunt fossils responsibly and ethically. He also explores the lessons that both common and rarer discoveries offer about paleontology and its history, as well as what fossils can tell us about past climates and present climate change. Captivating illustrations by the paleoartist Mary Persis Williams bring to life hundreds of important specimens. Offering valuable lessons for armchair enthusiasts and paleontology students alike, Fantastic Fossils is an essential companion for all readers who have ever dreamed of going in search of traces of a lost world.
- Table of Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Part I. Fossils Are Where You Find Them
- 1. Fantastic Fossils
- 2. How Are Fossils Formed?
- 3. What Kinds of Rocks Yield Fossils?
- 4. Where Do You Find Fossils?
- 5. Dating Fossils
- 6. Collecting Fossils: Badlands
- 7. Collecting Fossils: Beaches
- 8. Collecting Fossils: Quarries and Roadcuts
- 9. The Crucial Step: Collecting Data
- Part II. Identifying Your Fossils
- 10. What’s in a Name?
- 11. Phylum Porifera: Sponges and Their Relatives
- 12. Phylum Cnidaria (Coelenterates): Sea Jellies, Sea Anemones, and Corals
- 13. Phylum Brachiopoda: Brachiopods, or Lamp Shells
- 14. Phylum Bryozoa: Bryozoans, or Moss Animals
- 15. Phylum Arthropoda: Trilobites and Their Relatives
- 16. Phylum Mollusca: Clams, Snail, Squids, and Their Relatives
- 17. Phylum Echinodermata: Sea Stars, Sea Urchins, and Their Relatives
- 18. Phylum Hemichordata: Graptolites
- 19. Phylum Chordata: Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals
- 20. Paleobotany: Fossil Plants
- Index
- Color Illustrations
Text
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