Evolution of Fossil Ecosystems

by Paul Selden, John Nudds

Overview

Evolution of Fossil Ecosystems describes all of the main Fossil Lagerstätten (sites of exceptional fossil preservation) from around the world in a chronological order. It covers the history of research, stratigraphy and taphonomy, main faunal and floral elements, and the palaeoecology of each site and gives a comparison with coeval sites around the world. It includes all of the well-known fossil sites, such as the Burgess Shale, the Solnhofen Limestone, Mazon Creek, Rancho La Brea etc., and includes an appendix giving information on how to visit the sites and where to see the fossils in museum displays.

Available now in its second edition, Lagerstätten included for the first time include Chengjiang, the Herefordshire Nodules and the Jehol Group. A welcome addition to the list of important localities of Cenozoic age is the White River Group, which preserves the finest examples of mammals around the Eocene-Oligocene boundary, including many now-extinct groups.

The book is beautifully illustrated throughout with over 450 colour photographs and diagrams, and it is extensively referenced. Evolution of Fossil Ecosystems is essential reading to a wide range of students and professionals in palaeontology and related sciences, and to amateur enthusiasts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781840761603
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/15/2012
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	7.62(w) x 10.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Paul Selden, John Nudds

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements, Abbreviations, Foreword, Introduction, Chapter 1 Ediacara, Chapter 2 The Burgess Shale, Chapter 3 Chengjiang, Chapter 4 The Soom Shale, Chapter 5 The Herefordshire Nodules, Chapter 6 The Hunsrück Slate, Chapter 7 The Rhynie Chert, Chapter 8 Mazon Creek, Chapter 9 Karoo, Chapter 10 Gre‘s a‘ Voltzia, Chapter 11 The Holzmaden Shale, Chapter 12 The Morrison Formation, Chapter 13 The Solnhofen Limestone, Chapter 14 The Jehol Group, Chapter 15 El Montsec and Las Hoyas, Chapter 16 The Santana and Crato Formations, Chapter 17 Grube Messel, Chapter 18 The White River Group, Chapter 19 Baltic Amber, Chapter 20 Rancho La Brea, References

Editorial Reviews

"This is the second edition of this fine book that first appeared about 10 years ago.  At that time it was seen as a breath of fresh air that shone a light onto areas of palaeontology that had previously only been the preserve of the expert through academic papers.  In this enlarged second edition the authors have retained the same high standard, have updated a number of chapters and, most importantly, have added new case studies from around the world."—Down to Earth Magazine, December 2012 (no. 81) "In this update of the 2005 edition, paleontologists Selden…and Nudds…focus on sites in North America. Devoted to a site or related sites (e.g, Rancho La Brea near Los Angeles), each chapter provides information on its evolutionary context, discovery, subsequent research, stratigraphic setting, biota, paleoecology, and comparisons with similar sites worldwide."—Reference and Research Book News, February 2013

Praise for the first edition:

"Excellent book... It’s just the job for students and teachers, and the general fossil enthusiast will get a lot from this guide to some of the world’s best fossil sites."—New Scientist "There is a good balance between illustrations and critical, informative text... highly recommended."—Geoscientist "It deserves to be a cornerstone text in undergraduate teaching... buy this book." —The Systematist "... it is much more than a pictorial guide to fossils, yet really does have the ‘wow look at that’ factor."—Palaeontological Newsletter

From the Publisher