Paleontology: An Illustrated History

by David Bainbridge

Overview

An illustrated look at the art and science of paleontology from its origins to today

Humans have been stumbling upon the petrified remains of ancient animals since prehistoric times, leading to tales of giant dogs, deadly dragons, tree gods, sea serpents, and all manner of strange and marvelous creatures. In this richly illustrated book, David Bainbridge recounts how legends like these gradually gave rise to the modern science of paleontology, and how this pioneering discipline has reshaped our view of the natural world.

Bainbridge takes readers from ancient Greece to the eighteenth century, when paleontology began to coalesce into the scientific field we know today, and discusses how contemporary paleontologists use cutting-edge technologies to flesh out the discoveries of past and present. He brings to life the stories and people behind some of the greatest fossil finds of all time, and explains how paleontology has long straddled the spheres of science and art. Bainbridge also looks to the future of the discipline, discussing how the rapid recovery of DNA and other genetic material from the fossil record promises to revolutionize our understanding of the origins and evolution of ancient life.

This panoramic book brings together stunning illustrations ranging from early sketches and engravings to eye-popping paleoart and high-tech computer reconstructions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691220925
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	02/08/2022
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	156,348
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

David Bainbridge is a comparative anatomist in the Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of St Catharine’s College. His many books include How Zoologists Organize Things: The Art of Classification; Stripped Bare: The Art of Animal Anatomy (Princeton); and Middle Age: A Natural History.

Table of Contents

Foreword: The Pleasure of Ruins 6

Introduction: When Fossils Became Life 10

Chapter 1

Organic Remains of a Former World 20

A Layered Chronology of Fossils William Smith 34

"The Greatest Fossilist the World Ever Knew" Mary Anning 52

Fossil Hunting in South America Charles Darwin 70

Chapter 2

A Preternatural Selection 78

The Bone Wars Charles Marsh Edward Drinker Cope 96

Leaping Laelaps and its Co-stars Charles Knight 108

The Burgess Shale and the Cambrian Explosion Charles Walcott 118

Chapter 3

From Indiana Jones to Iridium Anomaly 126

The Ends of the Earth Roy Chapman Andrews 140

Life Before Ancient Life Reg Sprigg Trevor Ford 154

Consuls, Nutcrackers, and Footprints in the Ash Mary Leakey 162

Did an Extraterrestrial Impact Kill the Dinosaurs? Luis Walter Alvarez 178

Chapter 4

The Modern Ancient 182

Gaining Ground Jenny Clack 194

Paleontology and Popcorn King Kong Jurassic Park 204

Reawakening Mammuthus primigenius Yuri Khudi 214

Life on Earth: Fossils From When the World Was Young 228

Credits 250

Index 254

Editorial Reviews

"A striking selection of vintage and modern palaeoart, archival photos of fossils and their discoverers, and scientific diagrams through the ages. The resulting Paleontology: An Illustrated History manages to combine the old and the new with the familiar and the unfamiliar into one neatly crafted package that makes for a very nice gift."—-Leon Vlieger, Inquisitive Biologist

"This book, written in lively prose, will both entertain and educate."—-David Gascoigne, Travels with Birds

"All paleontology enthusiasts will enjoy this book."—-T.A. Franz-Odendaal, CHOICE

"A well-written, well-illustrated, affordable book that will stimulate the inquisitive minds of budding and established naturalists alike to the wonders of palaeontology."—-Neil D. L. Clark, Archives of Natural History

From the Publisher