AN INTRODUCTION TO PALEOBOTANY By CHESTER A. ARNOLD. PREFACE: The preparation of this book was motivated by a longfelt need for a concise yet fairly comprehensive textbook of paleobotahy for use in American colleges and universities. Although se jftrate courses in paleobotany are not offered in many institutionsfifr ssil plants are fre quently treated in regular courses in botany and aleontology. In these courses both student and instructor are often compelled to resort to widely scattered publications, which are not always conveniently avail able. Lack of ready access to sources of information has retarded instruction in paleobotany and has lessened the number of students specializing in this field. Another effect no less serious hag bteen the frequent lack of appreciation by botanists and paleontologists yf the importance of fossil plants in biological and geological science. The two works of reference principally used by British and American students of paleobotany within recent decades have been Sewards Fossil Plants and Scotts Studies in Fossil Botany the former con sisting of four volumes, published - at intervals between 1898 and 191 7, and the latter of two volumes, the last edition of which appeared in 1920 and 1923. Both are now put of print, and although they will continue to occupy a prominent place among the great works in paleobotany, they are already in many respects obsolete. Since the publication of the last edition of Scotts Studies, many new and important discoveries have been made, which have not only added greatly to our knowledge of fossil plants but which have altered our interpretations of some of them. Many of the newer contributions have resulted fromtechniques scarcely known to the writers of the first quarter of the present century. Thfese new techniques have also brought about certain shifts of emphasis, which are evident when one compares certain portions of this book with the writings of 30 years ago. The arrangement and scope of the subject matter is in part the result of 17 years of experience in teaching a small course in paleobotany open to advanced undergraduate and graduate students, most of whom were majors or minors in botany or biology. The approach to the subject is therefore essentially botanical. Paleobotany as a subdivision of paleon tology can be treated either biologically or geologically, but the two approaches are so different that to tiy to combine them would result only in confusion and lack of clarity. The present arrangement, therefore, is followed partly because of the necessity of making a choice, but mostly because of the authors conviction that it is best for instructional purposes. The author is not unaware of the preoccupation with paleo botany of many geologists who might with good reason prefer a presenta tion following the geologic time scale. Their requirements are met to some extent by the inclusion of the chapter on The Sequence of the Plant World in Geologic Time, in which an effort is made to summarize the floras of the eras and periods. Then, in dealing with some of the plant groups, the most ancient members are described first, thereby giving some idea of the major steps in development from their first appearance down to the present. In making selections of subject matter an author can hardly avoid being partial to his particular interests to the neglect of other material. In spite of aneffort to avoid bias, the ready admission is made that this book is not free from it...

This new treatise is comprised of 24 papers covering virtually every recent development regarding fossil horses, rhinos, tapirs, and their extinct relatives. It includes materials currently available in no other reference, such as information on the oldest known rhino and the oldest known perissodactyl, as well as papers debunking myths about the evolution of horses, and strong evidence that hyraxes are not related to elephants. The summary chapter includes useful charts which show the relationships of all perissodactyl genera, their distribution in time and space, and a new classification of the order.

Deep in the wilderness of northern Maine in the mid-1950s, a Harvard PhD student is wading down a mountain stream into a remote valley. He is taking his first steps to map the geology of 300 square miles of Baxter State Park. He soon discovers a series of unusually shaped rock outcrops-part of an unknown geologic formation, hundreds of millions of years old, still mystifying today because of its relative lack of change despite nearby volcanic activity and massive land movement. Wading on, he has another surprise. In a thin layer of black shale beside the stream, he finds a small fossil of a plant. Little does he know, but his discovery of Perticaquadrifaria will help scientists unlock the details of a major event in the history of our planet-the transition of plants to land, an occurrence that continues to have a critical influence on the Earth's life-supporting processes, including climate. The 400-million-year-old, Devonian Era Pertica fossils have been found nowhere else on Earth but that enigmatic rock formation deep in the Maine woods. Pertica was one of the very first land plants and is thought to have been the tallest of the time. Today, the site of the fossil's discovery lies in the shadow of an Eastern White Pine, which now takes the ancient plant's place as the tallest plant on the land in the eastern United States. This fascinating story explores the work of geologists and paleobotanists as they attempt to demystify the land and reveal the ancient life forms that settled on it. It explores the hypothesis that these two tall plants (Pertica and White Pine) are related and asks: What can these two plants, one ancient, and one modern, tell us about the past and perhaps hint at the future?

This 10th volume in the DPER series is intended to show how stable isotopes can be applied to understanding the palaeoenvironment. There are chapters on the interpretation of isotopes in water, tree rings, bones and teeth, lake sediments, speleothems and marine sediments. Isotopes can be extremely powerful palaeoenvironmental tools, however, as with all archives it is desirable to carry out a calibration exercise to investigate the basic systematics of isotope variation in the modern environment to establish the relationship between the measured signal and the isotope composition of the host. A robust calibration is seldom easy so isotope methods should be used in conjunction with a multi-proxy approach, using isotope signals from different materials or combined with other palaeoenvironmental techniques.

This volume discusses the aspects of a phylogenetic analysis that go beyond basic calculation of most parsimonious trees. Practical application of all principles discussed is illustrated by reference to TNT, a freely available software package that can perform all the steps needed in a phylogenetic analysis. The first problem considered is how to summarize and compare multiple trees (including identification and handling wildcard taxa). Evaluation of the strength of support for groups, another critical component of any phylogenetic analysis, is given careful consideration. The different interpretations of measures of support are discussed and connected with alternative implementations. The book reviews rationales for estimating character reliability on the basis of homoplasy, with particular attention to morphological characters. The main methods for character weighting and their practical implementation, several of them unique to TNT, are discussed ad libitum. Also unique to TNT is the ability to directly analyze morphometric data (including landmarks), on the same footing as discrete characters. Finally, the scripting language of TNT is introduced. With scripting, it is possible to "program" TNT to create personalized routines and automate complex calculations, taking analyses to the next level and allowing exploration of new methods and ideas. Key Features Discusses the treatment of ambiguity in phylogenetic analyses in depth, for summarizing results or comparing trees Reviews literature on arguments and methods for weighting morphological characters and their practical application Describes theory and application of methods for evaluating strength of group support, based on either resampling or comparisons with suboptimal trees Discusses the use of morphometric characters in phylogenetic analysis Presents extensive information on commands and options of the TNT computer program, including the use and creation of scripts

Problematic fossils--those groups of organisms that do not fit conveniently into any existing phylum--play a pivotal role in the reconstruction of the history of life, being in effect "early experiments." This lavishly illustrated volume provides careful analyses and descriptions--in anatomical, functional, and developmental terms--of most of the major problematic fossil taxa. Sixteen original papers, written by internationally recognized scholars, discuss the features that make these taxa problematic and that provide clues to their phylogenetic relationships. Since Precambrian groups have been well covered in the existing literature, Hoffman and Nitecki focus on Paleozoic, and especially Early Paleozoic organisms, although Precambrian biota are also discussed.

This book is a unique compendium and synthesis of the cumulative knowledge of more than 100 years of discovery and study of North American tertiary mammals. The potentially most valuable contribution of this book is the detailed information of the distribution in time and space of each species at fossil localities, recorded in a uniform scheme, so that each chapter provides the same level of information. Thirty six chapters are devoted to a particular family or order, written by leading North American authorities, including discussion of anatomical features, systematics, and paleobiology. Three introductory chapters summarize information on the geological time scale, Tertiary vegetation, and Pleistocene events, and four summary chapters integrate systematic and biogeographic information for higher taxa. This book will serve as a unique data base for continuing studies in faunal diversification and change, and for questions such as how changing biogeography and climates influenced the evolution of mammalian communities. It will be an invaluable addition to the libraries of paleontologists and zoologists.

Key Features A timely book for a still pressing problem Contributions by many of the leading figures in the debate. Summarizes the many new contributions to the field of recent years. For the use of upper level seminars and courses A dialogue format will generate further discussion

Key Features A timely book for a still pressing problem Contributions by many of the leading figures in the debate. Summarizes the many new contributions to the field of recent years. For the use of upper level seminars and courses A dialogue format will generate further discussion

The Neoproterozoic Era (1000-542 million years ago) has become a major focus of geobiological investigations because it is a geological period characterized by dramatic climatic change and important evolutionary innovations. Repeated glaciations of unusual magnitude occurred throughout this tumultuous interval, and various eukaryotic clades independently achieved multicellularity, becoming more complex, abundant, and diverse at its termination. Animals made their first debut in the Neoproterozoic too. This volume presents a sample of views and visions among some of the growing numbers of Neoproterozoic workers. It includes a set of multidisciplinary reviews on the Neoproterozoic fossil record (animals, algae, acritarchs, protists, and trace fossils), evolutionary developmental biology of animals, molecular clock estimates of phylogenetic divergences, and Neoproterozoic chemostratigraphy and sedimentary geology.

This book comprehensively explores the early evolution of life and the Archean environment. Topics include the differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes, variations in metabolisms, concepts of ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles (nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorous), Archean geology and environments, and the widely accepted early evolutionary history of life. The text addresses controversies regarding early life and its environment, particularly the unusual microfossil assemblages from the 3.4 Ga Strelley Pool Formation and the 3.0 Ga Farrel Quartzite of Western Australia. Readers will get a fuller picture of the Archean world, and an appreciation of many still unresolved questions. Key Features Illustrated with figures visualizing ecosystems, biogeochemical cycles etc which are indispensable for understanding the Archean Earth. Includes tables arranging key words, definitions, and interpretations. Documents the Archean environment with photographic evidence and detailed descriptions the rocks, minerals and microfossils. Summarizes the latest field research. Details exciting unresolved questions for future study.

Provides an up-to-date account of evolution of vertebrates Includes numerous beautiful color reconstructions of prehistoric vertebrates Describes extinct vertebrates and their evolutionary history Discusses and illustrates the first vertebrates, as well as familiar lineages of fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals Reviews mass extinctions and other important events in the diversification of vertebrates

Provides an up-to-date account of evolution of vertebrates Includes numerous beautiful color reconstructions of prehistoric vertebrates Describes extinct vertebrates and their evolutionary history Discusses and illustrates the first vertebrates, as well as familiar lineages of fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals Reviews mass extinctions and other important events in the diversification of vertebrates

Originally published in 1915, The Natural Theology of Evolution looks at the concept of natural theology, examining the argument for the existence of God based on reason and ordinary experiences of nature. The book looks at natural theology in light of Darwin's theory of evolution, and how this important discovery affected belief in intelligent design. The book argues that the discovery of evolution, far from diminishing the existence of God, provides stronger proof for an intelligently designed earth and therefore the existence of God. This book provides a unique and interesting take on the debates surrounding evolution in the late 19th and early 20th century. It will be of interest to philosophers, historians of religion and natural historians alike.

Evolution is the single unifying principle of biology and core to everything in the life sciences. More than a century of work by scientists from across the biological spectrum has produced a detailed history of life across the phyla and explained the mechanisms by which new species form. This textbook covers both this history and the mechanisms of speciation; it also aims to provide students with the background needed to read the research literature on evolution. Students will therefore learn about cladistics, molecular phylogenies, the molecular-genetical basis of evolutionary change including the important role of protein networks, symbionts and holobionts, together with the core principles of developmental biology. The book also includes introductory appendices that provide background knowledge on, for example, the diversity of life today, fossils, the geology of Earth and the history of evolutionary thought. Key Features Summarizes the origins of life and the evolution of the eukaryotic cell and of Urbilateria, the last common ancestor of invertebrates and vertebrates. Reviews the history of life across the phyla based on the fossil record and computational phylogenetics. Explains evo-devo and the generation of anatomical novelties. Illustrates the roles of small populations, genetic drift, mutation and selection in speciation. Documents human evolution using the fossil record and evidence of dispersal across the world leading to the emergence of modern humans.

Originally published in 1987 Rates of Evolution is an edited collection drawn from a symposium convened to bring together palaeontologists, geneticists, molecular biologists and developmental biologists to examine some aspects of the problem of evolutionary rates. The book asks questions surrounding the study of evolution, such as did large morphological changes really occur rapidly at various times in the geological past, or is the fossil record too imperfect to be of value in assessing rates of morphological change? What is the measure of 'rapid' change? Is stasis at any taxonomic level established? Is it possible to relate genomic and morphological change? What is the role of regulatory and executive genes in controlling evolutionary change? Does the transfer of genetic material between different taxa provide the possibility of increasing evolutionary rates? Featuring contributions from leading researchers, this book will interest anthropologists, palaeontology and scientists of evolution and genetics.

The history of scientific research and technological development is replete with examples of breakthroughs that have advanced the frontiers of knowledge, but seldom does it record events that constitute paradigm shifts in broad areas of intellectual pursuit. One notable exception, however, is that of spin electronics (also called spintronics, magnetoelectronics or magnetronics), wherein information is carried by electron spin in addition to, or in place of, electron charge. It is now well established in scientific and engineering communities that Moore's Law, having been an excellent predictor of integrated circuit density and computer performance since the 1970s, now faces great challenges as the scale of electronic devices has been reduced to the level where quantum effects become significant factors in device operation. Electron spin is one such effect that offers the opportunity to continue the gains predicted by Moore's Law, by taking advantage of the confluence of magnetics and semiconductor electronics in the newly emerging discipline of spin electronics. From a fundamental viewpoine, spin-polarization transport in a material occurs when there is an imbalance of spin populations at the Fermi energy. In ferromagnetic metals this imbalance results from a shift in the energy states available to spin-up and spin-down electrons. In practical applications, a ferromagnetic metal may be used as a source of spin-polarized electronics to be injected into a semiconductor, a superconductor or a normal metal, or to tunnel through an insulating barrier.

This book summarizes the taxonomic details of selected fossil angiosperm pollen genera and species along with their affinity and occurrences in space and time. It provides information about the historical background of palynology from Palaeogene and Neogene sediments in India, general pollen morphology along with the terms commonly used in describing fossil angiosperm pollen and an overview of the Indian Tertiary sediments. A complete list of genera described in this book is given. It also includes a key for identification of Indian angiosperm genera as well as a description of selected fossil angiosperm pollen from India along with their Indian records, illustrations, locality, age and horizon from where these have been reported. In all 130 genera and 402 species have been dealt with. The names of genera and species are arranged alphabetically. The Discussion part includes a summarized account of palynofloras, their biostratigraphic application in various regions of India and their palaeogeographical and palaeoclimatic implications.

Originally published in 1995, The Antievolution Pamphlets of Harry Rimmer is the sixth volume in the series, Creationism in Twentieth Century America. The volume brings together original sources from the prominent evangelist and pastor Harry Rimmer. The consortium of pamphlets in this volume detail Rimmer's antievolutionist sentiments, a notion which characterized his early writings. The pamphlets detail Rimmer's rhetoric on evolution and science from the early part of the 20th century as he travelled across America to disseminate his writings. The works in this volume address Rimmer's polemic on the danger posed by modern science and the consequential disassociation with religion. While Rimmer did not discount science itself, he argued for, what he termed, 'true science', claiming that modern science was based only in scientific opinion and not fact. As a self-proclaimed scientist, these writings take a unique view of the relationship between religion and science from this period through Rimmer's dual nature as both scientist and pastor. This volume will be of great interest to historians of natural history, science and religion.

Originally published in 1995, The Selected Works of George McCready Price is the seventh volume in the series, Creationism in Twentieth Century America, reissued in 2021. The volume brings together the original writings and pamphlets of George McCready Price, a leading creationist of the early antievolution crusade of the 1920s. McCready Price labelled himself the 'principal scientific authority of the Fundamentalists' and as a self-taught scientist he enjoyed more scientific repute amongst fundamentalists of the time. This interesting and unique collection of original source material includes five of his writings between 1906 and 1924, challenging the new Darwinian theory of evolution and natural selection through his writings on the natural sciences. His literature covers the topics of evolution and biology and critiques biological arguments for evolution. He also wrote widely on geology offering his own alternative argument of 'flood geography' in opposition to the Darwinian theory concerning palaeontology and geology. This volume will be of interest to historians of natural history and the creationism movement, as well as scholars of religion and American history.

This book celebrates the relaunch of the African Pollen Database, presents state-of-the-art of modern and ancient pollen data from sub-Saharan Africa, and promotes Open Access science. Pollen grains are powerful tools for the study of past vegetation dynamics because they preserve well within sedimentary deposits and have a huge diversity in ornamentation that allows different taxa to be determined. The reconstruction of past vegetation from the examination of ancient pollen records thus can be used to characterize the nature of past landscapes (e.g. abundance of forests vs. grasslands), provide insights into changes in biodiversity, and gain empirical evidence of vegetation response to climatic change and human activity. In this, the 35th Volume of "Palaeoecology of Africa", we bring together new data and extensive synthetic reviews to provide novel insights into the relationships between human evolution, human activity, climate change and vegetation dynamics during the Quaternary, the last 2.6 million years.

Current and ongoing climate and land-use change is exerting pressure on modern vegetation formations and threatening the livelihoods and wellbeing of many peoples in Africa. In this book the focus is on the Quaternary because it is during this geological period that the modern vegetation formations developed into their current configurations against a backdrop of high magnitude global climate change (glacial-interglacial cycles), human evolution, and a growing human land-use footprint. In this book the latest information is presented and collated from around the African continent to parameterize past vegetation states, identify the drivers of vegetation change, and assess the vegetation resilience to change. To achieve this research from two broad themes are covered: (i) the present is the key to the past (i.e. studies which improve our understanding of modern environments so that we can better interpret evidence from the past), and (ii) the past is the key to the future (i.e. studies which unlock information on how and why vegetation changed in the past so one can better anticipate trajectories of future change).

This Open Access book will provide a strong foundation for future research exploring past ecological, environmental and climatic change within Africa and the surrounding islands. The book is organized regionally (covering western, eastern, central, and southern Africa) and it contains specialized articles focused on particular topics (such as modern pollen-vegetation relationships and fire as a driver of vegetation change), as well as regional and pan-African syntheses drawing together decades of research to assess key scientific questions (including the role of climate in driving vegetation change and the role of vegetation change in human evolution). These articles will be useful to students and teachers from high school to the highest level of university who are interested in the origins and dynamics of vegetation in Africa. Furthermore, it is also meant to provide societally relevant information that can act as an inspiration for the development of sustainable management practices for the future.

Table of Contents

1. Rise of the Palaeoecology of Africa series

2. The African Pollen Database (APD) and tracing environmental change: State of the Art

3. Preliminary evidence for green, brown and black worlds in tropical western Africa during the Middle and Late Pleistocene

4. Holocene high-altitude vegetation dynamics on Emi Koussi, Tibesti Mountains (Chad, Central Sahara)

5. Timing and nature of the end of the African Humid Period in the Sahel: Insight from pollen data

6. Changes in the West African landscape at the end of the African Humid Period

7. Reconstructing vegetation history of the Olorgesailie Basin during the Middle to Late Pleistocene using phytolith data

8. Sedimentological, palynological and charcoal analyses of the hydric palustrine sediments from the Lielerai-Kimana wetlands, Kajiado, southern Kenya

9. The new Garba Guracha palynological se-quence: Revision and data expansion

10. Lower to Mid-Pliocene pollen data from East African hominid sites, a review

11. Ecosystem change and human-environment interactions of Arabia

12. The challenge of pollen-based quantitative reconstruction of Holocene plant cover in tropical regions: A pilot study in Cameroon

13. A Holocene pollen record from Mboandong, a crater lake in lowland Cameroon

14. Future directions of palaeoecological research in the hyper-diverse Cape Floristic Region: The role of palynological studies

15. An atlas of southern African pollen types and their climatic affinities

16. Pollen productivity estimates from KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg, South Africa

17. Modern pollen-vegetation relationships in the Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa

18. A Late Holocene pollen and microcharcoal record from Eilandvlei, southern Cape coast, South Africa

19. A ~650 year pollen and microcharcoal record from Vankervelsvlei, South Africa

20. Pollen records of the 14th and 20th centuries AD from Lake Tsizavatsy in southwest Madagascar

21. Modern pollen studies from tropical Africa and their use in palaeoecology

22. Vegetation response to millennial- and orbital-scale climate changes in Africa:

A view from the Ocean

23. Inside-of-Africa: How landscape openness shaped Homo sapiens evolution by facilitating dispersal and gene-flow in Middle and Late Pleistocene Africa

24. The role of palaeoecology in conserving African ecosystems

INVESTIGATING FOSSILS INVESTIGATING FOSSILS A HISTORY OF PALAEONTOLOGY Investigating Fossils - A History of Palaeontology is a concise and accessible look at changing attitudes to palaeontology in general, and fossils in particular. From the existential and philosophical debates arising from fossils - such as their implications for the age of the Earth - to their role as markers in Darwin's theory of evolution, fossils have been the centre of highly charged debate for over two centuries. This book, which is aimed at anyone with an interest in the history and philosophy of science, not only describes the process of fossil formation and the history of the discovery of fossils. It goes further, and highlights the continuing importance of fossils to our ever-developing understanding of where the planet and its myriad species have come from. Painting a vivid, lively portrait of the history and development of palaeontology, Investigating Fossils is a fascinating and informative tour of the recent history - and possible future - of the science of fossils.

This book presents perspectives on the past and present state of the understanding of snake origins. It reviews and critiques data and ideas from paleontology and neontology (herpetology), as well as ideas from morphological and molecular phylogenetics. The author reviews the anatomy and morphology of extant snakes. Methods are also critiqued, including those empirical and theoretical methods employed to hypothesize ancestral ecologies for snakes. The modern debate on squamate phylogeny and snake ingroup phylogeny using molecules and morphology is examined critically to provide insights on origins and evolution. Key Features Important major evolutionary transformation in vertebrate evolution Continuing historical debate in vertebrate paleontology Of wide interest to a core audience of paleontologists, herpetologists, and morphologists Author acknowledged as prominent contributor to debate over snake origins Based on remarkable well preserved fossil specimens

Quaternary studies provide the essential context for evaluation of what is happening with the earth's climate today, and to clarify our vulnerability to hazardous natural processes. This book covers scientific aspects of past and present climatic changes of the quaternary period focused on the Indian subcontinent via response of modern environmental conditions on climate proxies, reconstruction of paleoclimate, paleomonsoon, glacial geology, climate variabilities using dendrochronology, cave deposits including quaternary tectonics and climate change over the Himalayan region. It consists of data generated from different landforms including lakes, caves, rivers, swamps, pits, and trenches using different proxies. Aimed at researchers, graduate students, professionals in geology, geography and environmental sciences, micropaleontology, and Quaternary climate change, this book: Studies Quaternary climate using various proxies in varied environments on the Indian sub-continent Covers pertinent historical and environmental archives to understand the current climate scenario Discusses the impact of climate change on biotic and abiotic components Includes thorough review of paleoclimate change studies Devotes significant space to glacial geology and all glacial climate proxies

Computational paleontology is simply a term applied to using computers and its facilities in the field of paleontology. However, we should be exactly precise in describing the term through explaining the main themes of this motivating and attractive scientific field.

The uppermost aim of this book is to explain how computation could be competent in fetching fossils to life and the past to present. Computers for paleontologists save time and costs, interpret mysterious events precisely and accurately, visualize the ancient life definitely and undeniably.