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Books > Earth & environment > Earth sciences > Palaeontology > General
This book serves as an up-to-date introduction, as well as overview
to modern trace fossil research and covers nearly all of the
essential aspects of modern ichnology. Divided into three section,
Trace Fossils covers the historical background and concepts of
ichnology, on-going research problems, and indications about the
possible future growth of the discipline and potential connections
to other fields. This work is intended for a broad audience of
geological and biological scientists. Workers new to the field
could get a sense of the main concepts of ichnology and a clear
idea of how trace fossil research is conducted. Scientists in
related disciplines could find potential uses for trace fossils in
their fields. And, established workers could use the book to check
on the progress of their particular brand of ichnology. By design,
there is something here for novice and veteran, insider and
outsider, and for the biologically-oriented workers and for the
sedimentary geologists.
* Presents a review of the state of ichnology at the beginning of
the 21st Century
* Summarizes the basic concepts and methods of modern trace fossil
research
* Discusses crucial background information about the history of
trace fossil research, the main concepts of ichnology, examples of
current problems and future directions, and the potential
connections to other disciplines within both biology and geology
A lavish volume in celebration of the astonishing fossils uncovered
in Abu Dhabi's deserts, a region once lush, green, and teeming with
now-extinct animals This lavish volume celebrates the astonishing
wealth of fossils uncovered in recent decades in Abu Dhabi's
desert. These prehistoric findings, around seven million years in
age, record a period when the region was lush, green, and teeming
with diverse mammals, all now extinct. With more than one hundred
full-color photographs, including reconstructions of extinct
animals, this book is both a visual delight and a unique glimpse
into Arabia's ancient past. All text in the book is presented in
both English and Arabic. Distributed for the Yale Peabody Museum of
Natural History
The permutation of basic atoms-nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, carbon
and phosphorus into the biomolecules DNA and RNA, subsequently
evolved in cells and brains, defining the origin of life and
intelligence, remains unexplained. Equally the origin of the
genetic information and the intertwined nature of 'hardware' and
'software' involved in the evolution of bio-molecules and the cells
are shrouded in mystery. This treatise aims at exploring individual
and swarm behaviour patterns which potentially hint at as yet
unknown biological principles. It reviews theories of evolution
with perspectives from the earth sciences, commencing with the
earliest observed records of life. This is followed by reviews and
discussion of the building blocks of life, marine and terrestrial
communities, the arthropods, birds and finally humans. It is
suggested that, further to the mutation/natural selection processes
established by Darwin and Wallace, an understanding of the
evolution of intelligence remains little understood. A
directionality of evolutionary trajectories is evident, not least
the purposeful thinking process of humans as well as animals. It is
not clear how directional intelligence, manifested for example by
the collective intelligence of arthropod colonies, has evolved from
mutation/natural selection processes. Potential clues for the
understanding of life and evolution are provided by Aristotle's
dictum of "the whole being greater than the sum of the parts",
Niels Bohr's principle of quantum complementarity and George Ellis'
theory of top-down causality. Inherent in the question of the
origin of life is an anthropocentric bias, related to the
self-referential Anthropic Principle and theological paradigms of
man's supposed dominion over all other species. The Anthropic
Principle, however, should be capable of being circumvented using
the scientific falsification method, assuming universal verified
constants of physics. The phenomenon of the human mastery of fire
and the splitting of the atom, leading to the seventh major mass
extinction of species, remains incomprehensible.
The Late Devonian and Permian-Triassic intervals are among the most
dynamic episodes of Earth history, marked by large secular changes
in continental ecosystems, dramatic fluctuations in ocean
oxygenation, major phases of biotic turnover, volcanism, bolide
impact events, and rapid fluctuations in stable isotope systems and
sea level. This volume highlights contributions from a broad range
of geological sub-disciplines currently striving to understand
these critical intervals of geologically rapid, global-scale
changes.
* Provides updated, current models for the mid-Late Devonian and
Permian-Triassic mass extinction episodes
* Highlights several new analytical approaches for developing
quantitative
datasets
* Takes an integrated approach presenting datasets from a broad
range of sub-disciplines
Revised, updated, and expanded with the latest interpretations and
fossil discoveries, the second edition of Oceans of Kansas adds new
twists to the fascinating story of the vast inland sea that
engulfed central North America during the Age of Dinosaurs. Giant
sharks, marine reptiles called mosasaurs, pteranodons, and birds
with teeth all flourished in and around these shallow waters. Their
abundant and well-preserved remains were sources of great
excitement in the scientific community when first discovered in the
1860s and continue to yield exciting discoveries 150 years later.
Michael J. Everhart vividly captures the history of these startling
finds over the decades and re-creates in unforgettable detail these
animals from our distant past and the world in which they
lived-above, within, and on the shores of America's ancient inland
sea.
This book envisages a multi-proxy approach using stable isotopes,
geochemical proxies, magnetic susceptibility and associated biotic
events for paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental interpretations of
the Mesozoic sedimentary record of India. Mesozoic rocks of India
record abnormal sea level rise, greenhouse climate, intensified
volcanism, hypoxia in seawater, extensive black shale deposition,
and hydrocarbon occurrence. The Mesozoic has also witnessed mass
extinction events, evolution of dinosaurs, and breakdown of the
supercontinent Pangea and the formation of Gondwana. Although the
Mesozoic geology of India has witnessed significant progress in the
last century, literature survey reveals a huge gap in knowledge
regarding sequence stratigraphy, chemostratigraphy and key
geological events. A synthesis of sedimentological, paleontological
and chemical data is included to presenting a comprehensive
understanding of the Indian Mesozoic record to students,
researchers and professionals.
The field of paleoclimatology relies on physical, chemical, and
biological proxies of past climate changes that have been preserved
in natural archives such as glacial ice, tree rings, sediments,
corals, and speleothems. Paleoclimate archives obtained through
field investigations, ocean sediment coring expeditions, ice sheet
coring programs, and other projects allow scientists to reconstruct
climate change over much of earth's history.
When combined with computer model simulations, paleoclimatic
reconstructions are used to test hypotheses about the causes of
climatic change, such as greenhouse gases, solar variability,
earth's orbital variations, and hydrological, oceanic, and tectonic
processes. This book is a comprehensive, state-of-the art synthesis
of paleoclimate research covering all geological timescales,
emphasizing topics that shed light on modern trends in the earth's
climate. Thomas M. Cronin discusses recent discoveries about past
periods of global warmth, changes in atmospheric greenhouse gas
concentrations, abrupt climate and sea-level change, natural
temperature variability, and other topics directly relevant to
controversies over the causes and impacts of climate change. This
text is geared toward advanced undergraduate and graduate students
and researchers in geology, geography, biology, glaciology,
oceanography, atmospheric sciences, and climate modeling, fields
that contribute to paleoclimatology. This volume can also serve as
a reference for those requiring a general background on natural
climate variability.
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North American Index Fossils
- Conularida, Pteropoda, Cephalopoda, Annelida, Trilobita, Phyllopoda, Ostracoda, Cirripedia, Malacostraca, Merostomata, Arachnida, Myriopoda, Insecta, Cystoidea, Blastoidea, Crinoidea, Ophiuroidea, Asteroidea, Echinoidea and A
(Paperback)
Hervey Woodburn Shimer, Amadeus William Grabau
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Discovery Miles 11 860
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The main focus of this book is on providing students, neurosurgery
trainees, certified neurosurgeons and colleagues in neighbouring
disciplines essential information on the evolution of the central
nervous system (CNS) of craniata and homo. Therefore the book is
divided in three parts: Part I is describing the evolution of CNS
of craniata (starting 800 million of years ago). Part II is
explaining in detail the exceptional position of the human
encephalon. Part III is discussing maturity and immaturity of all
parts of CNS of craniatas and the consequences concerning further
development of brain structure and psychological functions. In all
parts anatomical fundamentals are presented in the form of didactic
and self-explanatory illustrations.
This substantial volume showcases 35 of the presentations delivered
at the 5th International Brachiopod Congress in Copenhagen. The
brachiopod congresses are a focus for cutting-edge research in
brachiopod palaeontology and neontology. The presentations from the
Copenhagen Congress cover a wide range of material from basic
morphology and taxonomy through advances in molecular phylogeny and
ultrastructural studies to the biogeography and palaeoecology of
the phylum. About 75% of the papers relate to fossil brachiopods
and the rest to living forms The following fields are represented
in the volume: Taxonomy/Morphology (25%), Ecology/Palaeoecology
(35%) and Stratigraphy/Biogeography (20%), phylogeny (10%) and
Biochemistry/Genetics (10%). The volume is beautifully illustrated
throughout and the papers together represent an exciting snapshot
of contemporary brachiopod research as it continues into the third
millennium.
This edited volume presents current archaeological research and
data from the major early Acheulean sites in East Africa, and
addresses three main areas of focus; 1) the tempo and mode of
technological changes that led to the emergence of the Acheulean in
East Africa; 2) new approaches to lithic collections, including
lithic technology analyses; and 3) the debated coexistence of the
Developed Oldowan and the early Acheulean. The chapters are the
proceedings from the workshop titled "The Emergence of the
Acheulean in East Africa", held at University of Rome "La Sapienza"
on September 12-13, 2013. The aim of the workshop was to bring
together researchers currently working in this field in East
Africa, in order to define the characteristics and the evolution of
the early Acheulean. The volume was expanded with some chapters on
the preceding Oldowan, on the African fauna and on paleovegetation,
on the Acheulean in Asia and, eventually, on the Acheulean in
Europe. The book is addressed to the scientific community, and will
be of interest to researchers, graduate students, archaeologists,
paleontologists, and paleoanthropologists. This volume is dedicated
to the memory of Jean Chavaillon (March 25, 1925 - December 21,
2013), the leading archaeologist and Quaternary geologist who
researched with unfailing enthusiasm the earliest human cultures
and directed from 1965 to 1995 the French Archaeological Mission at
Melka Kunture.
From his stunning discovery of "Tyrannosaurus rex "one hundred
years ago to the dozens of other important new dinosaur species he
found, Barnum Brown led a remarkable life (1873OCo1963), spending
most of it searching for fossilsOCoand sometimes oilOCoin every
corner of the globe. One of the most famous scientists in the world
during the middle of the twentieth century, BrownOCowho lived fast,
dressed to the nines, gambled, drank, smoked, and was known as a
ladiesOCO manOCobecame as legendary as the dinosaurs he uncovered.
"Barnum Brown "brushes off the loose sediment to reveal the man
behind the legend. Drawing on BrownOCOs field correspondence and
unpublished notes, and on the writings of his daughter and his two
wives, it discloses for the first time details about his life and
travelsOCofrom his youth on the western frontier to his spying for
the U.S. government under cover of his expeditions. This absorbing
biography also takes full measure of BrownOCOs extensive scientific
accomplishments, making it the definitive account of the life and
times of a singular man and a superlative fossil hunter.
This book introduces the reader to the unique geology of Greece.
This country is a natural geology laboratory that can help us
understand the present-day active geodynamic processes in the
Hellenic orogenic arc, including earthquakes, volcanoes, coastline
changes and other processes of uplift and subsidence, as well as
the intense erosion, transport and deposition of sediments.
Additionally, Greece offers a remarkable geological museum,
reflecting the complex history of the area over the last 300
million years. By studying the rocks of Greece, one can discover
old oceanic basins, e.g. in the Northern Pindos and Othrys
mountains, crystalline rocks of Palaeozoic age, old granitic and
volcanic rocks, as well as other sedimentary rocks including
fossils from the shallow neritic facies to pelagic and abyssal
facies. The younger sediments demonstrate the continuously changing
palaeogeography of Greece, with areas of lakes, high plateaus and
gulfs that are transformed into new forms of islands, peninsulas or
high mountains, etc. All the above subjects are included in the
book, which describes the tectonic structure of the geological
strata, together with the evolutionary stages of the
palaeogeography and geodynamics within the broader Mediterranean
context. A special characteristic of the book is the development of
the orogenic model of the Hellenides with the application of the
tectono-stratigraphic terrane concept in the Tethyan system.
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