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An Introduction To Paleobotany (Paperback)
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An Introduction To Paleobotany (Paperback)
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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 from
techniquesscarcely 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 vii viii PREFACE 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 ofan effort to avoid bias, the
ready admission is made that this book is not free from it...
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