The Steven C. Minkin (Union Chapel) Paleozoic Footprint Site ranks
among the most important fossil sites in the world today, and
Footprints in Stone recounts the accidental revelation of its
existence and detailed findings about its fossil record. Currently
2,500 miles from the equator and more than 250 miles north of the
Gulf of Mexico, the Minkin site was a swampy tropical forest
adjacent to a tidal flat during the Coal Age or Carboniferous
Period more than 300 million years ago. That fecund strand of sand
and mud at the ocean's edge teemed with the earth's earliest
reptiles as well as amphibians, fish, horseshoe crabs, spiders,
jumping insects, and other fascinating organisms. Unlike dinosaurs
and other large animals whose sturdy bodies left hard fossil
records, most of these small, soft-bodied creatures left no
concrete remains. But they did leave something else. Preserved in
the site's coal beds along with insect wings and beautifully
textured patterns of primeval plants are their footprints,
fossilized animal tracks from which modern paleontologists can
glean many valuable insights about their physical anatomies and
behaviors. The paleontological examination of fossil tracks is now
the cutting-edge of contemporary scholarship, and the Minkin site
is the first and largest site of its kind in eastern North America.
Discovered by a local high school science teacher, the site
provides both professional and amateur paleontologists around the
world with a wealth of fossil track samples along with an
inspirational story for amateur explorers and collectors.
Authoritative and extensively illustrated, Footprints in Stone
brings together the contributions of many geologists and
paleontologists who photographed, documented, and analyzed the
Minkin site's fossil trackways. An engrossing tale of its
serendipitous discovery and a detailed study of its fossil records,
Footprints in Stone is a landmark publication in the history of
paleontology.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
