Author: Michael J. Benton
Publisher: Prentice Hall
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 368
Get Book
Book Description
Palaeontology, a fundamental topic in geology and evolutionary biology, has undergone exciting and rapid change in recent years. Contemporary debates on mass extinctions and the origin of life have had profound implications for our understanding of how life evolved. Basic Palaeontology is a comprehensive and accessible introduction to palaeontology. With in-depth analysis of basic principles and all the main fossil groups, this fully illustrated text presents new and exciting research on the origin and history of life. The text focuses on traditional topics such as marine invertebrate palaeontology and biostratigraphy, but also provides unique and unparalleled taxonomic coverage from microfossils to plants and vertebrates. Key Features include: - Covers important recent developments in macroevolution and mass extinctions - A strong focus on a statistical and quantitative approach, emphasising the vital importance of both applications and theory - Full coverage of the evolution of vertebrates and plants - Over 600 highly detailed illustrations - An accessible format with extensive boxed material and bullet points Basic Palaeontology is essential reading for undergraduate students of geology, environmental science and biology, taking courses in palaeontology, palaeobiology, palaeoecology or evolution, and will also be of interest to all those who have an interest in the origin of life and human evolution. Michael J Benton is a Reader in the Department of Geology, University of Bristol, UK. David A T Harper is a Lecturer in Geology at the Department of Geology, University College Galway, Ireland.
Author: David Raup
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 9780716700227
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 498
Get Book
Book Description
Presents principles of paleontology at an undergraduate level Emphasizes theory and concepts over details of morphology and the fossil record Profusely illustrated with photographs, charts, graphs, and tables
Author: Michael J. Benton
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118685407
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 1001
Get Book
Book Description
This book presents a comprehensive overview of the science of the history of life. Paleobiologists bring many analytical tools to bear in interpreting the fossil record and the book introduces the latest techniques, from multivariate investigations of biogeography and biostratigraphy to engineering analysis of dinosaur skulls, and from homeobox genes to cladistics. All the well-known fossil groups are included, including microfossils and invertebrates, but an important feature is the thorough coverage of plants, vertebrates and trace fossils together with discussion of the origins of both life and the metazoans. All key related subjects are introduced, such as systematics, ecology, evolution and development, stratigraphy and their roles in understanding where life came from and how it evolved and diversified. Unique features of the book are the numerous case studies from current research that lead students to the primary literature, analytical and mathematical explanations and tools, together with associated problem sets and practical schedules for instructors and students. “..any serious student of geology who does not pick this book off the shelf will be putting themselves at a huge disadvantage. The material may be complex, but the text is extremely accessible and well organized, and the book ought to be essential reading for palaeontologists at undergraduate, postgraduate and more advanced levels—both in Britain as well as in North America.” Falcon-Lang, H., Proc. Geol. Assoc. 2010 “...this is an excellent introduction to palaeontology in general. It is well structured, accessibly written and pleasantly informative .....I would recommend this as a standard reference text to all my students without hesitation.” David Norman Geol Mag 2010 Companion website This book includes a companion website at: www.blackwellpublishing.com/paleobiology The website includes: · An ongoing database of additional Practical’s prepared by the authors · Figures from the text for downloading · Useful links for each chapter · Updates from the authors
Author: Øyvind Hammer
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1405172940
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 368
Get Book
Book Description
During the last 10 years numerical methods have begun to dominate paleontology. These methods now reach far beyond the fields of morphological and phylogenetic analyses to embrace biostratigraphy, paleobiogeography, and paleoecology. Paleontological Data Analysis explains the key numerical techniques in paleontology, and the methodologies employed in the software packages now available. Following an introduction to numerical methodologies in paleontology, and to univariate and multivariate techniques (including inferential testing), there follow chapters on morphometrics, phylogenetic analysis, paleobiogeography and paleoecology, time series analysis, and quantitative biostratigraphy Each chapter describes a range of techniques in detail, with worked examples, illustrations, and appropriate case histories Describes the purpose, type of data required, functionality, and implementation of each technique, together with notes of caution where appropriate The book and the accompanying PAST software package (see www.blackwellpublishing.com/hammer) are important investigative tools in a rapidly developing field characterized by many exciting new discoveries and innovative techniques An invaluable tool for all students and researchers involved in quantitative paleontology
Author: Otto H. Schindewolf
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 9780226738352
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 528
Get Book
Book Description
Now available in English for the first time, Basic Questions in Paleontology is a landmark work in twentieth-century evolution and paleontology. Originally published in German in 1950, Schindewolf's book was highly controversial for its thoroughgoing anti-Darwinism, but today his ideas are remarkably relevant to current research in evolutionary biology. "[This book] would rank number one on my list of items awaiting translation from the history of twentieth-century evolutionary theory."—Stephen Jay Gould
Author: Ian Tattersall
Publisher: Templeton Foundation Press
ISBN: 1599473682
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 238
Get Book
Book Description
"Endlessly absorbing and informative. It would be hard to imagine a better introduction to this most important and fascinating field.”—Bill Bryson, author of A Short History of Nearly Everything Paleontology: A Brief History of Life is the fifth title published in the Templeton Science and Religion Series, in which scientists from a wide range of fields distill their experience and knowledge into brief tours of their respective specialties. In this volume, Ian Tattersall, a highly esteemed figure in the fields of anthropology, archaeology, and paleontology, leads a fascinating tour of the history of life and the evolution of human beings. Starting at the very beginning, Tattersall examines patterns of change in the biosphere over time, and the correlations of biological events with physical changes in the Earth’s environment. He introduces the complex of evolutionary processes, situates human beings in the luxuriant diversity of Life (demonstrating that however remarkable we may legitimately find ourselves to be, we are the product of the same basic forces and processes that have driven the evolutionary histories of all other creatures), and he places the origin of our extraordinary spiritual sensibilities in the context of the exaptational and emergent acquisition of symbolic cognition and thought. Concise and yet comprehensive, historically penetrating and yet up-to-date, responsibly factual and yet engaging, Paleontology serves as the perfect entrée to science's greatest story.
Author: Robert Wynn Jones
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139499203
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 421
Get Book
Book Description
Palaeontology, the scientific study of fossils, has developed from a descriptive science to an analytical science used to interpret relationships between Earth and life history. This book provides a comprehensive and thematic treatment of applied palaeontology, covering the use of fossils in the ordering of rocks in time and in space, in biostratigraphy, palaeobiology and sequence stratigraphy. Robert Wynn Jones presents a practical workflow for applied palaeontology, including sample acquisition, preparation and analysis, and interpretation and integration. He then presents numerous case studies that demonstrate the applicability and value of the subject to areas such as petroleum, mineral and coal exploration and exploitation, engineering geology and environmental science. Specialist applications outside of the geosciences (including archaeology, forensic science, medical palynology, entomopalynology and melissopalynology) are also addressed. Abundantly illustrated and referenced, Applications of Palaeontology provides a user-friendly reference for academic researchers and professionals across a range of disciplines and industry settings.
Author: Robert Wynn Jones
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521841992
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 382
Get Book
Book Description
Palaeontology has developed from a descriptive science to an analytical science used to interpret relationships between earth and life history. This book highlights its key role in the study of the evolving earth, life history and environmental processes. After an introduction to fossils and their classification, each of the principal fossil groups are studied in detail, covering their biology, morphology, classification, palaeobiology and biostratigraphy. The latter sections focus on the applications of fossils in the interpretation of earth and life processes and environments.
Author: Michael J. Benton
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1405144491
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 467
Get Book
Book Description
Vertebrate Palaeontology is a complete, up-to-date historyof the evolution of vertebrates. The third edition of this populartext has been extensively revised to incorporate the latestresearch, including new material from North and South America,Australia, Europe, China, Africa and Russia. Highlights astonishing new discoveries including new dinosaursand Mesozoic birds from China features a new chapter on how to study fossil vertebrates provides an increased emphasis on the cladistic framework withcladograms set apart from the body of the text and full lists ofdiagnostic characters includes new molecular evidence on early mammaldiversification new features aid study including new functional anddevelopmental feature spreads, key questions and extensivereferences to useful web sites strong phylogenetic focus making it an up-to-date source of thelatest broad-scale systematic data on vertebrate evolution To access the artwork from the book, please visit: ahref="http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/benton"www.blackwellpublishing.com/benton/a. An Instructor manual CD-ROM for this title is available. Pleasecontact our Higher Education team at ahref="mailto:
[email protected]"
[email protected]/afor more information.
Author: Ronald Singer
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134271417
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1153
Get Book
Book Description
The Encyclopedia of Paleontology is designed to address the shortage of general reference works on both vertebrate and invertebrate paleontology and to serve the needs of students and lay persons interested in the field. As the encyclopedia aims to provide basic information, the majority of the 350 entries are devoted to explanations of paleontological concepts and techniques, examinations of the evolutionary development of particular organisms and biological features, profiles of major discoveries, and biographies of leading scientists. Each entry includes an essay and a further reading list. An international team of 200 leading experts in the field has prepared the illustrations and the essays, which range from concise descriptions to comprehensive discussions.
