Eocene-Oligocene Climatic and Biotic Evolution

Eocene-Oligocene Climatic and Biotic Evolution PDF Author: Donald R. Prothero
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400862922
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 583

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Book Description
The transition from the Eocene to the Oligocene epochs was the most significant event in earth history since the extinction of dinosaurs. As the first Antarctic ice sheets appeared, major extinctions and faunal turnovers took place on the land and in the sea, eliminating forms adapted to a tropical world and replacing them with the ancestors of most of our modern animal and plant life. Through a detailed study of climatic conditions and of organisms buried in Eocene-Oligocene sediments, this volume shows that the separation of Antarctica from Australia was a critical factor in changing oceanic circulation and ultimately world climate. In this book forty-eight leading scientists examine the full range of Eocene and Oligocene phenomena. Their articles cover nearly every major group of organisms in the ocean and on land and include evidence from paleontology, stable isotopes, sedimentology, seismology, and computer climatic modeling. The volume concludes with an update of the geochronologic framework of the late Paleogene. Originally published in 1992. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Eocene-Oligocene Climatic and Biotic Evolution

Eocene-Oligocene Climatic and Biotic Evolution PDF Author: Donald R. Prothero
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400862922
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 583

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Book Description
The transition from the Eocene to the Oligocene epochs was the most significant event in earth history since the extinction of dinosaurs. As the first Antarctic ice sheets appeared, major extinctions and faunal turnovers took place on the land and in the sea, eliminating forms adapted to a tropical world and replacing them with the ancestors of most of our modern animal and plant life. Through a detailed study of climatic conditions and of organisms buried in Eocene-Oligocene sediments, this volume shows that the separation of Antarctica from Australia was a critical factor in changing oceanic circulation and ultimately world climate. In this book forty-eight leading scientists examine the full range of Eocene and Oligocene phenomena. Their articles cover nearly every major group of organisms in the ocean and on land and include evidence from paleontology, stable isotopes, sedimentology, seismology, and computer climatic modeling. The volume concludes with an update of the geochronologic framework of the late Paleogene. Originally published in 1992. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

The Late Eocene Earth

The Late Eocene Earth PDF Author: Christian Koeberl
Publisher: Geological Society of America
ISBN: 081372452X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 334

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Book Description
The Late Eocene and the Eocene-Oligocene (E-O) transition mark the most profound oceanographic and climatic changes of the past 50 million years of Earth history, with cooling beginning in the middle Eocene and culminating in the major earliest Oligocene Oi-1 isotopic event. The Late Eocene is characterized by an accelerated global cooling, with a sharp temperature drop near the E-O boundary, and significant stepwise floral and faunal turnovers. These global climate changes are commonly attributed to the expansion of the Antarctic ice cap following its gradual isolation from other continental masses. However, multiple extraterrestrial bolide impacts, possibly related to a comet shower that lasted more than 2 million years, may have played an important role in deteriorating the global climate at that time. This book provides an up-to-date review of what happened on Earth at the end of the Eocene Epoch.

The Terrestrial Eocene-Oligocene Transition in North America

The Terrestrial Eocene-Oligocene Transition in North America PDF Author: Donald R. Prothero
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521433878
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 708

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Book Description
Provides the latest information in dating and correlation of the strata of late middle Eocene through early Oligocene age in North America.

The Vegetation of Antarctica through Geological Time

The Vegetation of Antarctica through Geological Time PDF Author: David J. Cantrill
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 113956028X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 489

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Book Description
The fossil history of plant life in Antarctica is central to our understanding of the evolution of vegetation through geological time and also plays a key role in reconstructing past configurations of the continents and associated climatic conditions. This book provides the only detailed overview of the development of Antarctic vegetation from the Devonian period to the present day, presenting Earth scientists with valuable insights into the break up of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. Details of specific floras and ecosystems are provided within the context of changing geological, geographical and environmental conditions, alongside comparisons with contemporaneous and modern ecosystems. The authors demonstrate how palaeobotany contributes to our understanding of the paleoenvironmental changes in the southern hemisphere during this period of Earth history. The book is a complete and up-to-date reference for researchers and students in Antarctic paleobotany and terrestrial paleoecology.

Global Biogeography

Global Biogeography PDF Author: J.C. Briggs
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0080532543
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 473

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Book Description
This book significantly expands the coverage of this subject given by its predecessor Biogeography and Plate Tectonics (1987). Global Biogeography traces global changes in geography and biology from the Precambrian to the Recent (with worldwide coverage in chronological order); examines the evolutionary effects of the major extinctions, and discusses contemporary biogeographic regions within the context of their historic origins. It is now apparent that the biotas of the various biogeographical regions have had, and still maintain, a dynamic relationship with one another; much more than was previously thought. This is shown to be true for all three of the earth's primary habitats; marine, terrestrial and freshwater (as is clearly demonstrated in this volume).The book is splendidly illustrated with 122 text figures, an extensive bibliography, index, together with a set of biogeographic maps illustrating continental and terrain outlines from the mid-Cambrian to the Recent. University students (both advanced undergraduate and graduate level) will find it an excellent text book. For professionals in Biogeography this is a convenient reference work.

Vertebrate Paleontology in Utah

Vertebrate Paleontology in Utah PDF Author: David D. Gillette
Publisher: Utah Geological Survey
ISBN: 1557916349
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 568

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Book Description
The 52 papers in this vary in content from summaries or state-of-knowledge treatments, to detailed contributions that describe new species. Although the distinction is subtle, the title (Vertebrate Paleontology in Utah) indicates the science of paleontology in the state of Utah, rather than the even more ambitious intent if it were given the title “Vertebrate Paleontology of Utah” which would promise an encyclopedic treatment of the subject. The science of vertebrate paleontology in Utah is robust and intense. It has grown prodigiously in the past decade, and promises to continue to grow indefinitely. This research benefits everyone in the state, through Utah’s muse ums and educational institutions, which are the direct beneficiaries.

After the Dinosaurs

After the Dinosaurs PDF Author: Donald R. Prothero
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN: 0253000556
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 393

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Book Description
A fascinating study of the thousands of new animal species that walked in the footsteps of the dinosaurs—and the climate changes that brought them forth. The fascinating group of animals called dinosaurs became extinct some 65 million years ago (except for their feathered descendants). In their place evolved an enormous variety of land creatures, especially mammals, which in their way were every bit as remarkable as their Mesozoic cousins. The Age of Mammals, the Cenozoic Era, has never had its Jurassic Park, but it was an amazing time in earth’s history, populated by a wonderful assortment of bizarre animals. The rapid evolution of thousands of species of mammals brought forth many incredible creatures―including our own ancestors. Their story is part of a larger story of new life emerging from the greenhouse conditions of the Mesozoic, warming up dramatically about 55 million years ago, and then cooling rapidly so that 33 million years ago the glacial ice returned. The earth’s vegetation went through equally dramatic changes, from tropical jungles in Montana and forests at the poles. Life in the sea underwent striking evolution reflecting global climate change, including the emergence of such creatures as giant sharks, seals, sea lions, dolphins, and whales. Engaging and insightful, After the Dinosaurs is a book for everyone who has an abiding fascination with the remarkable life of the past.

Biostratigraphic and Geological Significance of Planktonic Foraminifera

Biostratigraphic and Geological Significance of Planktonic Foraminifera PDF Author: Marcelle K. BouDagher-Fadel
Publisher: Newnes
ISBN: 0444536396
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Book Description
Foraminifera are free-living protozoa that grow an elaborate, solid calcite skeleton. Their well-marked evolutionary record makes them of outstanding value in zonal stratigraphy. The role of fossil planktonic foraminifera as markers for biostratigraphical zonation and correlation underpins most drilling of marine sedimentary sequences and is key to hydrocarbon exploration. Biostratigraphic and Geological Significance of Planktonic Foraminifera presents a comprehensive analysis of existing data on fossil planktonic foraminifera genera and their phylogenetic evolution in time and space. In addition, the book contains new, unpublished data on carbonate thin sections with identified fossil planktonic foraminifera from the Far East to offshore Brazil and South Africa. * The first book to synthesize the biostratigraphic and geological usefulness of planktonic foraminifera * Includes a discussion of the recent advances being enabled by molecular studies of living forms * Opens a new field of dating planktonic foraminifera in carbonates and expands their usefulness in hydrocarbon exploration

The Beginning of the Age of Mammals

The Beginning of the Age of Mammals PDF Author: Kenneth D. Rose
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 9780801884726
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 468

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Book Description
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Rhinoceros Giants

Rhinoceros Giants PDF Author: Donald R. Prothero
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN: 0253008190
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 159

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Book Description
A book for everyone fascinated by the huge beasts that once roamed the earth, Rhinoceros Giants: The Paleobiology of the Indricotheres, introduces a prime candidate for the largest land mammal that ever lived - the giant hornless rhinoceros, Indricotherium. These massive animals lived in Asia and Eurasia for more than 14 million years, about 37 to 23 million years ago. They had skulls 2 metres long, stood over 7 meters at the shoulder, and were nearly twice as heavy as the largest elephant ever recorded, tipping the scales at 20,000 kg. Fortunately, the big brutes were vegetarians, although they must have made predators think twice before trying to bring them down. In this book for lovers of ancient creatures great and small, Donald R. Prothero tells their story, from their discovery by palaeontologists just a century ago to the latest research on how they lived and died, with some interesting side trips along the way.