1st Edition
Fossil Ecosystems of North America A Guide to the Sites and their Extraordinary Biotas
Most major recent advances in understanding the history of life on Earth have been through the study of exceptionally well preserved biotas (Fossil-Lagerstätten). These are windows on the history of life on Earth and can provide a fairly complete picture of the evolution of ecosystems through time. This book follows the success of Evolution of Fossil Ecosystems by the same authors which covered Fossil-Lagerstätten around the world. The success of the first book prompted this new book which draws on four localities from the original book and adds another ten, all located in North America.
Following an introduction to Fossil-Lagerstätten, each chapter deals with a single fossil locality. Each chapter contains a brief introduction placing the Lagerstätte in an evolutionary context; there then follows a history of study of the locality; the background sedimentology, stratigraphy and palaeoenvironment; a description of the biota; discussion of the palaeoecology, and a comparison with other Lagerstätten of a similar age and/or environment. At the end of the book is an Appendix listing museums in which to see exhibitions of fossils from each locality and suggestions for visiting the sites.
The Gunflint Chert
Mistaken Point
Burgess Shale
Beecher’s Triolbite Bed
The Bertie Waterlime
Gilboa
Mazon Creek
The Chinle Group
The Morrison Formation
The Hell Creek Formation
The Green River Formation
Florissant
Dominican Amber
Rancho La Brea
Appendix: Museums and Site Visits
Biography
John Nudds, Paul Selden
Recommended to all palaeontologists as a very enjoyable and well illustrated guide to sites.
—The Geological Magazine
An outstanding publication.
—Deposits
An excellent introduction for undergraduates…astonishingly good value for money…delightful.
—The Palaeontological Association Newsletter