Systematics and the Fossil Record: Documenting Evolutionary Patterns

Book Description

This new text sets out to establish the key role played by systematics in deciphering patterns of evolution from the fossil record. It begins by considering the nature of species in the fossil record and then outlines recent advances in the methodology used to establish phylogenetics relationships, stressing why fossil evidence can be crucial. The way in which species are grouped into higher taxa, and how this affects their utility in evolutionary studies is discussed. Since the fossil record abounds with sampling and preservational biases it is emphasised that observed patterns can rarely be taken at face value. It is argued that evolutionary trees, constructed from combining phylogenetic and biostratigraphic data, provide the best approach for investigating patterns of evolution through geologic time.

Cradle of Life: The Discovery of Earth's Earliest Fossils

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A thorough grounding in the state of the field
Enthralling
Surpised about how much new information has been learned.
Resolving Darwin's Dilemma
Very Interesting

Cradle of Life: The Discovery of Earth's Earliest Fossils
J. William Schopf
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0691088640

Amazon.com

What if U.S. history began in 1963, and everything that happened before that year was shrouded in mystery? There would be plenty of events to study, but we wouldn't have a complete picture of the country's past. This is the analogy that paleomicrobiologist J. William Schopf uses to describe the long-missing 85 percent of earth's early fossil record (the puzzle of the missing fossils was known as Darwin's Dilemma). Not until the 1960s did paleobiologists using pickaxes and microscopes find evidence that life began much earlier than previously theorized and that microorganisms were the planet's only inhabitants for most of its existence. And Schopf himself discovered the oldest Precambrian fossils known to science in 1993. Why did it take so long to find these critters?

Though the puzzle of the "missing" early fossil record lived on for more than a hundred years, its solution is now so obvious as to be mundane. The Precambrian world did indeed swarm with living creatures, but until near the close of this vast eon these were microbes and microalgal cells so tiny and fragile that they would never have been unearthed by conventional fossil hunting.

Cradle of Life is a great primer for those interested in the fossil record and its relation to evolutionary theory. Profusely illustrated, this chronicle of amazing discoveries and bizarre questions covers wide ground, including the basics of cell biology and microevolution as well as the careers of the big-name scientists who have set the fossil record straight. And the search continues for the origins of life on earth, as well as the hints of it elsewhere. In a terrifically enlightening epilogue, Schopf shows how even the best scientists have been fooled by geological artifacts that resemble true fossils (as happened with the infamous Martian meteorite "bacteria") and by their own desires to confirm their theories and beliefs about the origins of life. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

One of the greatest mysteries in reconstructing the history of life on Earth has been the apparent absence of fossils dating back more than 550 million years. We have long known that fossils of sophisticated marine life-forms existed at the dawn of the Cambrian Period, but until recently scientists had found no traces of Precambrian fossils. The quest to find such traces began in earnest in the mid-1960s and culminated in one dramatic moment in 1993 when William Schopf identified fossilized microorganisms three and a half billion years old. This startling find opened up a vast period of time--some eighty-five percent of Earth's history--to new research and new ideas about life's beginnings. In this book, William Schopf, a pioneer of modern paleobiology, tells for the first time the exciting and fascinating story of the origins and earliest evolution of life and how that story has been unearthed.

Gracefully blending his personal story of discovery with the basics needed to understand the astonishing science he describes, Schopf has produced an introduction to paleobiology for the interested reader as well as a primer for beginning students in the field. He considers such questions as how did primitive bacteria, pond scum, evolve into the complex life-forms found at the beginning of the Cambrian Period? How do scientists identify ancient microbes and what do these tiny creatures tell us about the environment of the early Earth? (And, in a related chapter, Schopf discusses his role in the controversy that swirls around recent claims of fossils in the famed meteorite from Mars.) Like all great teachers, Schopf teaches the non-specialist enough about his subject along the way that we can easily follow his descriptions of the geology, biology, and chemistry behind these discoveries. Anyone interested in the intriguing questions of the origins of life on Earth and how those origins have been discovered will find this story the best place to start.

Customer Reviews:

A thorough grounding in the state of the field.......2006-07-11

This is a great overview of the development and current state of the study of how life developed before the Cambrian period. The book is well-written and easy to read for a literate layperson. Schopf explains key scientific concepts well and blends this with narrative on the history of the field as well as some personal experiences. The pictures and illustrations are very helpful. The book communicates the excitement and challenge that is part of doing science.

Enthralling.......2005-10-08

Other reviewers have covered the facts about this book. I would like to ditto what they have said, and say that this is one of the best books I've read; fiction, non-fiction, Science, History, etc.
Highly recommended.

Surpised about how much new information has been learned........2004-01-28

Wow. I am surprised at how much has been learned about the early phases of life's development since I last formally studied paleontology. One of my favorite areas of study was invertebrate and early life forms. At the time only a modest amount was known about stromatalites and cyanobacteria. The trace fossils of the soft bodied, multicellular, Ediacaran fauna were known but were considered "late" in geologic and biologic terms. The Burgess Shale community, made famous by Gould's "Wonderful Life" in the late '80s, was known, but the organisms were confusing and many have since been restudied and reclassified. Having been a leading actor in the field of microfossils and early bacterial life forms, Schopf puts everything into perspective in his book, making it virtually a history of research into the topic of life's beginnings.

Cradle of Life begins, as such books so often do, with a brief synopsis of Darwin and his theory of evolution, including most critically, its early problems. Thereafter Schopf begins a veritable "who's who" of early paleontology, giving short professional biographies of those who worked in the field as early as the 19th century. He points out where promising leads were suppressed by virtue of the lesser standing of the individual proposing them, and misleading theories given credence because they were proposed by someone of powerful academic credentials. Some of the tales are impressive object lessons in how things can go wrong for human reasons and why science ultimately "gets it right in the end."

One of the more interesting topics the author confronts is how our recent advances in the field of paleontology might help determine whether life exists or has ever existed elsewhere. The author provides an interesting perspective on the Mars meteorite "life forms" that shows how easily it is to be lead astray by high hopes, and how space research scientists can benefit by a familiarity with modern precepts applicable to early life studies on this planet.

The book goes into great detail about the discovery of early life, what forms evidence takes, how it can be mistaken, what information is derived from study of the remains, and what indirect evidence tells us about the early earth. It also discusses how life might have evolved from non-life, how it managed to get started so early, how the atmosphere changed and how that change affected the diversity of earth's biomass. For those who are only casually interested in the topic of fossils, this book might be a little too much information. I love this kind of stuff, but I could certainly see how others might find it incredibly boring. I doubt that those in junior high would find it rewarding, but those in senior high might have enough science background to understand and enjoy it. Certainly for anyone fascinated with science and by how paleontology works, this book will be right up your alley.

FOR THOSE WRITING PAPERS: in paleontology, biochemistry, biology, evolution, and history of science, this book would make an excellent bibliographic entry as well as a good source of topics. One might discuss how science works, how "authority figures" can derail even the best ideas, how science like other human endeavors are affected by culture, expectations, what is "known" already, etc., how progress in technology has allowed us to learn more about the distant past, how the tendency to specialize can delay progress, how a recent trend toward consilience (for which see Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge by E. O. Wilson) might lead to more rapid advances in science. One might compare the work by Nick Lane (see Oxygen: The Molecule that made the World) or by G. Cairns-Smith (Seven Clues to the Origin of Life) to this one to see how their perspectives are the same and how they differ. What do you believe is ultimately supported by the data?

Resolving Darwin's Dilemma.......2002-12-30

Schopf escorts us into the realm of deep time, introducing us to our earliest microbe ancestors found locked away in ancient rocks. The path is often vague and indistinct, but Schopf is a sure and eloquent guide. Not only has he traversed the route before, but he's helped select and clear the track. This fine book reflects Schop's lighthearted "trailside" manner. He fully enjoys scrutinising the rocks for early lifeforms, and the enjoyment is infectious. It's a pleasure to accompany him on this journey.

Of all the ideas of the origins of life, none proved more exciting than the experiments of Harold Urey and Stanley Miller. Their zapping of elemental chemicals to produce amino acids seemed the final answer to how it all began. Years of criticism of their work and assumptions led to the acclaim fading, but Schopf here attempts to resurrect its primacy. His argument relies on his findings of evidence of wide-ranging shallow seas - Darwin's famous "warm, shallow pond" as the place of life's origins. Schopf argues these seas were present at the same time simple life-forms emerged. In Darwin's time, the techniques for analysing the early rocks were limited. Today, as Schopf demonstrates, looking in the right place with the proper tools brings rich paleontological rewards.

After tracing the histories of several researchers in Pre-Cambrian fossils, Schopf goes on to illustrate the most recent finds and their significance. Some of the finds are beyond the realm of the rocks alone. His description of the process of polymer formation illustrates the beginning of complex chemistry leading from non-life to life. The distinction, as he notes, has become vague as research from many disciplines has been applied to evolutionary studies. As life progressed, it developed such talents as use of light energy, self-perpetuating activities, and the emergence of metabolism. He explains these processes in quite readable prose, but also depicts them with fine illustrations. It's a rare combination of multi-level presentation.

Schopf's tour takes us not only into deep time, but deep space. At the end of the book he examines the issues surrounding the "Martian meteorite" which was suspected to contain remnants of life on that planet. Schopf was the lone dissenter in NASA's presentation of the likely presence of micro-organism fossils. His disappointment in the presentation and the hype surrounding the proposal is keenly expressed. One of his proposals in this book is the universality of life's roots. Lifeforms of some level are almost inevitable on other worlds, given the necessary conditions. He argues the components are available throughout the cosmos, needing only the proper environment to start evolving. It would be exciting to detect evidence of past life on Mars, but meteorite ALH80001 didn't provide it.

Very Interesting.......2002-07-12

I don't really like biology. There is too much memorizing, and not enough math for my tastes. When I picked up this book, I figured I'd give it a try anyway. I had read Richard Fortey's book _Life_ (a good intro to the history of life) and wanted a little more depth. Boy did I get it.

This is a well written book. The first section is about the history of the quest to find these early fossils and the different theories. I found the stories interesting and fascinating, especially the encounter with Salvador Dali.

I don't want to give away any of the suprises. I found that he explained everything very well. I was able to follow the biological ideas and I have only had one class in college biology. I think if you have not had ANY biology knowledge you probably should get the basics down before reading this book.

Book Description

With all the recent advances in molecular and evolutionary biology, one could almost wonder why we need the fossil record. Molecular sequence data can resolve taxonomic relationships, experiments with fruit flies demonstrate evolution and development in real time, and field studies of Galapagos finches have provided the strongest evidence for natural selection ever measured in the wild. What, then, can fossils teach us that living organisms cannot?

Evolutionary Patterns demonstrates the rich variety of clues to evolution that can be gleaned from the fossil record. Chief among these are the major trends and anomalies in species development revealed only by "deep time," such as periodic mass extinctions and species that remain unchanged in form for millions of years. Contributors explore modes of development, the tempo of speciation and extinction, and macroevolutionary patterns and trends. The result is an important contribution to paleobiology and evolutionary biology, and a spirited defense of the fossil record as a crucial tool for understanding evolution and development.

The contributors are Ann F. Budd, Efstathia Bura, Leo W. Buss, Mike Foote, Jörn Geister, Stephen Jay Gould, Eckart Hâkansson, Jean-Georges Harmelin, Lee-Ann C. Hayek, Jeremy B. C. Jackson, Kenneth G. Johnson, Nancy Knowlton, Scott Lidgard, Frank K. McKinney, Daniel W. McShea, Ross H. Nehm, Beth Okamura, John M. Pandolfi, Paul D. Taylor, and Erik Thomsen.

Telling the Evolutionary Time: Molecular Clocks and the Fossil Record (Systematics Association Special Volume)

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Telling the Evolutionary Time: Molecular Clocks and the Fossil Record (Systematics Association Special Volume)

Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Morphology, Shape and Phylogeny (Systematics Association Special Volume)

ASIN: 0415275245

Book Description

Determining the precise timing for the evolutionary origin of groups of organisms has become increasingly important as scientists from diverse disciplines attempt to examine rates of anatomical or molecular evolution and correlate intrinsic biological events to extrinsic environmental events. Molecular clock analyses indicate that many major groups are twice as old, or more, than a literal reading of the fossil record attests, implying that the fossil record is incomplete. Few paleontologists agree that the fossil record is inadequate, arguing instead that our understanding of the molecular clock is far from ideal. Telling the Evolutionary Time: Molecular Clocks and the Fossil Record represents a discussion between molecular biologists and paleontologists, in which they investigate the significance of competing sources of data, explain the nature of molecular clocks and the fossil record, and strive to develop compromise models that incorporate contradictory opinions. These are presented as a series of case studies dealing with many of the most important groups of complex organisms, such as protists, land plants, flowering plants, complex animals, chordates, vertebrates, tetrapods, and modern birds. Bringing fresh insight and various perspectives to a complicated argument, this book assembles all sides of the debate into one comprehensive text. It is a significant volume for research scientists and advanced students across the field of evolutionary biology.

Human Paleobiology (Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology)

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No Bones About It

Human Paleobiology (Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology)
Robert B. Eckhardt
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Skeleton Keys: An Introduction to Human Skeletal Morphology, Development, and Analysis Includes CD-ROM

ASIN: 0521451604

Book Description

Human Paleobiology provides a unifying framework for the study of past and present human populations to a range of changing environments. It integrates evidence from studies of human adaptability, comparative primatology, and molecular genetics to document consistent measures of genetic distance among subspecies, species, and other taxonomic groupings. These findings support the interpretation of human biology in terms of fewer number of populations characterized by higher levels of genetic continuity than previously hypothesized. Using this as a basis, Robert Eckhardt goes on to analyze problems in human paleobiology including phenotypic differentiation, patterns of species range expansion, and phyletic succession in terms of the patterns and processes still observable in extant populations. This book will be a challenging and stimulating read for students and researchers interested in human paleobiology or evolutionary anthropology.

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Human Paleobiology provides a unifying framework for the study of human populations, both past and present, to a range of changing environments. It integrates evidence from studies of human adaptability, comparative primatology, and molecular genetics to document consistent measures of genetic distance between subspecies, species and other taxonomic groupings. These findings support the interpretation of the biology of humans in terms of a smaller number of populations characterized by higher levels of genetic continuity than previously hypothesized. Using this as a basis, Robert Eckhardt then goes on to analyze problems in human paleobiology including phenotypic differentiation, patterns of species range expansion and phyletic succession in terms of the patterns and processes still observable in extant populations. This book will be a challenging and stimulating read for students and researchers interested in human paleobiology or evolutionary anthropology.

Customer Reviews:

No Bones About It.......2001-05-17

Human Paleobiology by Robert Eckhardt addresses the conundrum affecting the study of human evolution: as more data become available, the less clear becomes our understanding of mankind?s past. Dr. Eckhardt skillfully points out that this needn?t be the case if paleobiologists grasp certain fundamental concepts. These include, among others, an understanding of intra-population variability, the impact of small progressive changes on the overall rate of change in a character, and the difference between a population?s phenotypic profile and it?s genotypic structure. Eckhardt meticulously demonstrates how taking these factors into account makes the fossil record less puzzling, particularly as new data are obtained. One cannot help but be impressed by Eckhardt?s breadth and depth of knowledge.

Although disdaining colorful theories, Eckhardt?s writing style is certainly not drab. Drawing on examples from areas as diverse as the stock market to the humor of James Thurber, Human Paleobiology makes for a particularly good read. Which is not to say that it is an easy read. Scientists like myself who are outside the field of evolutionary biology may find the sections on primates as well as the inventory of the fossil record a bit protracted. Additionally, the complexity of the material covered cries out for the inclusion of a glossary.

Some readers may consider Eckhardt too contentious. Personally I enjoyed the author?s pugilistic precision in KO?ing fallacious nostrums. While Eckhardt doesn?t pull any punches his rational and equitable arguments are always blows above the belt. Personally I can?t wait until the nascent fields of genomics and bioinformatics start to generate copious amounts of information, requiring a second edition of Human Paleobiology. When that occurs no doubt Eckhardt will once again come out swinging.

Book Description

Representing the state of the art in evolutionary paleobiology, this book provides a much-needed overview of this rapidly changing field. An influx of ideas and techniques both from other areas of biology and from within paleobiology itself have resulted in numerous recent advances, including increased recognition of the relationships between ecological and evolutionary theory, renewed vigor in the study of ecological communities over geologic timescales, increased understanding of biogeographical patterns, and new mathematical approaches to studying the form and structure of plants and animals.

Contributors to this volume—a veritable who's who of eminent researchers—present the results of original research and new theoretical developments, and provide directions for future studies. Individually wide ranging, these papers all share a debt to the work of James W. Valentine, one of the founders of modern evolutionary paleobiology. This volume's unified approach to the study of life on earth will be a major contribution to paleobiology, evolution, and ecology.

Customer Reviews:

Fine Paleobiological Research in honor of Valentine.......2003-02-22

"Evolutionary Paleobiology" is an elegant overview of the major themes of paleobiological research in the mid-1990's; one which continues to the present. It contains excellent papers from the most prominent researchers in the field, encompassing not only paleobiological aspects but also neontological - especially molecular biology - approaches to studying evolutionary paleobiology. This is a scientific celebration of the career of distinguished paleobiologist James W. Valentine, whom many would regard as the father of evolutionary paleobiology; each paper covers some aspect of his ecumenical approach to paleobiological research, ranging from molecular biology to field and taxonomic studies. Admittedly, this is one volume that is aimed primarily for students of paleobiology, and, in general, evolutionary biology, but it also should be of interest to historians of science.

Planet Ocean: A Story of Life, the Sea, and Dancing to the Fossil Record

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A story of life, the sea...fossils...Planet Earth!
As good as palaeontology gets! Sagan would be proud! A+
Evolution gets its start
A beautiful, well-written view of past life in the ocean!

Planet Ocean: A Story of Life, the Sea, and Dancing to the Fossil Record
Bradford Matsen
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0898157781

Customer Reviews:

A story of life, the sea...fossils...Planet Earth!.......2006-07-22

I bought this book essentially to serve as additional curriculum support to my 'Science & The Art of Discovery' workshop designed for kids, 8-12. I have kept it in the office library where the kids can have ready access.

Participating kids often like to take out the book to browse. I often find them transfixed with awe.

The book is a wonderful visual & intellectual treat. The printed text integrates natural history, paleontology, geology, & biology into a wholistic narrative about the origins of all life on earth.

I like to conclude this review with a quotation from the book: "We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started. And know the place for the first time. (T S Elliot, 'Four Quartets')"

I would enthusiastically recommend this entertaining book to your kids, particularly when they have an interest in science.

As good as palaeontology gets! Sagan would be proud! A+.......2005-02-16

The late Carl Sagan thought that science should be "user-friendly," presented not in jargon but in regular English. He believed that the general public could -- and should -- have access to the latest scientific discoveries.

Sagan would be proud of _Planet Ocean._ The central theme of the book is stated clearly on page 1: "Nature is a workshop, not a temple." Matsen spends the rest of the book supporting this concept, explaining that life is not a stately, well-executed design where species climb a ladder of progress; rather, evolution is an inescapable and completely random condition. Animals and plants breed, have offspring that are slightly different, and continue to become slightly more different with each successive generation until the distant grandkids look nothing like the original parent. In addition, through totally weird, sometimes avoidable and sometimes unavoidable circumstances, the species as a whole will either do very well, or get pushed out of the scene. The environment works like the stock market -- fortunes are made, and fortunes are lost. (The metaphor of "rolling the dice" comes up more than once.)

Matsen's prose is engaging, entertaining, and extremely informative. In one of my favorite sections, he describes the success of the trilobites (who survived for 300 million years in Earth's oceans):

"They would eat anything and breed anywhere, and they made themselves as unattractive to predators as possible. We all have relatives like them. From [trilobites] and their success and longevity, an evolutionary rule of thumb has emerged: 'The more specialized a species, the less able to cope with change it will be once the inevitable happens and old habitats change beyond the point of recognition' [...]. In other words, generalists usually outlast specialists, and evolutionary progress is not necessarily a matter of refinement. [...] Ninety percent of success is just showing up. Ask an arthropod, like a trilobite or a cockroach. [...] Generalism won't get you to Carnegie Hall with your cello, but a cockroach doesn't need a cello." (p. 14).

This conversational tone is used throughout the book, and it really works. Matsen's prose reminds one of an after-class discussion with a very generous, patient biology teacher -- the kind you always wished you had, and didn't. Matsen takes otherwise very difficult subject matter and explains it in understandable terms that don't insult the intelligence of the reader. He even suggests amusing mnemonics to remember the order of epochs in the Palaezoic and Mesozoic eras ("Crying over sleeping dragons may puzzle people, terrify, (or) joyfully convert") as well as for the Cenozoic era ("Palaeontologists eat only murky plankton porridge hot").

Interwoven with the education that Matsen offers is the story of his and artist Ray Troll's voyage of discovery. Brad and Ray actually travelled to many of the sites discussed in the book, and the little personal touches -- Brad's vision of the Cretacious sea as they drove across Kansas, Ray's discovery and naming of a totally new species of pterasaur, and the fishing trips enjoyed by both -- really draw in the reader. One becomes intimate with the friendly voice, the casual, personal stories, and history of life on Earth.

Not to be missed, of course, is the wonderful art. Ray Troll is a meticulous artist, and his offbeat sense of humor is perfectly in place with the spirit of the book. For example, his illustration of a lungfish's hesitant voyage out of water is captioned, "Out of the ooze and born to cruise." Not to be missed are his "ads" for a wrist watch that measures geologic time; Burgess Brand Primordial Soup; and that great French wine, Chateau Mosasaur. Doodles, sketches, and highly detailed pastel paintings are strewn throughout, and they are worth the price of the book by themselves. (Interested readers can preview some of Ray's art at his homepage, www.trollart.com)

This book is an excellent introduction to evolution, palaeontology, marine biology, and/or marine science. Alternately light and serious, one is sorry to finish the book. It -- like the 650 million year history it encapsulates -- is such a joy to experience. Highly recommended.

Evolution gets its start.......2004-09-10

Brad Matsen and Ray Troll's "Planet Ocean" is a lively swim through the fossil record, beginning at the beginning 650 million years ago in the watery depths.

Troll's whimsical illustrations accompany Matsen's humorously accessible explanations of what we've learned - and think we've learned - from the earliest fossils. Matsen traces evolution from the primordial soup to the first colonies of multicellular organisms to the ubiquitous trilobytes - "the most diverse and successful animals on Planet Ocean until the Permian extinction claimed the last of them."

He discusses the engineering that went into chambers (the nautilus) and hard shells and the arrival of backbones and speculates (with the experts) on the role of extinctions in evolution, including our own.

Although he sometimes demolishes or supports theories without sufficient scientific explanation, Matsen's watery perspective is well-organized and refreshing and Troll's drawings and paintings are as likely to be detailed and informative as they are fanciful and quirky.

A beautiful, well-written view of past life in the ocean!.......1998-06-25

This book was a pleasure to read- even though it was mostly facts (and this is coming from a teenager)! Sure, I love learning about evolution and fossils, but I rarely sit down to read long, boring books about it. But this book is fresh, colorful, full of information, and INTERESTING!!! I congratulate the author and illustrator for putting out such a masterpiece! It is sure to recruit paleontologists for the next generation!

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Pattern and Process

Fossils and Evolution
Tom Kemp
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Ecology of the Cambrian Radiation

ASIN: 0198504241

Book Description

The book is about the ideas, methodology and scope of contemporary palaeobiology, rather than a comprehensive, detailed survey of the factual basis of the subject. It addresses the issue of how on the one hand evolutionary theory is necessary for interpretation of the fossil record, and yet on the other the fossils themselves can contribute to evolutionary theory. This is shown not to be the circular argument between pattern and process sometimes alleged, but a matter of understanding carefully the interrelationship between palaeontological and neontological evidence. The book is organised into two sections. Part 1 consists of four chapters outlining the principles, namely: the nature of the pattern/process relationship, taxonomic methods and the analysis of pattern, evolutionary theory and the analysis of process and the nature of incompleteness of the fossil record and what to do about it. Armed with these principles and methods, Part 2 is devoted to the five central areas of contemporary research in evolutionary palaeobiology. These are: fossils and phylogenetic inference; the mechanism of speciation; taxonomic turnover on the geological time-scale; mass-extinctions; the origin of new higher taxa. In each case the nature of the questions and the relevant kinds of evidence, including such new sources as molecular sequence data and stable isotope ratios where appropriate, are reviewed. The extent to which palaeobiology has, and has not yet, contributed to providing the sought after answers is made clear.

Customer Reviews:

Pattern and Process.......2001-03-26

This is a very good and not too technical summary by an expert in the Darwinian field not only of the current state of evolutionary theory, but of the real difficulties, stated with a succinct clarity often absent in other such works. A sort of Neo-Neo-Darwinian Synthesis emerges from the presentation of the complexities of the pattern and process debate, with good treatments of many issues, from cladistics, to punctuated equilibrium, and much else. The book is very clear, and, without parting ways with conventional Darwinism, highlights the complexities of the 'epistemological gap'as revealed in the actual state of our knowledge of the fossil record. As the author notes, there is "no single universally applicable theory of the cause of evolution that all agree explains all aspects of all cases". Such statements are more effective in the Darwin debate than the blank wall of massive denial that attends too many treatments. Very clear, rigorous, and with excellent references. Good book to get one's bearings in a changing field, whatever one's views of evolution.

Prehistoric Life: The Rise of the Vertebrates

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truly outstanding book on all aspects of life on earth
It's Just Outsanding!
It is a pleasure to read!!!
Textbook thorough and excellent general reference.
Very thorough.

Prehistoric Life: The Rise of the Vertebrates
David Norman
Manufacturer: MacMillan Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0671799401

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truly outstanding book on all aspects of life on earth.......2001-03-09

This is a wonderful book, one of my five favorites when it comes to paleontology. Where to begin! First all, the book covers the entire history of life on earth, beginning with the origin of the earth itself, through the beginning of life, the advent of multicellular life, the bizarre Vendian fauna of the late Precambrian, through the now famous world of the Burgess Shale, into the explosion of life in the seas of the Cambrian, on into the debut of fishes, the conquering of land by plants, insects, and amphibians, to the development of reptiles, all the way through early mammals, dinosaurs, pterosaurs, the Cenozoic "Age of Mammals," the Ice Ages, and early man. As I have pointed out in other reviews, too many books focus exclusively or mainly on dinosaurs, and David Norman deserves high credit for not negelecting other aspects of the development of life on earth.

Second, he is thorough in his coverage on most aspects of the paleonotological record. In his section on trilobites for instance, he has photographs of trilobite fossils and artists illustrations of trilobites swimming, molting, walking, curling up in defense, egg laying, and plowing the seabed for food. The accompanying text is no less detailed and useful. On the lengthy section of conquering the land, Norman has a great diagram showing the major structural changes that fishes underwent to conquer the terrestrial world (particularly in the areas of the pelvic and pectoral girdles and the spine), several illustrations of amphibian skeletons, and several nice illustrations of early amphibians, both individually and in the context of their environment. Dinosaurs as you might imagine get a huge section, with an entire additional chapter devoted the evolution of birds and dinosaur-bird relationships (including discussion of issues of dinosaur endothermy). Marine reptiles of the Mesozoic are not neglected, with many excellent illustrations including some very fine paintings, photographs of fossils, and a diagram illustrating the differences between the swimming and body styles of three main groups, ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and pliosaurs. The section on extinct mammals and mammalian evolution is quite thorough and one of my favorites, as extinct mammals are otherwise very poorly covered in the popular literature. In a readable and engaging format Norman discusses such varied topics in this area as the differences between birds and mammals with regards to the efficiency of their breathing systems, the evolutionary history of Australia's marsupials, the Great Faunal Interchange between North and South America, the evolution of whales, and the rise of grasslands and the role that played in mammalian evolution.

Third, the book, as you might gather, is richly illustrated. Though very much a great text one can sit down and read, it is packed with excellent photographs, drawings, and paintings of fossils, skeletons, animals and plants as they appeared in life, and prehistoric environments. Personal favorites include on pages 100-101 the early reptile Hylonmous scampering after a meal in a coal swamp, on pages 136-137 a scene of two Late Triassic pterosaurs fishing for a meal, and a Gigantopithecus family with associated fauna and flora on page 219.

Fourth (do you still need a reason to buy this book?) the book is very readable. Though quite accurate (though unfortunately one or two aspects of its coverage of the Burgess Shale and dinosaurs are a bit dated, hard to avoid), it is not a difficult read and one need not be a professional biologist. Relevant terms are well explained, often with the aid of diagrams and charts.

It's Just Outsanding!.......2000-03-28

Norman planned this book ir order to provide a pleasant and highly understandable reading without lack of information, covering everything related to pre-historic life, from the greatest animals to the life development hypotesis. It also brings to the reader one of the best visions of life sucession and evolution on Earth. It's wonderfully ilustrated with some pictures that you can see in famous museum exibitions, such as the Deinonychus attack, from Uk National History Museum (pages 158-159) and many others. It is my favourite pre-historic book and I strongly believe that it is a must for every natural science library or collection. It's suitable for everyone interested in a good and clear aproach in this subject. It's not properlly a scholar book but it can be a great help even for paleontology students.

It is a pleasure to read!!!.......1998-09-21

This book is one of the best of its kind. It uncoveres the Evolution of vertebrates in a perfekt way. Beautifull illustrations, which make the animals feel closer to you then ever. This book is really a pleasure to read!!!

Textbook thorough and excellent general reference........1998-06-15

The book is logically put together and is beautiful in format. Although our library has assigned a Youth designation, the book would make an excellent text for a full-year course in paleology at senior high school or college level, and serve as a reference work thereafter.

Very thorough........1997-11-09

This book was very interesting because it covered vertebrates from the very beginning (origin of the universe), but it was still very thorough. Very good illustrations and pictures.

The Emergence of Whales: Evolutionary Patterns in the Origin of Cetacea (Advances in Vertebrate Paleobiology)

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Review from Journal of Mammology

The Emergence of Whales: Evolutionary Patterns in the Origin of Cetacea (Advances in Vertebrate Paleobiology)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0306458535

Book Description

Research in whale origins is now in an explosive phase, with a cascade of discoveries adding to our understanding of the evolutionary pattern and a suite of new techniques being applied to address new questions. The objective of this volume is to provide a snapshot of this explosion. The volume paints the scene with a broad brush. Taken together the chapters clearly indicate that cetacean origins is a field that is dynamic, multidisciplinary, and that the end of the explosive phase is not in sight.

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Review from Journal of Mammology.......2002-08-06

'Up to now, a 'state of the art' summary of research on whale origins has not been available. This book admirably fills that void and should be added to the library of any serious mammologist or paleomammalogist.'
- by Annalisa Berta

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