1st Edition

Fossil Ecosystems of North America A Guide to the Sites and their Extraordinary Biotas

By Paul Selden, John Nudds Copyright 2008
    288 Pages 301 Color Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    288 Pages
    by CRC Press

    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