Prehistoric life is the archive of evolution preserved in the
fossil record. This book focuses on the meaning and
significance of that archive and is designed for introductory
college science students, including non-science majors, enrolled in
survey courses emphasizing paleontology, geology and biology.
From the origins of animals to the evolution of rap music, from
ancient mass extinctions to the current biodiversity crisis, and
from the Snowball Earth to present day climate change this book
covers it, with an eye towards showing how past life on Earth puts
the modern world into its proper context. The history of life and
the patterns and processes of evolution are especially emphasized,
as are the interconnections between our planet, its climate system,
and its varied life forms. The book does not just describe the
history of life, but uses actual examples from life's history
to illustrate important concepts and theories.
Autorentext
Bruce S. Lieberman is a Professor in the Department of
Geology and a Senior Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology in the
Natural History Museum/Biodiversity Research Center (NHM/BRC) at
the University of Kansas (KU), U.S.A. His research focuses on the
study of evolution in the fossil record, including the origin of
animals, macroevolutionary theory, and biogeography.
Roger L. Kaesler passed away in 2007. He was Director of
the Paleontological Institute as well as a Professor in the
Department of Geology and a Senior Curator of Invertebrate
Paleontology in the NHM/BRC at KU. His research focused on
paleoecology and fossil arthropods.
Zusammenfassung
Prehistoric life is the archive of evolution preserved in the fossil record. This book focuses on the meaning and significance of that archive and is designed for introductory college science students, including non-science majors, enrolled in survey courses emphasizing paleontology, geology and biology.
From the origins of animals to the evolution of rap music, from ancient mass extinctions to the current biodiversity crisis, and from the Snowball Earth to present day climate change this book covers it, with an eye towards showing how past life on Earth puts the modern world into its proper context. The history of life and the patterns and processes of evolution are especially emphasized, as are the interconnections between our planet, its climate system, and its varied life forms. The book does not just describe the history of life, but uses actual examples from life's history to illustrate important concepts and theories.
Inhalt
Preface.
1. Introduction to Fossils.
History, Science, and Historical Science.
Time, Life, and Stratigraphy.
What is a Fossil?.
How do Fossils Form?.
Conclusions: Fossils as Curious Stones.
Additional Reading.
2. The Nature of the Fossil Record.
Fossils in Sedimentary Rock.
Taphonomy.
Time Averaging.
Mode of Growth.
Colonial Organisms.
Trace Fossils.
Concluding Remarks.
Additional Reading.
3. Organizing the Fossil Record.
History of Ideas on Biological Classification.
Applying Linnaeus' Hierarchy.
What is a Species and How Does a Paleontologist Identify Them?.
Conclusions: the Difference Between Inanimate Atoms and Living Things.
Additional Reading.
4. Introduction to Evolution.
Introduction.
A Biological Definition of Evolution.
The History of Evolutionary Thought.
Science and Religion.
Darwin and Wallace: Never Ask a Stranger to Present Your Paper at a Meeting You Cannot Attend.
Natural Selection.
Conclusions: Why was Natural Selection Not Endorsed at Once by Many Scientists?.
Additional Reading.
5. Macroevolution, Progress, and the History of Life.
Introduction.
Competition and Macroevolution.
Does Evolution Happen Gradually or Episodically?.
Natural Selection Operating Above and Below the Level of the Individual Organism.
Progress and the History of Life.
Conclusions: Patterns and Processes of Increasing Complexity.
Additional Reading.
6. Extinctions: The Legacy of the Fossil Record.
Introduction.
Contingency.
Boundaries in the Geological Time Scale and the Nature of Extinction.
The CretaceousTertiary Mass Extinction.
How has the Existence of Mass Extinctions Influenced the History of Life?.
Were Most Extinctions Caused by Asteroid Impact?.
The Permo-Triassic Mass ExtinctionCauses and Consequences.
The OrdovicianSilurian Mass Extinction.
Other Mass Extinction Events: The Late Devonian and the End of the Triassic.
Habitat Degradation and Mass Extinctions.
The Sixth Great Mass Extinction: The Current Biodiversity Crisis.
Conclusions: Lessons from the Past and Future Prospects for Humanity.
Additional Reading.
7. Systematics and the Fossil Record.
Introduction.
Methods and Approaches in Systematics.
The Growth of Molecular Biology and Improvements in DNA Sequencing Technology.
The Spread of Computers and Computer Programs Used to Study Evolutionary Relationships.
Systematics and How to go About Identifying Species in the Fossil Record.
Systematics and its Relevance for Identifying Patterns of Mass Extinction.
Systematics and the Meaning of Adaptations.
Concluding Remarks.
Additional Reading.
8. Principles of Growth and Form: Life, the Universe, and Gothic Cathedrals.
Introduction.
Galileo's Principle.
Galileo's Principle and its Relevance to the Biology of Living Organisms.
Galileo's Principle and Constraints on the Evolution of Large Body Size.
Galileo's Principle and its Relevance to Medieval Architecture.
Galileo's Principle and its Relevance to Cratering Density in our Solar System.
Concluding Remarks.
Additional Reading.
9. The Role of Fossils in the Genesis of Myths and Legends.
Introduction.
Paleontologist's Have Come from Many Different Walks of Life and Have Sported Many Different Hairdos.
Paleontology in Ancient Greece.
Native American Contributions to Paleontology.
Concluding Remarks.
Additional Reading.
10. Plat...