Evolution of Fossil Ecosystems

by Paul Selden

Author	: Paul Selden
Publisher	: CRC Press
Total Pages	: 161
Release	: 2004-03-22
Genre	: Science
ISBN	: 1840765461

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Major advances in our understanding of the history of life on Earth have resulted from the study of exceptionally well-preserved fossil sites (Lagerstätten). Study of such sites from around the world and from different periods in geological time can provide a fairly complete picture of the evolution of ecosystems down the ages.With this aim in mind, the authors have brought together succinct summaries of 14 of the better-known fossil Lagerstatten, beautifully illustrated throughout by over 250 colour photographs and diagrams.Following a general introduction to fossil Lagerstätten, each chapter deals with a single fossil site and follows the same format: its evolutionary position and significance; its background sedimentology, stratigraphy and palaoenvironment; a description of the biota and palaeoecology, and a comparison with other similar Lagerstätten. There are appendices of further reading, relevant museums and suggestions for visiting the sites.This book will be of value to a wide range of students and professionals in palaeontology and related sciences, and to amateur enthusiasts.

Evolution of Fossil Ecosystems

by Paul Selden

Author	: Paul Selden
Publisher	: CRC Press
Total Pages	: 289
Release	: 2012-03-15
Genre	: Science
ISBN	: 1840766239

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Evolution of Fossil Ecosystems describes all of the main Fossil Lagerstätten (sites of exceptional fossil preservation) from around the world in a chronological order. It covers the history of research, stratigraphy and taphonomy, main faunal and floral elements, and the palaeoecology of each site and gives a comparison with coeval sites around the w

Evolution of Fossil Ecosystems

by Paul Selden

Author	: Paul Selden
Publisher	: Elsevier
Total Pages	: 289
Release	: 2012-12-31
Genre	: Science
ISBN	: 0124046371

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The first edition of Evolution of Fossil Ecosystems was widely praised for its coverage and approach in describing and illustrating 14 well-known fossil sites from around the world. The authors have now updated the text and added 6 new chapters with many new color illustrations. Following a general introduction to fossil Lagerstätten, each chapter deals with a single site and follows the same format: its evolutionary position and significance; its background sedimentology, stratigraphy and palaeoenvironment; a description of the biota and palaeoecology; a comparison with other similar Lagerstätten; and a list of relevant museums and suggestions for visiting the sites. This study of exceptionally well-preserved fossil sites from different periods in geological time provides a picture of the evolution of ecosystems through the ages. - Covers several sites that are not listed in other Lagerstatten books making this the most comprehensive book on the topic; - Beautifully illustrated throughout with more than 450 color photographs and diagrams; - Provides value to a wide range of students and professionals in palaeontology and related sciences.

Fossil Ecosystems of North America

by Paul Selden

Author	: Paul Selden
Publisher	: CRC Press
Total Pages	: 283
Release	: 2008-03-20
Genre	: Science
ISBN	: 1840765070

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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.

Terrestrial Ecosystems Through Time

by Anna K. Behrensmeyer

Author	: Anna K. Behrensmeyer
Publisher	: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages	: 588
Release	: 1992-08-15
Genre	: Science
ISBN	: 0226041557

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Breathtaking in scope, this is the first survey of the entire ecological history of life on land—from the earliest traces of terrestrial organisms over 400 million years ago to the beginning of human agriculture. By providing myriad insights into the unique ecological information contained in the fossil record, it establishes a new and ambitious basis for the study of evolutionary paleoecology of land ecosystems. A joint undertaking of the Evolution of Terrestrial Ecosystems Consortium at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, and twenty-six additional researchers, this book begins with four chapters that lay out the theoretical background and methodology of the science of evolutionary paleoecology. Included are a comprehensive review of the taphonomy and paleoenvironmental settings of fossil deposits as well as guidelines for developing ecological characterizations of extinct organisms and the communities in which they lived. The remaining three chapters treat the history of terrestrial ecosystems through geological time, emphasizing how ecological interactions have changed, the rate and tempo of ecosystem change, the role of exogenous "forcing factors" in generating ecological change, and the effect of ecological factors on the evolution of biological diversity. The six principal authors of this volume are all associated with the Evolution of Terrestrial Ecosystems program at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

Open Ecosystems

by William J. Bond

Author	: William J. Bond
Publisher	: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages	: 191
Release	: 2019
Genre	: Science
ISBN	: 0198812450

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Explores the geography, ecology, and antiquity of 'open ecosystems' which include grasslands, savannas, and shrublands.

Evolution of Primary Producers in the Sea

by Paul Falkowski

Author	: Paul Falkowski
Publisher	: Academic Press
Total Pages	: 472
Release	: 2011-08-31
Genre	: Science
ISBN	: 0080550517

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Evolution of Primary Producers in the Sea reference examines how photosynthesis evolved on Earth and how phytoplankton evolved through time – ultimately to permit the evolution of complex life, including human beings. The first of its kind, this book provides thorough coverage of key topics, with contributions by leading experts in biophysics, evolutionary biology, micropaleontology, marine ecology, and biogeochemistry.This exciting new book is of interest not only to students and researchers in marine science, but also to evolutionary biologists and ecologists interested in understanding the origins and diversification of life. Evolution of Primary Producers in the Sea offers these students and researchers an understanding of the molecular evolution, phylogeny, fossil record, and environmental processes that collectively permits us to comprehend the rise of phytoplankton and their impact on Earth's ecology and biogeochemistry. It is certain to become the first and best word on this exhilarating topic. - Discusses the evolution of phytoplankton in the world's oceans as the first living organisms and the first and basic producers in the earths food chain - Includes the latest developments in the evolution and ecology of marine phytoplankton specifically with additional information on marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles - The only book to consider of the evolution of phytoplankton and its role in molecular evolution, biogeochemistry, paleontology, and oceanographic aspects - Written at a level suitable for related reading use in courses on the Evolution of the Biosphere, Ecological and Biological oceanography and marine biology, and Biodiversity

Fossils and Evolution

by Thomas Stainforth Kemp

Author	: Thomas Stainforth Kemp
Publisher	: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages	: 284
Release	: 1999-01-01
Genre	: Nature
ISBN	: 9780198504245

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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 centralareas 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, contributedto providing the sought after answers is made clear.

Palaeoecology

by P.J. Brenchley

Author	: P.J. Brenchley
Publisher	: CRC Press
Total Pages	: 432
Release	: 2023-07-14
Genre	: Science
ISBN	: 1000939405

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The first palaeoecology book to focus on evolutionary palaeoecology, in both marine and terrestrial environments. Discusses reconstruction of the past ecological world at population, community and biogeographic levels. A well-illustrated and substantial volume giving accessible coverage of the full range of subjects within palaeoecology. Reviews and summarises all the major mass extinctions.