Terrestrial Conservation Lagerstatten: Windows into the Evolution of Life on Land

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    Terrestrial Conservation Lagerstatten: Windows into the Evolution of Life on Land Editors: Nick Fraser, Hans-Dieter Sues Format: Hardback First Published: Published By: Dunedin Academic Press
    string(3) "450"
    Pages: 450 Illustrations and other contents: colour illustrations throughout Language: English ISBN: 9781780460147 Category:

    Evolutionary biologists have long been concerned by the incompleteness of the fossil record. Although our knowledge of the diversity of life in ‘deep time’ has improved, many lineages of extant animals and plants still have only sparse fossil documentation. Even groups with ‘hard parts’ that render them suitable for fossilization often only have a limited record. Thus, although the fossil record is viewed as critical to the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of life, many biologists question its utility. Fortunately discoveries of occurrences of exceptionally preserved fossils, known as conservation Lagerstatten (Konservat-Lagerstatten), shed much light on the past diversity of life. This volume reviews selected conservation Lagerstatten for terrestrial animals and plants throughout the Phanerozoic worldwide and includes sites in Asia, Europe and North and South America. Together the papers demonstrate the enormous progress made in recent years both in documenting the biodiversity of such extraordinary fossil deposits and also in elucidating the geological conditions for and biogeochemical processes behind the formation of conservation Lagerstatten.Each contribution has been written by eminent palaeontologists who have enlisted additional expertise to make each chapter as comprehensive as possible.

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    'Terrestrial Conservation Lagerstätten (TCL) is a fantastic volume—it treats nine terrestrial Lagerstätten in scholarly detail, each written by experts on the particular Lagerstätte. The articles are complete and full of full-color graphics— including spectacular fossil images. Each chapter is fully referenced. The sites treated are (in geological order): 1) the Rhynie and Windyfield Cherts, 2) the East Kirkton Lagerstätte, 3) the Madygen Lagerstätte, 4) the Solite Quarry, 5) the Yanliao Biota, 6) the Jehol Biota, 7) the Santana Formation, 8) the Messel Pit Fossil Site, and a final chapter covering 9) Extraordinary Lagerstätten in Amber (but focusing heavily on the Cretaceous Burmese amber). Of these chapters, over half have not been treated in a similar manner in previous books on fossil Lagerstätten (chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, & 9). This last fact justifies the book’s rather steep price (about 230 $US at present exchange rates).'Priscum, Newsletter of the Paleontological Society‘Overall, this book is a great overview of nine of the most impressive fossil sites in the world. Each chapter provides a bit of the history of fossil-collecting, the geology, and a run-down of the taxa identified at the site so far. The volume is loaded with big color photographs of gorgeously preserved specimens, making it a great book to peruse even if only for the pictures. It also serves as a general reference for each of the sites, although has quite a bit of taxonomic jargon that may be cumbersome for those unfamiliar with each of the biotas concerned. There is also a fair bit of anatomical terminology that some readers may be less familiar with, e.g., those concerning plant reproduction or insect organs. These make it a difficult read for non-paleontologists but should be fine for the intended scientific audience. Even if the taxonomic group in question is out of your area, the chapters still provide useful information pointing you to delve in further if interested. I recommend this book for anyone particularly interested in taphonomy, evolution of life on land, and/or fantastic pictures of really exceptional fossils.’Palaeontologia Electronica

    Author Biography

    Edited by Nicholas C. Fraser of the National Museum of Scotland and Hans-Dieter Sues of the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.