Fossils : the key to the past /

Fortey (formerly, Natural History Museum, UK) is the best writer on paleontology in our generation, and this successor to the fourth edition (CH, Dec'09, 47-2015) of his iconic book shows his extraordinary literary and scientific skills. He extends several narrative threads through the volume, including the history of fossils as scientific objects, geological time, the history of the Earth, and the history of life (from its origin to our species). At the same time the heart of the book is a popular taxonomy of fossils, from protists through vertebrates. There is also an instructive chapter at the end on how to make a fossil collection. Dozens of detailed, beautiful images of fossils, most from the rich collections of the Natural History Museum in London, appear throughout the text. This edition is up-to-date (as can be seen in the hominid and fossil DNA sections) and comprehensive. (There is just one typographical error in the time chart: "Palaeocene" should be "Paleogene.") It is a valuable resource for all readers. It could serve as a textbook for a history of life course and should be read by all earth science professionals for an elegant account of the worth and meaning of fossils. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All library collections. --Mark A. Wilson, College of Wooster

This comprehensive introduction to paleontology includes recent discoveries about human evolution and the development of micropaleontology. Fortey (Natural -History Museum, London; Earth) clarifies the relationships among geology, paleontology, biology, and chemistry, and discusses topics such as geological eras, rock types, plant and animal fossils, extinction, and evolution. The material is illustrated with charts and colored photographs. Particularly fascinating are speculations on dinosaur extinction and on the precursors to and evolution of Homo sapiens. In addition, Fortey explains that since fossil fuels such as coal and oil will eventually run out, prospecting companies now employ micropaleontologists who use the presence of specific guide fossils to estimate sedimentary conditions. Readers interested in fossil collecting are advised where to hunt for them as well as how to handle, clean, identify, and store them. VERDICT Suitable for college students and educated readers, this work is less technical than Paul Selden's Evolution of Fossil Ecosystems or The Rise of Animals by Mikhail A. Fedonkin and others. Readers will come away with an understanding of the immensity of geological time and the volume of fossil-bearing rock throughout the world.-Judith B. Barnett, Univ. of Rhode Island Lib., Kingston © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.