Random House New Releases - Nature - Fossils

Common Fossil Plants of Western North America, Second Edition by William D. Tidwell

2010-06-22T00:30:00-05:00

Common Fossil Plants of Western North America, Second Edition
Written by William D. Tidwell

Trade Paperback, 386 pages | Smithsonian Books | Nature - Fossils; Nature - Plants | $28.95 | 978-1-56098-758-1 (1-56098-758-8)

Illustrated with more than eight hundred drawings and photographs, this informative, hands-on guide will help amateur fossil collectors identify and assess the significance of their finds. Introductory chapters describe the types of plant preservation and outline the development of such groups as ferns, fern allies, and seed plants including cycads, ginkgos, conifers, and flowering plants. Generic accounts include brief characterizations; one or more line drawings; lists of formations in which the fossil plant occurs; and, in some, discussions of the ecological conditions under which the plant may have grown. Half of the listings describe fossil woods. A table of more than one hundred localities from British Columbia to northern New Mexico and from California as far east as South Dakota lists the period and epoch in which each site's fossils probably originated. Because fossil plants are found worldwide, the book can be used in many areas other than the western United States.

First published in 1975, this second edition has been completely revised and expanded to include more than 350 new or modified illustrations, an outline key, an amplified glossary, and discussion of seventy-nine additional genera of compressional and petrified material. For geologists, botanists, land managers, naturalists, and anyone interested in hunting and identifying fossil plants, this comprehensive guide is an indispensable reference.

Fossil Plants by Paul Davies

2004-10-17T00:30:00-05:00

Fossil Plants
Written by Paul Kenrick and Paul Davies

Trade Paperback, 232 pages | Smithsonian Books | Nature - Plants; Nature - Fossils | $24.95 | 978-1-58834-156-3 (1-58834-156-9)

Long before there were animals on the earth, many kinds of plants covered the prehistoric planet. The soft remains rarely fossilized, but sometimes leaves, flowers, and branches would fall into soft mud or be encased by the ash of exploding volcanoes. These plants were preserved and now offer a sampling of life in the distant past and a contrast to our present flora.

This complete guide to fossil plants explains both the lives of ancient plants and why certain plants became fossilized. Kenrick and Davies trace the evolution of land plants, ferns, conifers, and their relatives, the flowering plants. Interwoven are snapshots of landscapes and environments of various periods, focusing on plant and animal interactions. The included photographs present these ancient, sometimes delicate, pieces of shale in a unique way, and Kenrick and Davies explain both what they were and what story they tell about the past.

Fossil Plants by Paul Davies

2004-10-17T00:30:00-05:00

Fossil Plants
Written by Paul Kenrick and Paul Davies

Hardcover, 232 pages | Smithsonian Books | Nature - Plants; Nature - Fossils | $50.00 | 978-1-58834-181-5 (1-58834-181-X)

The Fossils of Florissant by Herbert W. Meyer

2003-03-17T00:30:00-05:00

The Fossils of Florissant
Written by Herbert W. Meyer

Hardcover, 272 pages | Smithsonian Books | Nature - Fossils | $39.95 | 978-1-58834-107-5 (1-58834-107-0)

The most diverse fossil bed in the United States provides a unique picture of what life was like 34 million years ago. In the rocks of Florissant, Colorado, lying in the shadow of Pike's Peak, is the evidence of a long-lost world. Encased by the ash of volcanoes that erupted tens of millions of years ago, animals such as insects, fish, and mammals were fossilized in the same deposits as flowers, trees, and the delicate leaves of plants. This amazing collection of animals and plants from the same place at the same time providse a rare, uniquely comprehensive glimpse of life in the past.

Through more than 200 color photographs and vivid descriptions of the fossils, Herbert Meyer brings the fossils of Florissant, Colorado to life, not only providing background on the plants and animals, but also exploring the warm environment in which they lived. The site was once a treasure trove for paleontologists who acquired the fossils for museums around the world; it is now protected as Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. Meyer’s book reveals the beauty of both the site and its delicate fossils, and offers a compelling story of life long ago.

Ammonites by Philip Palmer

2002-05-17T00:30:00-05:00

Ammonites
Written by Neale Monks and Philip Palmer

Trade Paperback, 176 pages | Smithsonian Books | Science - Marine Biology; Nature - Fossils | $24.95 | 978-1-58834-047-4 (1-58834-047-3)

The beautiful spiral shells of these long-extinct marine invertebrates are among the most sought after and recognizable of fossils, yet little has been published about ammonites outside of geological journals. Neale Monks and Philip Palmer look at the latest ideas on ammonite biology and ecology to present this detailed picture of a once diverse and widespread group of animals.

The authors describe the evolution of ammonites and their relatives and explain how they created their shells and used them as flotation devices. All the major groups of ammonites are described and illustrated (as are many minor ones), and important material is included on anatomy, feeding, reproduction, and pathology. The 300-million-year existence of ammonites ended at around the same time that dinosaurs became extinct. Fortunately, ammonites were once so abundant that their fossilized shells can be readily found, and the authors provide a helpful guide to locating and collecting these unique fossils.

Fossils by Richard Fortey

2002-05-17T00:30:00-05:00

Fossils The Key to the Past
Written by Richard Fortey

Trade Paperback, 352 pages | Smithsonian Books | Science - Paleontology; Nature - Fossils | $27.50 | 978-1-58834-048-1 (1-58834-048-1)

This thorough introduction to the world of paleontology has been completely revised and updated, reflecting changes in the ways that fossils are viewed and interpreted. Using the fluid writing style that made Trilobite! Eyewitness to Evolution such a success, Dr. Fortey brings the study of fossils into the 21st-century.

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Fossils by Ida Thompson

1982-10-12T00:30:00-05:00

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Fossils
Written by Ida Thompson

Hardcover, 848 pages | Knopf | Nature - Fossils | $20.95 | 978-0-394-52412-2 (0-394-52412-8)

This, the first all-photographic field guide to cover fossils found throughout North America north of Mexico, includes nearly 500 full-color photographs identifying corals, trilobites, shells, teeth, bones, as well as fossil-bearing rocks and outcrop formations. The descriptive text includes information on size, geological period, geographical distribution, and ecology of the animal or plant before it was fossilized. In addition, the book provides lists of Geological Survey offices and major fossil collections, a geological time chart, and a guide to collecting and preserving fossils.

Random House New Releases - Nature - Fossils

Common Fossil Plants of Western North America, Second Edition by William D. Tidwell

Common Fossil Plants of Western North America, Second Edition Written by William D. Tidwell

Fossil Plants by Paul Davies

Fossil Plants Written by Paul Kenrick and Paul Davies

Fossil Plants by Paul Davies

Fossil Plants Written by Paul Kenrick and Paul Davies

The Fossils of Florissant by Herbert W. Meyer

The Fossils of Florissant Written by Herbert W. Meyer

Ammonites by Philip Palmer

Ammonites Written by Neale Monks and Philip Palmer

Fossils by Richard Fortey

Fossils The Key to the PastWritten by Richard Fortey

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Fossils by Ida Thompson

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Fossils Written by Ida Thompson

Common Fossil Plants of Western North America, Second Edition
Written by William D. Tidwell

Fossil Plants
Written by Paul Kenrick and Paul Davies

Fossil Plants
Written by Paul Kenrick and Paul Davies

The Fossils of Florissant
Written by Herbert W. Meyer

Ammonites
Written by Neale Monks and Philip Palmer

Fossils The Key to the Past
Written by Richard Fortey

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Fossils
Written by Ida Thompson