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Informationen zum Autor 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. Klappentext 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 palaeontology, 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. 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. Inhaltsverzeichnis 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 Cretaceous-Tertiary Mass Extinction. How has the Existence of Mass Extinctions Influenced the History of Lif...
