Preface vii
About the Companion Website x
1 The Origin of Life on Earth 1
2 Earliest Life on Earth 17
3 Sex and Nuclei: Eukaryotes 30
4 The Evolution of Metazoans 41
5 The Metazoan Radiation 54
6 Changing Life in a Changing World 66
7 The Early Vertebrates 84
8 Leaving the Water 98
9 Tetrapods and Amniotes 112
10 Early Amniotes and Thermoregulation 122
11 The Triassic Takeover 134
12 Dinosaurs 144
<PALEOECOLOGY
Past, Present and Future
Paleoecology is a discipline that uses evidence from fossils to provide an understanding of ancient environments and the ecological history of life through geological time. This text covers the fundamental approaches that have provided the foundation for present paleoecological understanding, and outlines new research areas in paleoecology for managing future environmental and ecological change. Topics include the use of a
INVESTIGATING FOSSILS
A HISTORY OF PALAEONTOLOGY
Investigating Fossils – A History of Palaeontology is a concise and accessible look at changing attitudes to palaeontology in general, and fossils in particular. From the existential and philosophical debates arising from fossils – such as their implications for the age of the Earth – to their role as markers in Darwin’s theory of evolution, fo
Fossils At A Glance is written for students taking an introductory level course in paleontology. Short chapters introduce the main topics in the modern study of fossils. The most impo
Acknowledgements viii
1 Introduction and History 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Historical Development 4
1.2.1 Physical-Optical Tomography in the 20th Century 4
1.2.2 The CT Revolution 6
1.2.3 Modern Physical-Optical Tomography 7
1.2.4 Other Modern Tomographic Techniques 8
1.2.5 Surface-Based Techniques 9
1.2.6 Historical Summary 10
2 Destructive Tomography 14
2.1 Introduction 14
2.2 Physical-Optical T
PALEOECOLOGY
Past, Present and Future
Paleoecology is a discipline that uses evidence from fossils to provide an understanding of ancient environments and the ecological history of life through geological time. This text covers the fundamental approaches that have provided the foundation for present paleoecological understanding, and outlines new research areas in paleoecology for managing future environmental and ecological change. Topics include the use of a
Fossils At A Glance is written for students taking an introductory level course in paleontology. Short chapters introduce the main topics in the modern study of fossils. The most impo