Fossils at a Glance

Description

Life on Earth has been evolving and interacting with the surface and atmosphere for almost four billion years. Fossils provide a powerful tool in the study of the Earth and its history. They also provide important data for evolutionary studies and contribute to our understanding of the extinction of organisms and the origins of modern biodiversity.:.; Introduces the study of fossils in a simple and straightforward manner.; Short chapters introduce the main topics in the current study of fossils.; The most important fossil groups are discussed, from microfossils through.; invertebrates to verte.;Fossils At A Glance; Contents; Acknowledgments; 1 Introduction; 2 Fossil classi fication and evolution; 3 Sponges; 4 Corals; 5 Bryozoans; 6 Brachiopods; 7 Echinoderms; 8 Trilobites; 9 Molluscs; 10 Graptolites; 11 Vertebrates; 12 Land plants; 13 Microfossils; 14 Trace fossils; 15 Precambrian life; 16 Phanerozoic life; Reading list; Geological timescale; Index.