Fossils and Evolution - Couverture rigide

Kemp, Tom

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0198503458 ISBN 13 : 9780198503453

Editeur : Oxford University Press, 1998

Synopsis

This volume interprets evidence from biology and from geology in order to describe and interpret how fossils are used in understanding biological evolution. It reviews the main ideas and research areas in contemporary palaeobiology. The book is intended for undergraduate evolutionary biology courses in biological sciences, undergraduate courses in palaeobiology in earth sciences but may also be of interest to amateur enthusiasts for fossils, evolution and natural history.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

The book is about the ideas, methodology and scope of contemporary palaeobiology, rather than a comprehensive, detailed survey of the factual basis of the subject. It addresses the issue of how on the one hand evolutionary theory is necessary for interpretation of the fossil record, and yet on the other the fossils themselves can contribute to evolutionary theory. This is shown not to be the circular argument between pattern and process sometimes alleged, but a matter of understanding carefully the interrelationship between palaeontological and neontological evidence. The book is organised into two sections. Part 1 consists of four chapters outlining the principles, namely: the nature of the pattern/process relationship, taxonomic methods and the analysis of pattern, evolutionary theory and the analysis of process and the nature of incompleteness of the fossil record and what to do about it. Armed with these principles and methods, Part 2 is devoted to the five central areas of contemporary research in evolutionary palaeobiology. These are: fossils and phylogenetic inference; the mechanism of speciation; taxonomic turnover on the geological time-scale; mass-extinctions; the origin of new higher taxa. In each case the nature of the questions and the relevant kinds of evidence, including such new sources as molecular sequence data and stable isotope ratios where appropriate, are reviewed. The extent to which palaeobiology has, and has not yet, contributed to providing the sought after answers is made clear.

Revue de presse

This extended essay is expansive, well researched and broad in scope. More importantly, it is intelligently written and assumes a certian familiarity with the ideas on board ... Readers of TREE should welcome it in to their personal and institutional libraries. (Kevin Padian, TREE)

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Oxford University Press
• Date d'édition: 1998
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0198503458
• ISBN 13: 9780198503453
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 290
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: Ufficio Anagrafiche Messaggerie; ufficio.anagrafiche@meli.it; ; Via Verdi, 8; Assago Milano; 20090; Italie