Coek - Info - Principles of Paleontology PDF

The Science of the Total Environment, 2 (1973) 203-209
© Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam--Printed in Belgium
Book R e v i e w s
Principles of Geology, 3rd ed., by James Gilluly, Aron C. Waters and A. O. Woodford, W. H.
Freeman and Company, San Francisco, London, 1968, 687 pp., price $11.95.
The third edition of Principles of Geology contains major revisions in order

to incorporate new developments since 1958 of current understanding of geologic
concepts. An entirely new chapter has been devoted to the origin of the earth and
life while an additional appendix describes the main groups of fossils in relation
to organic evolution. In keeping with earlier editions chapters are devoted to concise
accounts of the major components of geological teaching. Each subject is placed in
perspective with advances in knowledge gained in other disciplines, emphasising
links between geology, geomorphology and organic evolution. Each chapter concludes
with a series of facts, concepts, terms, a series of questions pertinent to the contents of
each chapter, and a list of suggested further readings.
A feature of this book is the descriptive approach to geology, which is amply
supported by excellent and clear photographs of geological features together with
maps. Although details involving physics, chemistry and mathematics are kept to a
bare minimum, the reader is left in no doubt of their importance in understanding
basic geological processes. For the student of geology it introduces basic concepts;
the clarity of presentation provides a suitable text for an introduction to geology for
environmentalists, to whom it is highly recommended.
Plymouth (Great Britain) E. I. H A M I L T O N
Principles of Paleontology, by David M. Raup and Steven M. Stanley, W. H. Freeman and Company,
San Francisco, 1970, pp. 388, 1971, price £4.80.
This book has been prepared for undergraduate teaching in order to provide
a conceptual background for studies in paleontology. This is long overdue for a
subject which is often treated in a traditional manner based upon a phylum-by-
phylum taxonomic format and descriptions of past forms of life preserved in the
fossil record. The authors state that paleontology is an exciting subject and this is
fully borne out by the manner in which they approach the subject. Biologists together
with all those interested in the process of organic evolution will find this volume
invaluable as it clearly shows the importance of paleontology in understanding
modern biology. Ecologists are currently concerned with evaluating the extent to
which products of human activity can influence the degree of variability in modern
biological systems. The authors show how the geologic record contains extensive
case histories of the effects of natural variability on the process of organic evolution,
dispersion of species and their eventual extinction ; the character of past environments
203
including a record of climatic conditions is also preserved in the composition and
structure of the sedimentary rocks. The fossil record may hold the key in order to
understand current variability and perhaps help in predicting future changes in defined
geographical areas of the world. The authors comment that there are ~4.5 million
species of plants and animals living today compared with a total of 130,000 fossil
species and that only 0.013% of the species that have lived during the past 600 million
years have been recognised in the fossil record; clearly the fossil record is far from
complete because of biological and mechanical destruction of materials, but never-
theless the available material is sufficient for paleontologists to evaluate the fossil
record as a sample of former life.
The description of fossils is clearly of importance to paleontologists; instead
of the usual pen drawings species are illustrated by using modern techniques such as
stereophotography, X-ray radiography, electron and stereoscan microscopy. In place
of conventional descriptive morphology use is made of mathematical terminology
permitting comparisons between such features as shapes, growth rates and functional
morphology by statistical treatment, analog-computer simulation and the use of
model systems.
Fundamentals of modern ecology are outlined and then considered in terms of
ancient environments, e.g. salinity determined the faunal assemblages in the Great
Estuarine Series of the British Jurassic. The importance of phytoplankton in relation
to mass extinction of fauna and flora is discussed in terms of ecological factors al-
though it is noted that there is a tendency for mass extinction to follow taxonomic
rather than ecologic series.
One important aspect of this volume is the manner in which the authors
have shown how essential interdisciplinary training is for paleontologists. Although
paleontology is concerned with ancient dead materials the relics contain detailed
records of organic evolution in relation to environmental conditions. Some fossils
have provided valuable and exciting information relating to the dynamics of the
earth-sun-moon system; studies of recent shells may hold the key to the recognition
of ancient cycles in which rates of growth may be considered in terms of days or even
hours.
I thoroughly recommend the book to a wide audience of readers, in particular,
ecologists.
Plymouth (Great Britain) E. I. H A M 1 L T O N
204

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The Science of the Total Environment, 2 (1973) 203-209

© Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam--Printed in Belgium

The third edition of Principles of Geology contains major revisions in order

Plymouth (Great Britain) E. I. H A M I L T O N

Plymouth (Great Britain) E. I. H A M 1 L T O N

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