Overview

This book tells the story of Scotland's birth, covering spectacular views and majestic time-scales. The tale is dramatic, and the beauty of the evidence, from the tiniest fossil to the entire country, is all around us today. This is a revealing new slant on the history of Scotland -- concentrating on the earliest years before the impact of mankind. People think of Scotland as a natural wilderness -- but discover what Scotland might have looked like if people had not changed it to suit their needs. Our land is never static, and the evidence is all around us, trapped in rocks and soils, in all kinds of guises -- the shell of a fossil animal, the sands of a desert, the shape of a valley, or insect and minerals are formed and destroyed, we can build the story. Beginnings considers Scotland as a whole, time period by period, and focuses on the past rather that the present -- what was it like to be there, swimming in the Jurassic sea? This is a novel story attractively presented with stunning photographs, paintings and re-constructions.

Full Product Details

Author:   Doctor Dr Michael A. Taylor ,  Andrew Kitchener
Publisher:   NMSE - Publishing Ltd
Imprint:   NMSE - Publishing Ltd
Dimensions:   Width: 20.00cm , Height: 1.00cm , Length: 22.00cm
Weight:   0.275kg
ISBN:  

9781901663266

ISBN 10:   1901663264
Pages:   88
Publication Date:   21 September 2007
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Image and text credits Preface Part 1 Scotland's journey across the Earth's surface Introduction to Part 1: 'The present is the key to the past' The building blocks of time: rocks and fossils Scotland's journey through time: the geological timeline The oldest rocks: Lewisian gneiss Icebergs in southern seas: about 650 million years ago Crumpling Scotland: about 500 million years ago The Vanishing ocean: about 440 million years ago Early land and lake life: about 410 million years ago Volcanoes: about 340 million years ago Tropical seas: about 345 million years ago Fossils: East Kirkton - a snapshot in time Tropical coal forests: about 300 million years ago The great Scottish desert: about 260 million years ago The new seas: about 167 million years ago The high lava plateaus: about 60 million years ago The ice ages Changes of climate Ancient seasides Part 2 Scotland's Wildlife Introduction to Part 2 Scotland today: a natural wilderness? Relict species: Ice Age survivors Fossils Evidence for the extinct Reconstructing past habitats Radiocarbon dating: dating the past Pollen analysis - reconstructing past habitats History of the forests 11,750 years ago From 11,750 to 6000 years ago Former tundra and forest life From 6000 years ago Forests today Scotland's natural heritage: the biodiversity Made in Scotland: Endemic Species The Habitats Seas and shores Inland water Freshwater habitats Wetland habitats Peatlands: Fens and Bogs Mountain and Moorland Farms and cities: urban and farmland habitats Is Scotland's wildlife important? Places and websites to visit Books to read

Reviews

'... a superbly illustrated, information-packed booklet. A strong feature of the book is the inclusion of many excellent photographs of named localities with information about their wildlife, which makes you want to jump straightaway into your car and head for Scotland.'British Journal of Entomology and Natural History'... Detailed without being overwhelming, it is a very well-written guide. It is also beautifully illustrated with 120 images comprising photos of spectacular scenery, specimens and thin sections, alongside artistic reconstructions and handy diagrams.'Geological Curator

Author Information

Dr Michael A Taylor is Principal Curator of Vertebrate Palaeontlogy; Dr Andrew C Kitchener is Principal Curator of Birds and Mammals, both National Museums Scotland.

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