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Full Product Details

Author:   John Foster
Publisher:   Indiana University Press
Imprint:   Indiana University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 17.80cm , Height: 2.90cm , Length: 25.40cm
Weight:   1.066kg
ISBN:  

9780253011824

ISBN 10:   0253011825
Pages:   456
Publication Date:   06 June 2014
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Preface Acknowledgments Abbreviations 1. Natural Mystic: An Introduction to the Cambrian 2. Into The Heart: Cambrian Geology 3. A Long Strange Trip: The First 4000 Million Years of Earth History 4. Welcome To The Boomtown: The Early Cambrian Seas 5. On Top Of The World: The Middle Cambrian Begins 6. Magical Mystery Tour: The Biological Psychedelia of the Burgess Shale 7. Glory Days: The Later Middle Cambrian 8. Taking Off: The Late Cambrian 9. Home By The Sea: A Closer Look 10. On And On: Legacy of the Explosion Appendix Glossary Notes and References Index

Reviews

Based on a chronological transect of the Cambrian and the Cambrian radiation, and bringing in expert knowledge from researchers around the globe, Foster revels in details and thereby exposes his most profound interest - and love - of past life and palaeontology. The result is a staggering 432 pages of delight - containing a lot of information, combined with many beautiful illustrations and figures. . . . This volume leaves you with a lasting impression and is, in my opinion, at present . . . definitely the best introductory textbook within its field. It is clearly worth reading. * Deposits Magazine * A must have for anyone with an interest in the fossils from this time period. * Birdbooker Report * The Cambrian is passionately profiled in Cambrian Ocean World, part of the 'Life of the Past' series. Foster . . . has spent several decades collecting Cambrian fossils in the western US. His book is both a comprehensive guide to the evolution of life during the Cambrian and a narrative of his experiences hunting for the world's oldest animal fossils. The ten chapters follow the evolution of animals, ecosystems, and environments during the Cambrian, beginning with an alien world and culminating in an ocean realm that seems familiar, with sponges, mollusks, corals, and fish. The book is richly illustrated with hundreds of photographs of fossils Foster has collected, and short profiles of paleontologists provide a personal touch. . . . Highly recommended. * Choice * Told with a wry humor, the odd pop cultural/sci-fi reference, and personal anecdotes, Foster does a great job in making this an enjoyable read and bringing the Cambrian to us. An alien world is transformed before our eyes into one that is increasingly more familiar. Although written for general readers, students and researchers of paleontology may also benefit from this volume. * Quarterly Review of Biology *

In Cambrian Ocean World, John Foster demonstrates how some of the most challenging and significant questions about the early diversification of animal life in the sea can be addressed by the extensive fossil and rock record of the Cambrian Period found across North America. Written in a style that will engage both lay readers as well as researchers, this profusely illustrated and thoroughly researched book is an up-to-date and comprehensive exploration of one of the most critical periods in evolutionary history. David L. Meyer, coauthor of Sea Without Fish--David L. Meyer, coauthor of Sea Without Fish

The Cambrian is passionately profiled in Cambrian Ocean World, part of the 'Life of the Past' series. Foster . . . has spent several decades collecting Cambrian fossils in the western US. His book is both a comprehensive guide to the evolution of life during the Cambrian and a narrative of his experiences hunting for the world's oldest animal fossils. The ten chapters follow the evolution of animals, ecosystems, and environments during the Cambrian, beginning with an alien world and culminating in an ocean realm that seems familiar, with sponges, mollusks, corals, and fish. The book is richly illustrated with hundreds of photographs of fossils Foster has collected, and short profiles of paleontologists provide a personal touch. . . . Highly recommended. * Choice * Based on a chronological transect of the Cambrian and the Cambrian radiation, and bringing in expert knowledge from researchers around the globe, Foster revels in details and thereby exposes his most profound interest - and love - of past life and palaeontology. The result is a staggering 432 pages of delight - containing a lot of information, combined with many beautiful illustrations and figures. . . . This volume leaves you with a lasting impression and is, in my opinion, at present . . . definitely the best introductory textbook within its field. It is clearly worth reading. * Deposits Magazine * A must have for anyone with an interest in the fossils from this time period. * Birdbooker Report * Told with a wry humor, the odd pop cultural/sci-fi reference, and personal anecdotes, Foster does a great job in making this an enjoyable read and bringing the Cambrian to us. An alien world is transformed before our eyes into one that is increasingly more familiar. Although written for general readers, students and researchers of paleontology may also benefit from this volume. * Quarterly Review of Biology *

In Cambrian Ocean World, John Foster demonstrates how some of the most challenging and significant questions about the early diversification of animal life in the sea can be addressed by the extensive fossil and rock record of the Cambrian Period found across North America. Written in a style that will engage both lay readers as well as researchers, this profusely illustrated and thoroughly researched book is an up-to-date and comprehensive exploration of one of the most critical periods in evolutionary history. David L. Meyer, coauthor of A Sea without Fish--David L. Meyer, coauthor of A Sea without Fish

Author Information

John Foster is Director of the Museum of Moab in Moab, Utah. He served for thirteen years as Curator of Paleontology at the Museum of Western Colorado and adjunct faculty at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. He has worked in Cambrian deposits in several areas of the western states, including California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, and South Dakota. He is author of Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World (IUP, 2007).

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