Fossil Invertebrates
A richly illustrated guide to fossil invertebrates and related modern species...Paul D. Taylor and David N. Lewis, scientists at the Natural History Museum, London, provide a guided tour of five major groups of boneless animals whose histories can be traced in the fossil record...This book can be appreciated on multiple levels. As a feast for the eye, it can be leafed through at leisure or studied by students of art and photography. For students of biology and earth history, it provides an overview of major groups of organisms and their fossil...The book will amply reward the attention given it by the interested layman or interested student. (Donald R. FranceschettiMagill Book Reviews)When people think of fossils, they usually think of dinosaur fossils. But the majority of fossils that have been discovered belong to invertebrates, those members of the animal kingdom lacking a backbone. Taylor and Lewis, both of the Natural History Museum in London, take readers back in time millions of years ago, when seas were filled with ammonites, corals, sponges, mollusks, trilobites, and crinoids. Fossils reveal the diversity of life that existed in the past and show what is still present--e.g., horseshoe crabs and the chambered nautilus. The authors provide a comprehensive compendium of information regarding every aspect relating to invertebrate fossils: history, general descriptions, and specifics related to all types of shells and fossils discovered. Numerous plates augment the text and provide visual reference points for readers. This book is an invaluable resource. (Gloria MaxwellLibrary Journal(starred review)2005-10-15)