Palæontologi

Examining in detail at least one amazing fossil site in every state, Albert Dickas clearly explains the critters preserved in the rocks, from sharks and rhinoceroses to trilobites and horn corals. At some sites, you can sift through the shale in search of fossils to keep; at other sites, you can watch professionals excavate museum-quality specimens.

The extended continental South American turtle record (Norian to Lujanian) allows us to follow the evolution of this reptile clade from its origins. Several significant stem turtle taxa such as: Palaeochersis talampayensis and Condorchelys antiqua provide information on the first steps of turtle evolution. Others such as: Chubutemys copelloi or Patagoniaemys gasparinae provide clues to the origin of the bizarre horned tortoises of the clade Meiolaniidae. The panpleurodiran species such as Notoemys laticentralis or Notoemys zapatocaensis shed light on the origin of modern pleurodiran turtles. This book explores aquatic and terrestrial cryptodiran turtles, South Gondwanan pleurodiran turtles, North Gondwanan Pleurodiran turtles, Meiolaniforms and early differentiation of Mesozoic turtles.

Ostracoda (Crustacea) are potentially excellent model organisms for evolutionary studies, because they combine an extensive fossil record with a wide recent distribution and therefore allow studies on both patterns and processes leading to extant diversity. The main scientific domains contributing theories, concepts, and data to evolutionary biology are morphology (including ontogeny), palaeontology, genetics, and ecology, and to all of these aspects ostracods can contribute. This is clearly illustrated by the fifteen papers presented under Theme 3 of the 13th International Symposium on Ostracoda (Chatham, UK) in 1997 which are grouped in the present proceedings, one of three volumes resulting from this meeting. The contributions deal with the evolution of both extant and fossil forms (including most of the Phanaerozoic), ecology of both marine and freshwater taxa, and (developmental) morphology of both soft parts and valves. Although the canvas is wide, each paper clearly shows how studies on Ostracoda can be relevant to general theory on evolutionary biology and ecology.

The groundbreaking work from bestselling author and renowned particle physicist Lisa Randall?a dazzling adventure into the interconnectedness of our universe.Sixty-six million years ago, an object the size of a city crashed into Earth, killing off the dinosaurs and two-thirds of the planet's species. Challenging the usual assumptions about the simple makeup of the unseen material that constitutes 85 percent of the matter in the Universe, Randall explains how a disk of dark matter in the Milky Way plane might have triggered the cataclysm.But Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs does more than present a radical new research idea. With clarity and wit, Randall explains the nature of the Universe, dark matter, the Milky Way galaxy, comets, asteroids, and impacts. This breathtaking synthesis, illuminated by pop culture references and social and political viewpoints, reveals the deep relationships among the visible and the hidden, as well as the astonishing beauty of the connections that surround us. It's impossible to read this book and look at either the Earth or the sky again in the same way.

This Open Access volume highlights how tree ring stable isotopes have been used to address a range of environmental issues from paleoclimatology to forest management, and anthropogenic impacts on forest growth. It will further evaluate weaknesses and strengths of isotope applications in tree rings. In contrast to older tree ring studies, which predominantly applied a pure statistical approach this book will focus on physiological mechanisms that influence isotopic signals and reflect environmental impacts. Focusing on connections between physiological responses and drivers of isotope variation will also clarify why environmental impacts are not linearly reflected in isotope ratios and tree ring widths. This volume will be of interest to any researcher and educator who uses tree rings (and other organic matter proxies) to reconstruct paleoclimate as well as to understand contemporary functional processes and anthropogenic influences on native ecosystems. The use of stable isotopes in biogeochemical studies has expanded greatly in recent years, making this volume a valuable resource to a growing and vibrant community of researchers.

Although flight is often considered one of the most salient characteristics of birds, in the course of their evolution, various avian lineages have lost the ability to fly. This books explores various aspects of the multifaceted evolutionary processes that have led to loss of flight in several groups of birds. The nine papers in this collection deal with flightless birds belonging to widely different extinct and extant groups, from many parts of the world and from various time periods, from the Late Cretaceous to the Quaternary. They illustrate both the diversity of flightless birds and the multifarious approaches that can be used to study them, from stratigraphy and functional anatomy to phylogenetic analysis and bone histology.

This book introduces the reader to the unique geology of Greece. This country is a natural geology laboratory that can help us understand the present-day active geodynamic processes in the Hellenic orogenic arc, including earthquakes, volcanoes, coastline changes and other processes of uplift and subsidence, as well as the intense erosion, transport and deposition of sediments. Additionally, Greece offers a remarkable geological museum, reflecting the complex history of the area over the last 300 million years. By studying the rocks of Greece, one can discover old oceanic basins, e.g. in the Northern Pindos and Othrys mountains, crystalline rocks of Palaeozoic age, old granitic and volcanic rocks, as well as other sedimentary rocks including fossils from the shallow neritic facies to pelagic and abyssal facies. The younger sediments demonstrate the continuously changing palaeogeography of Greece, with areas of lakes, high plateaus and gulfs that are transformed into new forms of islands, peninsulas or high mountains, etc. All the above subjects are included in the book, which describes the tectonic structure of the geological strata, together with the evolutionary stages of the palaeogeography and geodynamics within the broader Mediterranean context. A special characteristic of the book is the development of the orogenic model of the Hellenides with the application of the tectono-stratigraphic terrane concept in the Tethyan system.

Dieses Buch bietet eine vergleichsweise umfangreiche Einführung in die spezielle Mineralogie, Petrologie, Geochemie und Lagerstättenkunde. Es entwickelte sich aus dem ursprünglich von Siegfried Matthes konzipierten, dann von Martin Okrusch weitergeführten Lehrbuch, das mittlerweile zu einem bewährten Klassiker geworden ist. Die vorliegende, mittlerweile 10. Neuauflage unterscheidet sich von den Vorgängern durch eine komplette Überarbeitung von Text und Abbildungen, die stark von der Handschrift Hartwig Frimmels, dem Nachfolger von Martin Okrusch, geprägt ist. Dabei aber blieben die Autoren der Grundidee eines für den geowissenschaftlichen Unterricht an der Universität zugeschnittenen Lehrbuchs treu. Zahlreiche Hinweise auf die wirtschaftliche Bedeutung von Mineralen, Gesteinen und Erzen werden dem wieder erstarkten gesellschaftlichen Interesse an der zukünftigen Versorgung mit mineralischen Rohstoffen gerecht. Die gegenüber anderen, insbesondere Internetquellen deutlich tiefer gehende Bearbeitung von Themen ermöglicht es, ein Verständnis für die komplexen Zusammenhänge zwischen Geomaterialien und geologischen Prozessen - sei es auf der Erde oder auf anderen Himmelskörpern - aus moderner Sicht zu entwickeln. Dabei wird aber nicht auf essentielle Grundlagen verzichtet, auch wenn sie schon vor Jahrzehnten entwickelt worden sind. Nicht zuletzt wegen seiner umfangreichen Bebilderung ist das Buch wertvolles Handwerkszeug auch für interessierte Mineraliensammler.  Die AutorenMartin Okrusch wurde 1934 in Guben (Niederlausitz) geboren und studierte an der Freien Universität Berlin und an der Universität Würzburg Geowissenschaften. Nach seiner Promotion 1961 und seiner Habilitation 1968 arbeitete er zunächst als Gastforscher an der University of California in Berkeley. Anschließend war er Professor an der Universität zu Köln, bevor er 1972 eine Professur für Mineralogie an der Technischen Universität Braunschweig erhielt. Von 1982 bis zu seiner Emeritierung im Jahr 2000 hatte er den Lehrstuhl für Mineralogie an der Universität Würzburg inne, wo er seine Forschungen zur Petrologie metamorpher und magmatischer Gesteine fortsetzte. Hartwig E. Frimmel, geboren 1960 in Linz (Österreich), studierte Geologie und Petrologie an der Universität Graz und der Universität Wien, wo er 1987 promovierte und als Forschungsassistent wirkte. Von 1989 bis 2004 war er an der University of Cape Town, zuletzt als Professor, tätig, bevor er den Lehrstuhl für Mineralogie (seither umbenannt zu Geodynamik und Geomaterialforschung) an der Universität Würzburg einnahm. Seine wissenschaftlichen Schwerpunkte liegen in der metamorphen Petrologie, Lagerstättenkunde und Paläoklimaforschung. Er war jahrelang Leiter der südafrikanischen geowissenschaftlichen Antarktisforschung, Präsident der Society for Geology Applied To Mineral Deposits und Berater für Wirtschaft und Politik.

"An essential introduction to the age of dinosaurs in Africa. Once Africa was referred to as the ''Lost World of the dinosaur era,'' so poorly known were its ancient flora and fauna. Worse still, many priceless fossil specimens from the Sahara Desert were destroyed during the Second World War. Fortunately, in the twentieth-first century, more researchers are now working in north Africa than ever before and making fascinating discoveries such as the dinosaur Spinosaurus. Based on a decade of study, The Desert Bones brings the world of African dinosaurs fully into the light. Jamale Ijouiher skillfully draws on the latest research and knowledge about paleoecology to paint a compelling and comprehensive portrait of the mid-Cretaceous in North Africa"

This book honors the career of Professor Elizabeth Gierlowski-Kordesch who was a pioneer and leader in the field of limnogeology since the 1980s. Her work was instrumental in guiding students and professionals in the field until her untimely death in 2016. This collection of chapters was written by her colleagues and students and recognize the important role that Professor Gierlowski-Kordesch had in advancing the field of limnogeology. The chapters show the breadth of her reach as these have been contributed from virtually every continent.This book will be a primary reference for scientists, professionals and graduate students who are interested in the latest advances in limnogeologic processes and basin descriptions in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and China.*Free supplementary material available online for chapters 3,11,12 and 13.Access by searching for the book on link.springer.com

This volume is one outcome of the 6th International Conference on Paleoceano­ graphy (ICP VI). The conference was held August 23-28, 1998 in Lisbon, Portugal. The meeting followed the traditional format of a small number of invited oral presentations complemented by a large number ofcontributed posters. Over 550 participants attended, representing thirty countries and nearly 450 posters were presented. The invited speakers addressed the main themes of the 5oral sessions. The session topics were: Polar-Tropical and Interhemisphere Linkages; Does the Ocean Cause, or Respond to, Abrupt Climatic Changes?; Biotic Responses to Major Paleoceanographic Changes; Past Warm Climates; and Innovations In Monitoring Ocean History. This is the first time in ICP history that the Conference Proceedings are published. The aim of the organisers with the publication of this book is two-fold: to provide a useful review of the field and to document the ideas/controversies raised during the con­ ference that may stimulate future work. The book reflects the initial intentions of the conference, but it is not a conven­ tional conference proceedings, given that the papers have been reviewed by formal exter­ nal referees. Each of the conference topics is introduced by a review article designed to summarize the state of the art in each theme followed by articles prepared by the invited speakers. As with most conference proceedings, each theme is covered heterogenously. Some topics have all the expected contributions, others are less well covered.

Palaeobatrachidae are an extinct family of frogs whose earliest members are recorded from the Middle Eocene (Geiseltal, Messel, Germany), almost 50 million years ago, although there are indications that they appeared as early as before the Cretaceous mass extinction event and survived almost to our times. Their last survivors are recorded from the Middle Pleistocene, less than 0.5 million years ago, such that they were contemporaries of Neanderthal man. Their last fossil evidence is from the regions that were adjacent to the Pleistocene continental glacier. Like today's pipid frogs (e.g. Xenopus), they were obligate water dwellers, not able to make long excursions onto dry land. Without exaggerating, they literally died out frozen in their ponds. Permanent life in water has a uniforming effect. This is why they all looked similar to one another, which is a source of difficulty for taxonomists. On the other hand, one cannot overlook features they have in common with pipids, restricted to the southern hemisphere. Palaeobatrachus and Xenopus are undoubtedly related, but when and why ancestors of Palaeobatrachus immigrated to the western part of northern Eurasia but not to its eastern part and not to North America remains a puzzling question. Thus, being acquainted with Palaeobatrachus means to be invited on an excursion not only into comparative anatomy, but also into paleogeography and many other fields of palaeontology. Last but not least, Palaeobatrachus was the first fossil frog scientifically described, as early as in 1831. Since that time, many excavation sites from which original material came have ceased to exist; thus there is no possibility that further material will be recovered. What is now deposited in scientific collections is the unique and limited source of data for future comparative studies. This is one of the main reasons why this rich illustrated review was published.

Teeth are the hardest and most durable parts of the mammalian body. Even after millions of years they provide a wealth of paleobiologic information. Teeth reflect the interaction of mammals with the environment, as evident from their shape and traces of mastication on their surface. Teeth of fossil and extant mammals provide information on the diet, mode of food processing, biomechanics of mastication, and energy gain. Modern analytical and visualization techniques such as micro-computed tomography, high-resolution surface analysis, and 3D imaging have greatly boosted the research on dental function in recent years. The book "Mammalian Teeth - Form and Function" offers a comprehensive synopsis of the latest advances in the field of dental function research. It will be of interest not only to paleontologists and biologists, but also to students and scholars in archeology, animal nutrition, and dentistry.

Sie wollten schon immer einmal wissen, wie das Leben begann, sich entfaltete und schließlich zu seiner heutigen Form fand?Das vorliegende Buch bietet Ihnen einen kurzen, gleichzeitig aber auch umfassenden Einblick in diese spannende Entwicklung. Ausgehend von den kosmischen Prozessen, die die Voraussetzungen für die Entstehung von Leben auf der Erde schufen, über die Entstehung des Lebens selbst bis hin zu der weiteren Evolution des Lebens über die Jahrmillionen hinweg, erhalten Sie einen weitreichenden Einblick in diese Abläufe. Zudem erklärt dieses Buch die Hintergründe und Ursachen für die Entwicklung in bestimmte Richtungen. Berücksichtigt werden dabei neben den oft im Vordergrund stehenden Wirbeltieren auch Mikroorganismen, Pflanzen und Insekten. Zuletzt beschreibt das Buch anschaulich die Entwicklung des Menschen ¿ jener Spezies, mit der uns alle eine besondere Beziehung verbindet!Der AutorJohannes Sander ist promovierter Biologe und schreibt regelmäßig für die Naturwissenschaftliche Rundschau, Biologie in unserer Zeit und Biospektrum. Sein Repertoire umfasst Themen von der Molekular- und Mikrobiologie bis hin zur Ökologie und Evolutionsbiologie. Außerdem behandelt er häufig astrophysikalische Themen.

Messel - An Ancient Greenhouse Ecosystem is an exquisitely illustrated book by 28 internationally renowned specialists who present a synopsis of the current state of understanding of the climate and structure of the Eocene Messel ecosystem. The information is derived from studying the rocks, animal and plant fossils of the Messel pit. The Messel Pit represents an ancient maar lake situated in the archipelago that Europe was in the Eocene, close to present-day Frankfurt, Germany. This title is also available in a German language version. The exceptional state of preservation of Messel fossils has enabled researchers, in many cases for the first time, to identify minute functional details of the plants and animals of the Messel ecosystem about 48 Million years ago: plants, insects, birds, mammals (horses!), reptiles, amphibians and fishes. Introductory chapters treat Messel, its formation as a maar lake, the conditions of burial and preservation of the fossils, and history of work since discovery of the first fossil there in 1876. The Messel flora and individual fossils groups are discussed in detail in seven following chapters, discussing both paleontological and evolutionary details obtained from the Messel fossils and by comparison with other fossil locations. A final chapter summarizes all previous research and presents a synopsis of ecosystem conditions (climatic, environmental, biota, producers and consumers, occupation of ecospaces, niches) of the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems at Messel, derived from studies of the Messel samples. This hitherto most comprehensive treatment of the fossil Messel ecosystem will make this book the standard reference work on Messel to scientists, while the lush illustrations of flora and fauna will captivate everyone from fossil enthusiasts to interested laypersons.

Der Hunsrückschiefer aus Südwest-Deutschland gehört zu den bedeutendsten Fossilfundstellen der Welt. Die Ablagerungen entstanden im damaligen subtropischen Flachmeer im Zeitalter des Devons, vor mehr als 400 Millionen Jahren. Dank der besonderen geologischen Bedingungen ist der Hunsrückschiefer zu einem wertvollen »Archiv« mit einer außergewöhnlich gut erhaltenen und vielfältigen fossilen Pflanzen- und Tierwelt geworden. Sie stammt aus der Zeit, als das Festland durch die ersten echten Landpflanzen erobert wurde, und Fische und Kopffüßer wie Ammonoideen sich rasch entwickelten und die ökologischen Nischen in der Wassersäule besetzten.Das Buch ist die kompletteste zusammenfassende Darstellung dieser spektakulären Fossilien. Es werden rund 190 Gattungen vorgestellt und der Leser erhält Hilfe bei deren Bestimmung. Von jeder Gattung werden die Merkmale, Häufigkeit und Fundstelle(n) und evtl. eine Namenserklärung, Artenbeschreibung, Größenangabe und Besonderheiten erwähnt. Alle Gattungen sind mit einem oder mehreren Fotos illustriert. Auch die unterstützenden Zeichnungen sind so gewählt, dass die wichtigen Bestimmungsmerkmale erkannt werden.Der Autor hat sich als langjähriger Fossiliensammler auf die Fossilien des Hunsrückschiefers spezialisiert. Er versucht, seine Sammelleidenschaft für diese schönen Fossilien auf den Leser zu übertragen. Dabei gehen Praxis und Theorie Hand in Hand und es wurden die neuesten wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnisse in Betracht gezogen.Das Buch richtet sich nicht nur an Forscher und Studenten der Geowissenschaften und Biologie oder Kustoden von Sammlungen in naturhistorischen Museen, sondern auch an Amateurgeologen, Fossiliensammler, sowie an den naturhistorisch interessierten Leser (aus der Region).