E-Book Overview
Evolution and the Fossil Record, an eye-catching booklet produced by the American Geological Institute in cooperation with the Paleontological Society, aims to help the general public gain a better understanding of one of the fundamental underlying concepts of modern science. This booklet has many colorful photos, drawings, and illustrations which complement the authors' conversational style as they discuss geologic time; change through time; Darwin's theory of evolution; evolution as a mechanism for change; the nature of species; the nature of theory; paleontology, geology, and evolution; and determining the age of fossils and rocks. Four "case study" examples from the fossil record - evolution of vertebrate legs, evolution of birds, evolution of mammals, and evolution of whales - are presented to provide a time perspective for understanding the evolution of life on Earth. This non-technical introduction to evolution contains straightforward definitions as well as discussions of complex ideas.
E-Book Content
John Pojeta, Jr. Dale A. Springer
American Geological Institute The Paleontological Society
About the Authors John Pojeta, Jr. has been an active paleontologist
since 1957. He is a Scientist Emeritus with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Research Associate with the Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution. He earned his B.S. degree at Capital University, Bexley, OH, majoring in biology and chemistry and earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Cincinnati, majoring in geology and paleontology. In 1963, he joined the USGS, Branch of Paleontology and Stratigraphy, where he spent his career. His research has centered on early Paleozoic mollusks, and has taken him to many American states, Antarctica, Australia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Senegal, Sweden, United Kingdom, and elsewhere. He has been Secretary and P