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Paleontology: A Brief History of Life PDF

238 Pages·2010·2.09 MB·English
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Paleontology Templeton Science and Religion Series In our fast- paced and high- tech era, when visual information seems so dominant, the need for short and compelling books has increased. This conciseness and convenience is the goal of the Templeton Sci- ence and Religion Series. We have commissioned scientists in a range of fields to distill their experience and knowledge into a brief tour of their specialties. They are writing for a general audience, readers with interests in the sciences or the humanities, which includes reli- gion and theology. The relationship between science and religion has been likened to four types of doorways. The first two enter a realm of “conflict” or “separation” between these two views of life and the world. The next two doorways, however, open to a world of “interac- tion” or “harmony” between science and religion. We have asked our authors to enter these latter doorways to judge the possibilities. They begin with their sciences and, in aiming to address religion, return with a wide variety of critical viewpoints. We hope these short books open intellectual doors of every kind to readers of all backgrounds. Series Editors: J. Wentzel van Huyssteen & Khalil Chamcham Project Editor: Larry Witham Paleontology A Brief History of Life Ian Tattersall Templeton Press Templeton Press 300 Conshohocken State Road, Suite 550 West Conshohocken, PA 19428 www.templetonpress.org © 2010 by Ian Tattersall All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other- wise, without the written permission of Templeton Press. Library of Congress Cataloging-i n- Publication Data Tattersall, Ian. Paleontology : a brief history of life / Ian Tattersall. p. cm. — (Templeton science and religion series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-1-59947-342-0 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-59947-342-9 (alk. paper) 1. Paleontology. 2. Human evolution. 3. Life—Origin. I. Title. QE711.3.T38 2010 560—dc22 2009028212 Designed and typeset by Gopa & Ted2, Inc. Printed in the United States of America 10 11 12 13 14 15 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 With appreciation to the professors/friends who taught me paleontology (but who might not agree with everything in this book): Elwyn Simons David Pilbeam Keith Thomson John Ostrom Fuzz Crompton Niles Eldredge • Contents Introduction 3 Chapter 1: Rocks, Time, and Fossils 7 Chapter 2: Evolutionary Processes 19 Chapter 3: The Tree of Life 33 Chapter 4: In the Beginning 44 Chapter 5: The Paleozoic: “Ancient Life” 53 Chapter 6: The Age of Dinosaurs 80 Chapter 7: The Age of Mammals 113 Chapter 8: Of Whales and Primates 135 Chapter 9: Walkers and Toolmakers 149 Chapter 10: A Cognitive Revolution 178 Acknowledgments 205 Bibliography 207 Index 219 Paleontology

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"Endlessly absorbing and informative. It would be hard to imagine a better introduction to this most important and fascinating field.”—Bill Bryson, author of A Short History of Nearly EverythingPaleontology: A Brief History of Life is the fifth title published in the Templeton Science and Religi
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