The Great Paleozoic Crisis

Author : Douglas H. Erwin
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 342 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 1993
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780231074667

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The Great Paleozoic Crisis by Douglas H. Erwin Pdf

The culmination of more than fifty years of research by the foremost living expert on plant classification, Diversity and Classification of Flowering Plants is an important contribution to the field of plant taxonomy. In the last decade, the system of classifying plants has been thoroughly revised. Instead of describing every individual family, Takhtajan includes descriptions in keys to families, which he calls "descriptive keys." The advantage of descriptive keys is that they give both the characteristic features of the families and their differences. The delimitation of families and orders drastically differs from the one accepted by the Englerian school and from the one accepted in Arthur Cronquist's system. Takhtajan favors the smaller, more natural families and orders, which are more coherent and better-defined, where characters are easily grasped, and which are more suitable for information retrieval and phylogenetic studies, including cladistic analysis (because it reduces polymorphic codings).

Author : George R. McGhee Jr.
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 279 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2018-08-07
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780231543385

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Carboniferous Giants and Mass Extinction by George R. McGhee Jr. Pdf

Picture a world of dog-sized scorpions and millipedes as long as a car; tropical rainforests with trees towering over 150 feet into the sky and a giant polar continent five times larger than Antarctica. That world was not imaginary; it was the earth more than 300 million years ago in the Carboniferous period of the Paleozoic era. In Carboniferous Giants and Mass Extinction, George R. McGhee Jr. explores that ancient world, explaining its origins; its downfall in the end-Permian mass extinction, the greatest biodiversity crisis to occur since the evolution of animal life on Earth; and how its legacies still affect us today. McGhee investigates the consequences of the Late Paleozoic ice age in this comprehensive portrait of the effects of ancient climate change on global ecology. Carboniferous Giants and Mass Extinction examines the climatic conditions that allowed for the evolution of gigantic animals and the formation of the largest tropical rainforests ever to exist, which in time turned into the coal that made the industrial revolution possible—and fuels the engine of contemporary anthropogenic climate change. Exploring the strange and fascinating flora and fauna of the Late Paleozoic ice age world, McGhee focuses his analysis on the forces that brought this world to an abrupt and violent end. Synthesizing decades of research and new discoveries, this comprehensive book provides a wealth of insights into past and present extinction events and climate change.

Author : Mark Williams
Publisher : Geological Society of London
Page : 604 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2007
Category : Nature
ISBN : 1862392404

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Deep-time Perspectives on Climate Change by Mark Williams Pdf

Author : Graham Ryder,David E. Fastovsky,Stefan Gartner
Publisher : Geological Society of America
Page : 586 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 1996-01-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 0813723078

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The Cretaceous-Tertiary Event and Other Catastrophes in Earth History by Graham Ryder,David E. Fastovsky,Stefan Gartner Pdf

"This volume atempts to explore and clarify the relationship among the geological records, the extinctions, and the causes of catastrophes for life in Earth's history. Most of the papers address the geological record and the extinctions across the Cretaceou-Teriary boundary, and the buried Chicxulub structure that is now consensually deemed to be of impact origin and to be intimately related to that boundary." (GSA website).

Author : Michael Novacek
Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Page : 632 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2008-11-11
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781466821606

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Terra by Michael Novacek Pdf

A paleontologist awakens us to the "extinction event" that human activity is bringing about today The natural world as humans have always known it evolved close to 100 million years ago, with the appearance of flowering plants and pollinating insects during the age of the dinosaurs. Its tremendous history is now in danger of profound, catastrophic disruption. In Terra, a brilliant synthesis of evolutionary biology, paleontology, and modern environmental science, Michael Novacek shows how all three can help us understand and prevent what he (and others) call today's "mass extinction event." Humanity's use of land, our consumption, the pollution we create, and our contributions to global warming are causing this crisis. True, the fossil record of hundreds of millions of years reveals that wild and bounteous nature has always evolved not quietly but thunderously, as species arise, flourish, die off, and are replaced by new species. We learn from paleontology and archaeology that for 50,000 years, human hunting, mining, and agriculture have changed many localities, sometimes irrevocably. But today, Novacek insists, our behavior endangers the entire global ecosystem. And if we disregard—through ignorance, antipathy, or apathy—the theory of evolution that developed with our modern understanding of the Earth's past, we not only impede enlightenment but threaten any practical strategy for our own survival. The evolutionary future of the entire living planet depends on our understanding this.

Author : B. D. Webby
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 497 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2004
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9780231126786

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The Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event by B. D. Webby Pdf

Two of the greatest evolutionary events in the history of life on Earth occurred during Early Paleozoic time. The first was the Cambrian explosion of skeletonized marine animals about 540 million years ago. The second was the "Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event," which is the focus of this book. This is the first book devoted specifically to establishing the global patterns of differentiation of Ordovician biotas through time and space. It provides extensive genus- and species-level diversity data for the many Ordovician fossil groups and presents an evaluation of how each group diversified, with assessments of patterns of change, and rates of origination and extinction.

Author : Michael J. Benton
Publisher : Thames & Hudson
Page : 352 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2015-08-11
Category : History
ISBN : 9780500773208

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When Life Nearly Died: The Greatest Mass Extinction of All Time (Revised edition) by Michael J. Benton Pdf

“The focus is the most severe mass extinction known in earth’s history. The science on which the book is based is up-to-date, thorough, and balanced. Highly recommended.” —Choice Today it is common knowledge that the dinosaurs were wiped out by a meteorite impact 65 million years ago that killed half of all species then living. It is far less widely understood that a much greater catastrophe took place at the end of the Permian period 251 million years ago: at least ninety percent of life on earth was destroyed. When Life Nearly Died documents not only what happened during this gigantic mass extinction but also the recent renewal of the idea of catastrophism: the theory that changes in the earth’s crust were brought about suddenly in the past by phenomena that cannot be observed today. Was the end-Permian event caused by the impact of a huge meteorite or comet, or by prolonged volcanic eruption in Siberia? The evidence has been accumulating, and Michael J. Benton gives his verdict at the end of the volume. The new edition brings the study of the greatest mass extinction of all time thoroughly up-to-date. In the twelve years since the book was originally published, hundreds of geologists and paleontologists have been investigating all aspects of how life could be driven to the brink of annihilation, and especially how life recovered afterwards, providing the foundations of modern ecosystems.

Author : M. B. Hart
Publisher : Geological Society of London
Page : 404 pages
File Size : 46,7 Mb
Release : 1996
Category : Science
ISBN : 1897799454

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Biotic Recovery from Mass Extinction Events by M. B. Hart Pdf

Engl.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Academic Press
Page : 5634 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2020-12-16
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780081029091

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Encyclopedia of Geology by Anonim Pdf

Encyclopedia of Geology, Second Edition presents in six volumes state-of-the-art reviews on the various aspects of geologic research, all of which have moved on considerably since the writing of the first edition. New areas of discussion include extinctions, origins of life, plate tectonics and its influence on faunal provinces, new types of mineral and hydrocarbon deposits, new methods of dating rocks, and geological processes. Users will find this to be a fundamental resource for teachers and students of geology, as well as researchers and non-geology professionals seeking up-to-date reviews of geologic research. Provides a comprehensive and accessible one-stop shop for information on the subject of geology, explaining methodologies and technical jargon used in the field Highlights connections between geology and other physical and biological sciences, tackling research problems that span multiple fields Fills a critical gap of information in a field that has seen significant progress in past years Presents an ideal reference for a wide range of scientists in earth and environmental areas of study

Author : Sandeep Narayan Kundu,Muhammad Nawaz
Publisher : CRC Press
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2019-09-20
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9780429771965

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Sustainable Energy and Environment by Sandeep Narayan Kundu,Muhammad Nawaz Pdf

Here is a comprehensive introductory discussion of Earth, energy, and the environment in an integrated manner that will lead to an appreciation of our complex planet. The book looks at Earth from the perspective of a livable planet and elaborates on the surface and subsurface processes and the various energy cycles where energy is transformed and stored in the planet’s various spheres. The chapters discuss the interactions between the different parts of Earth—how energy is exchanged between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and geosphere, and how they impact the environment in which we live.

Author : Donald R. Prothero
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 689 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2013-11-05
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780231536905

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Bringing Fossils to Life by Donald R. Prothero Pdf

One of the leading textbooks in its field, Bringing Fossils to Life applies paleobiological principles to the fossil record while detailing the evolutionary history of major plant and animal phyla. It incorporates current research from biology, ecology, and population genetics, bridging the gap between purely theoretical paleobiological textbooks and those that describe only invertebrate paleobiology and that emphasize cataloguing live organisms instead of dead objects. For this third edition Donald R. Prothero has revised the art and research throughout, expanding the coverage of invertebrates and adding a discussion of new methodologies and a chapter on the origin and early evolution of life.

Author : Ashraf M.T. Elewa
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 258 pages
File Size : 42,7 Mb
Release : 2007-12-03
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783540759164

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Mass Extinction by Ashraf M.T. Elewa Pdf

The present book combines three main aspects: five major mass extinctions; contributions on some other minor extinctions; and more importantly contributions on the current mass extinction. All three aspects are introduced through interesting studies of mass extinctions in diverse organisms ranging from small invertebrates to mammals and take account of the most accepted subjects discussing mass extinctions in insects, mammals, fishes, ostracods and molluscs.

Author : Peter Ward
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 297 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 2006-09-26
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780309100618

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Out of Thin Air by Peter Ward Pdf

For 65 million years dinosaurs ruled the Earth-until a deadly asteroid forced their extinction. But what accounts for the incredible longevity of dinosaurs? A renowned scientist now provides a startling explanation that is rewriting the history of the Age of Dinosaurs. Dinosaurs were pretty amazing creatures-real-life monsters that have the power to fascinate us. And their fiery Hollywood ending only serves to make the story that much more dramatic. But fossil evidence demonstrates that dinosaurs survived several mass extinctions, and were seemingly unaffected by catastrophes that decimated most other life on Earth. What could explain their uncanny ability to endure through the ages? Biologist and earth scientist Peter Ward now accounts for the remarkable indestructibility of dinosaurs by connecting their unusual respiration system with their ability to adapt to Earth's changing environment-a system that was ultimately bequeathed to their descendants, birds. By tracing the evolutionary path back through time and carefully connecting the dots from birds to dinosaurs, Ward describes the unique form of breathing shared by these two distant relatives and demonstrates how this simple but remarkable characteristic provides the elusive explanation to a question that has thus far stumped scientists. Nothing short of revolutionary in its bold presentation of an astonishing theory, Out of Thin Air is a story of science at the edge of discovery. Ward is an outstanding guide to the process of scientific detection. Audacious and innovative in his thinking, meticulous and thoroughly detailed in his research, only a scientist of his caliber is capable of telling this surprising story.

Author : Scott Richard Shaw
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 263 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2014-09-11
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780226163758

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Planet of the Bugs by Scott Richard Shaw Pdf

This “excellent guide to the history of our planet” offers a bugs-eye view of evolution, biodiversity, and todays ecological crises (The Guardian, UK). According to entomologist Scott Richard Shaw, dinosaurs never ruled the earth—and neither do humans. The true potentates of our planet are, and always have been, insects. Starting in the shallow oceans of ancient Earth and ending in the far reaches of outer space—where insect-like aliens may also reign—Planet of the Bugs spins a sweeping account of insects’ evolution from humble arthropod ancestors into the bugs we know today. Leaving no stone unturned, Shaw explores how evolutionary innovations such as small body size, wings, metamorphosis, and parasitic behavior have enabled insects to disperse widely, occupy increasingly narrow niches, and survive global catastrophes in their rise to dominance. Through bizarre and buggy tales—from caddisflies that construct portable houses to parasitic wasp larvae that develop in the blood of host insects—he demonstrates how changes in our planet’s geology, flora, and fauna contributed to insects’ success, and also how, in return, insects came to shape terrestrial ecosystems. And in his visits to hyperdiverse rain forests to highlight the current insect extinction crisis, Shaw reaffirms how crucial these tiny beings are to planetary health and human survival.

Author : Peter A. Scholle,Tadeusz M. Peryt,Dana S. Ulmer-Scholle
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 263 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2012-12-06
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783642785931

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The Permian of Northern Pangea by Peter A. Scholle,Tadeusz M. Peryt,Dana S. Ulmer-Scholle Pdf

The Permian was a remarkable time period. It represents the maximum stage of Pangean continental assembly, includes a major global climatic shift from glacial to nonglacial conditions (icehouse-greenhouse transition), and is ter minated by one of the most profound faunal/floral extinction events in the Earth's history. In addition, Permian oceans, although poorly understood, must have had some quite unique characteristics. Permian seas reached the most extreme values of carbon, sulfur, and strontium isotopic ratios ever achieved in Phanerozoic time, and the isotopic ratios of all three elements abruptly returned to more "normal" values at, or very close to, the Permo Triassic boundary. Finally, the Permian is marked by an abundance of important sedimentary mineral resources. It has large fossil fuel concentra tions (coal, oil, and natural gas), enormous phosphate reserves, and very extensive evaporite deposits, including gypsum, anhydrite, and halite, as well as a variety of potash salts. Study of the Permian has been hampered, however, by a number of factors. These include a scattered geologic literature (presented in a variety of languages), a confusing regional and global stratigraphic framework (based, in part, on inadequate type sections), and largely provincial, often poorly correlatable faunas. All have contributed to the sparsity and inadequacy of overviews of this critical geological interval. The two volumes attempts to bring together some of the widely scattered observations about these fascinating rocks, at least for the northern (pre dominantly nonglacial) parts of Pangea.