Description
Book Synopsis
Ammonites are an extinct and charismatic lineage that persisted for over 300 million years. They were used, with other fossils, to corroborate the principle of faunal succession and launch the field of biostratigraphy. Despite intense research, many important questions remain unanswered. Furthermore, outdated hypotheses persist. Many new findings include a better understanding of their appearance in life, their locomotion, and their role in long-gone ecosystems. And, of course, there are still controversies; e.g. why did shell complexity increase during evolutionary history. This richly illustrated book describes the full range of ammonoids and their fascinating evolutionary history.
Key Features:
- Documents the early history of paleontology and the role played by ammonoids
- Describes the basic anatomy of a diverse and long-persisting lineage
- Summarizes the classification and diversity of ammonoids
- Lavishly illustrated with beautiful reconstruc
Table of Contents
- Ammon’s Horns and Serpent Stones
- Anatomy, Growth, and Geometry
- Spirals and Squiggles: The Math of Ammonites
- The First Cephalopod: A Snail Who Dared to Fly
- Colonizing The Wild Blue Beyond: The First Ammonoids in the Age of Fish
- Survivors: Prolecanitids, Ceratitids, and the Origin of Ammonites
- Jurassic Seapark
- The Cretaceous Period: The Golden Autumn of Ammonites
- Ancyloceratina: The Heteromorphs
- Extinction of the Ammonoids: What Humans Can Learn
- Glossary
