Description
Book SynopsisThis book is designed as an easy night's read and introduction to fossil soils and the relatively new disciplines of Paleopedology and Astropedology. It includes line art and color illustrations to visualize the topic for the informed layperson or interested colleagues. It provides comprehensive information on paleosols, which are soils of the past providing a variety of clues to the evolution of life and climate on Earth and deals with topics such as the evolution of grassland ecosystems, mass extinction of the Late Permian and origin of life, all viewed from the perspective of the fossil record of soils. This turns out to be a refreshing new perspective of wide interest.
Trade Review“Soil Grown Tall, reviewed here, is a shorter summary intended for a wider audience. … Retallack’s book is well stuffed with insights and ideas, some quite startling. … The book shines with a sense of the beauty of landscape, which has served Retallack well. The book is full of well-chosen reminiscences, which lend life to the narrative. … The book is clearly written, well illustrated, and well produced.” (Egbert Giles Leigh, Evolution, Education & Outreach, Vol. 15 (1), 2022)
Table of ContentsChapter 1. Rainbow rocks
Chapter 2. Soil as a many splendored thing
Chapter 3. Civilization built from soil
Chapter 4. Humanity from global change
Chapter 5. Grass that changed the world
Chapter 6. Death from the sky
Chapter 7. An occasion for flowers
Chapter 8. Dinosaurs and dirt
Chapter 9. World's greatest mid-life crisis
Chapter 10. Roots of trees
Chapter 11. Mighty millipedes
Chapter 12. Lichens and till
Chapter 13. When the rust set in
Chapter 14. Soils in space
Chapter 15. Living soil
Chapter 16. The Proserpina Principle
Further Reading
Index
