Paperback: 232 pages
Publisher: Smithsonian December 15, 2004
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1588341569
ISBN-13: 978-1588341563
Product Dimensions:
9.2 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
Product Description
An amazing look at plants of the past through an examination of the fossils that remain. Long before there were animals on the earth, many kinds of plants covered the prehistoric planet. The soft remains rarely fossilized, but sometimes leaves, flowers, and branches would fall into soft mud or be encased by the ash of exploding volcanoes. These plants were preserved and now offer a sampling of life in the distant past and a contrast to our present flora. This complete guide to fossil plants explains both the lives of ancient plants and why certain plants became fossilized. Kenrick and Davis trace the evolution of land plants, ferns, conifers, and their relatives, the flowering plants. Interwoven are snapshots of landscapes and environments of various periods, focusing on plant and animal interactions. The included photographs present these ancient, sometimes delicate pieces of shale, and Kenrick and Davis explain the story that fossil plants can tell us about the past. 16 pages of color photographs, 100 b/w photographs.
About The Author
Paul Kenrick and Paul Davis are paleobotanists with The Natural History Museum, London. Kenrick is author of The Origin and Diversification of Land Plants, and Davis is the author of Wild Orchids of Britain and Europe.
