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Paints a Picture of Paleontology with a Broad Paintbrush
Foote and Miller have written a wonderful book which tries to explore as broadly as possible all the sort of wonderful analytical work people can do with paleontological data. As would be expected from both the authors, who are respected among paleobiologists for their analytical skill, this book describes the different techniques of paleontology cleanly and with clarity. They don't focus too much on the details and neither are important topics missed.

Overall, the reader gets an excellent view all the big topics and questions currently in paleontological research. The examples in this book will give readers an idea of the types of questions that can be asked. It is sometimes surprising how some very interesting things were done back in the seventies or eighties but have had little follow up work! If the reader takes a special interest in a specific topic, such as theoretical morphology, than there are other books out there (such as those by McGhee, in the case of theoretical morphology) for the reader to get more detail. That is rather rightfully the place of this book: here is a bunch of interesting, exciting examples with limited detail, now go off on what seems most exciting to YOU!

If there is any regret, it is that there are dozens more of interesting case studies from the last three decades Paleobiology (and other scientific journals) which did not make it into this book.

In my view, this would be an excellent textbook for an advanced paleontology techniques/topics course at a university, such as for third year and fourth year undergraduate students or first year graduate students.

Disclaimer: I am a UChicago graduate student; the school which both Foote and Miller graduated from and which Foote is a professor at. That said, it means I care quite intensely about the analytical questions of paleontology.

Sets the record straight
This book helped me through a very difficult time in my studies. I applaud the authors!

The Paleo Book
the book was informative but very boring!!!!!!!!
there was no color, but nice diagrams...was barely used by my professor b/c she said it didn't hit key points ... Read more

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Paleo
This is excellent book that providea a brief overview of the field of paleontology.A great book for nonscientists. ... Read more

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Still The Best Academic Introduction to Paleontology
"Principles of Paleontology" remains the finest introductory academic text to paleontology, written by two of the foremost paleontologists in the latter half of the 20th Century. It may be of interest too to historians and philosophers of science since the book reflects paleontology's emergence as a quantitative science shaped by recent advances in systematic biology and theoretical ecology. David Raup, now professor emeritus of geophysical sciences at the University of Chicago, was probably the paleontologist most responsible for paleontology's emergence as a quantitative science; his research covered many aspects of theoretical paleontology from analyzing shell morphology to measuring evolutionary rates. Steven M. Stanley, still a professor of geology at Johns Hopkins University, is noted for his research on the functional morphology of mollusk shells, measuring evolutionary rates, and introducing the concept of "Species Selection".

Raup's and Stanley's text covers all aspects of paleontology from preservation and the fossil record to functional morphology, biostratigraphy, paleoecology, and macroevolution. Of special note to historians of science is the considerable attention that they devoted to then recent advances in community and population ecology, such as the MacArthur-Wilson theory of equilibrium island biogeography. Admittedly, much of the book emphasizes invertebrate paleontology, though some attention is devoted too to paleobotany and vertebrate paleontology. ... Read more

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This expanded and updated second edition offers a comprehensive look at macroevolution and its underpinnings, with a primary emphasis on animal evolution. From a Neodarwinian point of view, the book integrates evolutionary processes at all levels to explain the diversity of animal life. It examines a wide range of topics including genetics, speciation, development, evolution, constructional and functional aspects of form, fossil lineages, and systematics, and --in a major new chapter--takes a hard look at the Cambrian explosion. The author delves into the age of molecular science and integrates important recent contributions made to our understanding of evolution. ... Read more

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Writing from the perspective of an art historian, Jane P. Davidson traces the history of paleontology illustration from the 15th century to the present. She combines discussions of these images as works of representative art with assessments of the artists. The book covers depictions of fossils, restorations of plants and animals, and ecological restorations in painting, drawing, sculpture, and in display restorations such as dioramas. Although the main subject of the book is scientific illustration, it also delves into "popular" illustrations such as those found in children's textbooks, popular introductions to paleontology and geology, museum and other public displays, and film. Both a history of science and a history of representation, this is a fascinating exploration of the interactions between art and science. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

woefully poor quality
If you are hoping to obtain a book containing heaps of great illustrations of prehistoric scenes from the 18th and 19th Century, do not buy this book. Whilst the text is fine, but perhaps not amazing, the plates themselves are shocking.

I though that I had bought a cheap Thai mock up.... Maybe I had, but this didn't explain why some pictures were ok and others were horrifying.. Many were photocopy quality, some pictures were so pixelated it was as if they are only 72 dpi, and reproductions from manuscripts were photographed in ordinary rather than scanned.

What a shocker.... very dissapointed....

A cursory view of paleontological illustration
Davidson is Professor of Art History at the University of Nevada, Reno and writes as an art historian there. She traces the history of paleontological illustration from the 15th century to the present. She combines discussions of the images with assessments of the artists. The main subject of the book is scientific illustration, and only delves into "popular" illustrations such as those found in adult & children's textbooks, museum and other public displays, and film. The entire book is a very cursory overview with little detail. The six chapter book covers the entire 20th century in the final chapter which is hardly adequate. Both a history of science and a history of representation, the book starts off well but perhaps should have saved the twentieth century for a second book. If you were new to the subject, this would be a great introduction but I cannot really recommend it for seasoned fans of paleoart!

A different perspective than what I hoped for.
It is a very heavily illustrated book, and there are some good points about it. You many be interested in artistic conventions of the past, e.g. how in the 1820-1840's, marine reptiles were always shown on land spouting like whales. Also the ability of 19th Century artists to make hand-drawn engravings that look as realistic as photographs is truly amazing.

However, ultimately I was disappointed, probably the first time by any book in the "Life of the Past" series in particular, or of the Indiana University Press in general. Here is why. Quoting from the book jacket: "Writing from the perspecitve of an art historian, Jane P. Davidson traces the history of paleontology illustration from the fifteenth century to the present, combining discussion of these images as works of representative art with candid assessment of the artists."

What I really was hoping for was perspective from a historian of science: why artists depicted fossils the way they did, given the knowledge of the time. Also, I am more interested in recent times (say the past 150 years) when paleontology was a topic of scientific study and not just a collection of curiosities. Charles R. Knight appears in the last half of the last chapter.

However, what you hope to get out of this book may vary from mine. ... Read more

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Griffins, Centaurs, Cyclopes, and Giants--these fabulous creatures of classical mythology continue to live in the modern imagination through the vivid accounts that have come down to us from the ancient Greeks and Romans. But what if these beings were more than merely fictions? What if monstrous creatures once roamed the earth in the very places where their legends first arose? This is the arresting and original thesis that Adrienne Mayor explores in The First Fossil Hunters. Through careful research and meticulous documentation, she convincingly shows that many of the giants and monsters of myth did have a basis in fact--in the enormous bones of long-extinct species that were once abundant in the lands of the Greeks and Romans.

As Mayor shows, the Greeks and Romans were well aware that a different breed of creatures once inhabited their lands. They frequently encountered the fossilized bones of these primeval beings, and they developed sophisticated concepts to explain the fossil evidence, concepts that were expressed in mythological stories. The legend of the gold-guarding griffin, for example, sprang from tales first told by Scythian gold-miners, who, passing through the Gobi Desert at the foot of the Altai Mountains, encountered the skeletons of Protoceratops and other dinosaurs that littered the ground.

Like their modern counterparts, the ancient fossil hunters collected and measured impressive petrified remains and displayed them in temples and museums; they attempted to reconstruct the appearance of these prehistoric creatures and to explain their extinction. Long thought to be fantasy, the remarkably detailed and perceptive Greek and Roman accounts of giant bone finds were actually based on solid paleontological facts. By reading these neglected narratives for the first time in the light of modern scientific discoveries, Adrienne Mayor illuminates a lost world of ancient paleontology. As Peter Dodson writes in his Foreword, "Paleontologists, classicists, and historians as well as natural history buffs will read this book with the greatest of delight--surprises abound."Amazon.com Review
Since fossils have presumably existed for millions of years,why don't we see much paleontological thought from ancient writers? Classics scholar Adrienne Mayor suggests that we can, in fact, learnmuch about the Greek and Roman attitudes toward fossils if we turn toa surprising source of data and theory: their myths. In The FirstFossil Hunters, she explores likely connections between the richfossil beds around the Mediterranean and tales of griffins and giantsoriginating in the classical world. Striking similarities existbetween the Protoceratops skeletons of the Gobi Desert and thelegends of the gold-hoarding griffin told by nomadic people of theregion, and the fossilized remains of giant Miocene mammals could betaken for the heroes and monsters of earlier times. Mayor makes hercase well, but, as with all interpretive science, the arguments areinconclusive. Still, her novel reading of ancient myth--and hercritique of the modern scientific mythology that seeks to explain thelack of classical paleontological thinking--is compelling andthought-provoking.

The final chapter of The First Fossil Hunters is an engrossingand occasionally quite funny look at "Paleontological Fictions" datingback several thousand years; the false tritons and centaurs giveP.T. Barnum and his successors a much longer genealogy than previouslythought. Whether or not you accept Mayor's analysis of Greek and Romanthinking, The First Fossil Hunters should open your eyes to newpossibilities about our distant past. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

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Mayor's Hypothesis fails on contrary evidence-built on house of cards
There certainly seemed to be a fact void for Ms. Mayor to try to fill; griffin depictions from the 17th century B.C. at Knossos, through the Medieval period-and in Greek, Scynthian, Roman and Asian art and cultures were surprisingly consistent. And there was of course no question that the creatures depicted were mythological so..

clearly all the various cultures in various parts of the world through more that 30 centuries all encountered the same fossil and created the same winged, mythological creature....

The Ancient, Global, Griffin Solution; Cultural Diffusion, Paleontological Confusion, Or Living Creature Profusion? Ancient American Mound Builder "Griffin"-Identical to 500 B.C. Persian and 7th Century Greek Griffin

[...]

Too much personal opinion, not enough facts
There are interesting theories in this book, however I would have much rather have seen more of the ancient text that supposedly refer to fish fossils, rather than her simple opinion that they do. Since paleontology is based on the remnants of information, it would be best to display them to their fullest,as the are all that you have.only when this is done, is there room for conjecture as to what they mean. but only giving little bits of evidence, and a lot of opinion leaves much to be desired, and is not good science. But then again I am a Physicist, so maybe I expect too much from Paleontology...

PALEONTOLOGY
At first very excited.Too much repetition and found some appelations peculiar. Would like to have seen some classics scholars consulted.
And not one American paleontologist cited - unless I just mised it.Not much talk about migration theories.the ancient Greeks understood even more than she gives them credit for - check out myths as well as legends - there's a reason for myth.

Those clever, curious Greeks
Today, when a spectacular fossil is unearthed, it ends up in a museum. Our ancestors must have found stone bones, too, but they didn't have museums. So they put them in temples.

And spun yarns about them. It should not have been surprising that, once someone thought to ransack the ancient world for evidence, so much of it remains. We have already seen, in other fields, how much can be reconstructed from even the scraps of inscriptions that have been accumulated so assiduously by, for the most part, German philologists. And we already knew that the Greeks, above all other premodern people, asked questions about what they found in the world around them.

It is a bit of a surprise, if Adrienne Mayor is correct, that the model of the griffin should be dinosaur fossils found as far away as Central Asia. That was a very, very long way from Greece. Less surprising, perhaps, that fake fossils were also in evidence.

Probably none of the fossils collected so long ago remains, but Adrienne Mayor finds a few representations of them. The most convincing is a skull painted on a vase.

Her treatment is very complete, with an appendix of apparent references to fossils in old texts, such as a passing reference in Cicero to theft of fossils from a temple.

There is room for much speculation in this scrappy material, and Mayor makes the most of it.

Altogether, 'The First Fossil Hunters' is a clever, entertaining, imaginative and curious book.

Fabulous fables formed from facts
Two millennia of condemnation of "pagan" mythology have obscured the value ancient legends contributed to knowledge.Being members of this world instead of longing for the next, our ancient ancestors were keen observers of Nature.Among their interests were "mythical monsters".The Griffin - a combination of lion and eagle; the Minotaur - a man with a bull's head; or the Cyclops - a man with but one eye.These familiar characters emerged from ancient Mediterranean societies and transmitted down to our own time.Lost in the transmission was the notion that there might be a factual basis for such creatures.Adrienne Mayor wants to clarify the origins of mythological creatures.In this excellent study, she challenges fixed thinking about myths' origins.

The Mediterranean is a dynamic place.Continental plates collide, pushing up mountains, diverting rivers and causing sea basins to flood or become dry.The constantly changing conditions reveal long buried fossil sites.Mayor builds a vivid picture of how the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Romans might encounter these strange artefacts and attempt to make sense of them.What would these bizarre skulls, teeth or thigh bones mean to them?They were aware of anatomy and didn't mistake a leg bone for a vertebrae.Their reconstructions of the artefacts were reasonably accurate.They "knew" the fossils represented once-living creatures.Not having mastered the scientific discipline of today, they "interpreted" the exposed fossils in human terms - stories of mighty people, heroic deeds and lost worlds.Mayor argues that fossils led the ancients to understand life wasn't fixed.Creatures and humans alike had once lived in ancient times, then died out.Extinction was a real possibility - it had already happened.

Combining photographs and expressive line drawings to supplement her text, Mayor offers vivid evidence of the source for many mythical creatures.When bone assemblages of several species jumbled together were found, it was only logical to assume a single creature was once built around them.Hence, we are told of bull-headed men, or lions with an eagle's beak.We can see how the image of a bizarre creature emerging from a cave is actually a dinosaur fossil protruding from an eroding cliff.The view on a vase painting depicts this scene with superb clarity.With no idea of the Earth's true age, it was easy to make these judgements.Mythology is built from human experience, so it was fitting to give these creatures human characteristics.

Mayor's challenge to both classical scholars and paleontology permeates the book.The long history of dismissal of legendary creatures and the myths surrounding them blinds both scholars and the public alike, she contends.She suggests scientists and classicists enlarge their views of the information and evidence and reconsider how we perceive the past.As an example, Aristotle was long attributed as advocating fixity of species; a notion seized on by Christian scholars.Mayor demonstrates this is a limited reading of the philosopher.More such revelations might come to light if open-minded researchers seek further.Some documents have shown how the ancients measured and assessed fossil.They were clearly aware that fossils demonstrated that contemporary life and past life were similar but not identical.[stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada] ... Read more

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Evolutionist Treatise
I remember this book from my childhood.I plan to order a copy to send to Sarah Palin, since I understand that she wants to outlaw the teaching of evolution, in favor of creationism.Well, I am now a creationist, but the splendid data in this book cannot be discounted.

Illustrations!
I'm certainly no expert on this topic, so this review is going to be basic. The illustrations in this, the 3rd Edition of 1966, are numerous and wonderful. There are several charts in this book, but what really impresses are the old school line drawings -- aomething like 200 of them -- line drawings of incredible complexity and clarity.

Sometimes a drawing communicates much better than does a photograph.

An overview of the history of vertebrates
This work is an excellent overview of the vast sum of information known about vertebrates.It's concise but a complete coverage of the subject, shedding light on many of the theories and controversies regarding various aspects of the subject.Romer avails himself of embryologic information, as well as geologic, to shed light on the development of these animals.He sheds enough light on the development of various anatomic areas to be interesting but not tedious for the novice reader.For this subject -- this is a great intro. ... Read more

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"Carroll has to his credit an immense amount of useful labour in writing the book and will probably corner the market for a vertebrate paleontology text for the rest of this century."Nature ... Read more

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The book for bones!
I had Romer's Vertebrate Paleontology, which is an excellent book, until a paleontologist friend directed me to Carroll's book. He acknowledges Romer's work in the field but this is an updated version (for the time of publication).
It gives all the basic elements needed for a thorough understanding of this very important field of study. One caution: know your anatomy! The detailed information can be a bit overwhelming for the amateur (like me).
However, if you want to chart the course of evolution up to the present - read this book!

One of the few college texybooks I kept.
This book was my textbook for Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution at the University of Rochester back in 1992.The book is very daunting to look at if you just flip through it.However, it does a nice job of introducing concepts and terms to the reader.Its organization is straightforward, starting with the simplest vertebrates and eventually finishing with mammals.Most groups are covered well, considering that the author's cover every group of vertebrates known.The biggest problem I had with the book was the section on dinosaurs, the biggest reason why I took the class. The information on them was limited to a few pages and much of the information was out-dated even in 1992.However, if you are looking for a good book on vertebrates, this is a must have.Just realize that some of the information may not reflect our current understanding since the book is over 10 years old and many new finds have come to light, new ideas have been introduced, and old ideas reexamined.

I spent 2 weeks chewing on this book...

...the only easily available work that goes to any depth on this intensely interesting subject.A large book of medium thickness with an average of about two drawings per page, including familial relationship diagrams.

Since the late Paleozoic, there have been two significantbranches of terrestrial vertebrates: the diapsids (crocs, dinosaurs, birds)and synapsids (pelycosaurs, theraspids, mammals).Sharing a commonancestry and evolving at times in parallel, nevertheless distinctivefeatures appear early that, though not of immediately apparentsignificance, in fact consign the lines to their separate fates.

Thepelycosaur Dimetrodon, the familiar lizard-like reptile with a sail on itsback that is often reproduced as a toy, and which I have always associatedwith the dinosaurs, is in fact a member of the synapsid line.The bookpoints out how the process on the mandible that reaches up toward thetemporal lobe is the beginning of a shift away from the ancestralquadrate-angular jaw articulation maintained by the diapsids through thebirds.With the additional points of leverage provided, mammals weredestined to become better chewers, able to move their jaws sideways inaddition to up and down.The angular bone and one other bone in themandible, incidentally, become modified to help pick up soundwaves, andeventually migrate to become one of the three bones in the middle ear. (Birds only have one bone in their middle ear, though interestingly, theirhearing appears to be just as acute.)

Mammals continued to refine theirchewing mechanism, introducing improvements to their teeth.Instead ofthe saw of teeth possessed by dinosaurs and early reptiles, the mammalsdeveloped closely occluding teeth that allowed them to grind food moreefficiently.Apparently the price for this matching of the upper and lowerteeth is that mammals cannot replace their adult teeth once lost.

Ifyou are a specialist in one of the larger groups of vertebrates, such asthe dinosaurs or the mammals, the coverage of this book will beunsatisfying.Sometimes I had difficulty determining what the definingcharacteristics that distinguished groups were, so I still can't look at askeleton and know whether it's a pelycosaur or an early theraspid.On arelated note, the relationship diagrams are not cladograms, butold-fashioned family tree type drawings, indicating not only relationshipbut the time period in which the group lived, with a thickening of thelines to show abundance. ... Read more

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This volume delves into a spectrum of theoretical as well as applied aspects of high-resolution stratigraphic approaches in paleontology. It explores how increasingly detailed knowledge of the fossil record can enhance our understanding of the evolution of life on Earth and also allows geoscientists to address a broad range of important evolutionary and environmental questions in this arena.

A 'zipped' version of the program CONOP9 2007 along with read-me files, sample files, and other documentation are available via a web site (see below). An earlier version of CONOP9 was initially supplied with 'High-Resolution Approaches in Stratigraphic Paleontology' (PJ Harries, editor) and described in Chapter 13 of that volume. This is an updated version of the program, and the documentation supplied with this version supersedes the information supplied in that chapter.

To view the CONOP9 Programs, click on the link CONOP9 Programs on the right side of this page under Related links.

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Have you ever wondered what it's really like to dig for dinosaur bones on Alaska's North Slope?To excavate cave fossils high in the mountains of Colorado?To hunt for trilobites in the Utah desert?To collect fossil urchins from cliffs on Australia's seashore?

These and many more adventures await you in the pages of this book.From Ontario to Argentina to Wyoming, you'll screen for microfossils from anthills, excavate bones large and small, and collect beautiful invertebrate and plant fossils.By the time you finish reading these tales, you'll feel like you've been there yourself! ... Read more

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THE LIGHTER SIDE OF PALEONTOLOGY
.......and by "lighter" I don't necessarily mean funny, although the book made me smile at times. It's refreshing to find a non-children's book on fossil hunting that is well written and entertaining in an easy going way.

FIELD ADVENTURES IN PALEONTOLOGY is a quick and enjoyable read. It chronicles Lynne Clos's fossil hunting trips in an-easy-to-read yet informative style that makes you feel as if you went along. If you want to read about the human side of paleontology written in a diary style and format...this is one book that won't disappoint. It won't help you identify that strange fossil that you found but it will enable you to pass a pleasant evening.

It was a gift
Hard to review because I gave it as a gift to my grandson who is very interested in this subject although he's just 12 but very mature for his age.I trust that he'll enjoy the book - hard to know.The book seemed very good as I looked it over.

Field Adventures is captivating and easy to read!
Field Adventures in Paleontology is one of the most riveting books on paleontology I have ever read.It is well-written and could be understood by anyone from a high school student to a seasoned scientist.For once, someone has written a book about what it is like to do paleontological excavation work that doesn't require you to have a PhD. and university funding!The digs in this book are accessible to everyone, even amateurs like me.Besides having lots of good photos and science, it opened my eyes to how to go about joining a fossil dig--something I've always wanted to do.Every student and amateur should read this book! ... Read more

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More than ten years ago, when I first read Mario Gandelsonas’ book The Urban Context, the beautiful abstract diagrams that the book presented -the street network of Chicago- fascinated me with the profound historical and cultural background that they suggested. Without knowing how this would direct me, I started to draw something related with the street network of Beijing. That is the beginning of this book. Among tons of the diagrams that I have created, most of them have not been incorporated into this book, while they have directed me into this fascinating research area which focuses on the "mineralized skeleton," rather than the "soft tissue" of urban forms.It was not until the recent five years when Yang and I came across some theories and approaches in paleontology that we started to integrate them into the street network study in Beijing and Savannah. Paleontology methods lay the foundation and provide a systematic and scientific platform for our research. Then urban paleontology, as a new framework for urban form study, unfolds itself more and more apparently in front of us. It explores the evolution of "urban species" based on their remains- "urban fossils," which describe distinct urban forms with imprints of their street networks. Just as how a biological fossil serves as a factual documentation of certain life forms, an urban fossil provides clues of the existence and transformation of urban forms.The study of urban paleontology inevitably directs us to further exploration in the fields of biology, anatomy, archeology, geology, and the application of computer aided design in the excavation of urban sites. Upon finishing this book, we realize that our work is too inadequate to possibly incorporate all the influence that other disciplines may have on architecture and urban design. What it has suggested is that architecture presents such a wide array of connections with other disciplines and becomes more and more towards an interdisciplinary study. We hope this book has illustrated the diversity of problems that invite further study and can serve as a start point for architects to conceive the total spectrum.-Ming Tang ... Read more

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The Encyclopedia of Paleontology is designed to address the shortage of general reference works on both vertebrate and invertebrate paleontology and to serve the needs of students and lay persons interested in the field. As the encyclopedia aims to provide basic information, the majority of the 350 entries are devoted to explanations of paleontological concepts and techniques, examinations of the evolutionary development of particular organisms and biological features, profiles of major discoveries, and biographies of leading scientists. Each entry includes an essay and a further reading list. An international team of 200 leading experts in the field has prepared the illustrations and the essays, which range from concise descriptions to comprehensive discussions. ... Read more

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Great breadth and depth, suited for paleo fanatics and college libraries
This is 1400+ pages packed with information on a myriad of topics in paleontology, with articles about notable paleontologists, prehistoric environments and habitats, climate, geology, biology, morphology, and various groups of organisms. You won't find full articles on individual species, but certain species can be found within chapters that cover a wider group such as a genus or family, for example. Or maybe not.

This set is not comprehensive. Instead, it is a rather large smattering of widely diverse articles -- and I suspect its creation was fully dependent on the whims and availability of its many contributing authors. No complaints from me, I enjoy reading any well written book on prehistoric life that isn't dino-centric.

Now in the interest of full disclosure, I illustrated the Chelicerates chapter, and my illustration of coal forest chelicerates was selected for the cover of Volume One. I'd prefer that the entire encyclopedia focused on life in the coal forest...but perhaps that's not relevant to this review!

With a hefty price tag of nearly $400 dollars, or roughly half that amount if purchased at Amazon's bargain and used book sources, I can't imagine anyone other than total paleo fanatics, the very wealthy, or college libraries purchasing this book. It would surely be the gift of a lifetime for a student with a deep interest in prehistoric life.

the most comprehensiveencyclopedia onpaleontology
undoubtly amost importantscientific work.very rarely i encountered such a book-very clear explanation -cohen ... Read more

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In this provocative book two authors—one a scientist, the other a biblical scholar and pastor—recount the pilgrimages of understanding that have led them from the young-earth, "scientific creationist" position they were taught in their youths to new perspectives on what it can mean to believe in God as Creator. Dr. Godfrey describes the field work he has done as a descriptive paleontologist and the successive paradigm shifts that his discoveries led him through as he sought new ways to understand what he had been taught in light of the evidence he was uncovering.Dr. Smith describes how the integration of his background and training in literary studies with his work in biblical interpretation similarly led him to a new way of understanding the Bible, especially the early chapters of Genesis. The book as a whole presents an alternative way of understanding how the Bible and natural history relate to one another. This book will be of personal interest and practical use to college students and college-educated adults who have evangelical or fundamentalist backgrounds and who are seeking to integrate the study of the Bible with a commitment to academic and scientific inquiry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

This is Reality
I so related to this book. I grew up as a Literal Creationist, and it was a slow road to see the Light. I first had to understand that the Bible didn't dictate a literal reading of Genesis, and that there was deeper truth there. Only then was I able to accept the evidence I saw in my biology classes.But what set me on this road was actually the Literal Creationists themselves. I was repeatedly struck with how much they had to bend over backwards and into great contortions to make the evidence fit their preordained beliefs, and the literal words of scripture.And I finally realized that it was just too much work.One did injury to mind and logic to try to create a reading of the Bible that would fit the notions of early 20th century fundamentalists.

This is the first book that fits my personal history exactly.Dr. Godfrey also grew up as a Literal Creationist, and his path to the Light was in learning from the fossils, and learning to accept the truth of science which did not contradict the truth of the Bible. Dr. Smith took the theological path, and left Literal Creationism to embrace a more accurate exegesis of the scriptures, one not dictated by human preconceptions but by the authors' original intents, and the intents of God.

In this mixture, they take that final step, of looking to see how we can understand more of God through evolution.If he is the author of not only general revelation but special revelation as well; if evolution occurred, then surely he is the Original Cause- then by studying evolution, we can learn something of God.

This book is extraordinarily well-written, piecing together the evidence piece-by-piece.It does not attack the beliefs of the Literal Creationists, for these men were once trapped in that understanding as well.It rather is a conversion story, of how God came to them and showed them more fully who he was, and who he is.

I particularly enjoyed some new ideas that both authors introduced.For today, there is a veritable genre of Theistic Evolution books, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a new slant on the idea, and new ideas to incorporate within the theological theory.Dr. Godfrey's discussion of Biblical Meteorology is priceless. We understand that God brings the rain- this is clear in the Bible.It is also clear that he created the world.But there are some among us who insist on "Biblical" Geology and Paleontology- "science" that confirms a young Earth and a Literal Creation.They believe that we must do this because the scriptures say this happened- literally. Yet the scriptures also say that God brought the rain, and the wind, and the storms, and the sun.Why, then, do we accept the idea that the weather has proximal causes?Why is it okay to advocate that hot weather causes winds which cause hurricanes, and then predict the path of a hurricane- and somehow all of this does not deny the power of God behind the hurricane?This discussion by Godfrey reveals how we can accept science as proximal cause and God as original cause.

Dr. Smith's insights were frankly revolutionary.He introduces the concept of "Observational Theology".It is not that the Ancients believed in a videocam view of reality, as if it could be recorded on a machine, for they had no inkling of such a concept. But neither did they reject the literal interpretation.Rather, they had solid "science" for their time- observational science.They observed the world around them, and understood God as present in it.Had God intervened and dictated scripture, as if it were some sort of Qur'anic revelation to Mohammed (pbuh), with modern science, well, then we would have understood it very well- today.And it would have been absolutely irrelevant for every generation before us, with less science, and every generation after us, with better science.Instead, the scripture is interpreted through the understanding of the people of the time.Even Jesus' understanding of science and medicine is limited to his time and culture, such as the concept that spit rubbed on the eyes is efficacious.

So Smith goes through point by point in the scriptures, to prove that they could not possibly be interpreted literally, and never were intended to be, in every instance.And in some instances, they were intended to be interpreted literally, by the Ancients. But here, when we Moderns try to do the same thing, we insist on putting our own framework upon theirs- without even realizing it! As I read, I realized I did the same exact thing, both when I was a Literal Creationist, and even today. When I read the Genesis story, whether I interpret it literally or symbolically, I continue to picture a round Earth, with water in one place and land in another, with sky above and clouds in the sky, with a sun and moon above the sky. But this is not what it says! Dr. Smith, in a series of helpful drawings and explanations, shows us that the Ancients pictured a flat Earth, with water, and then space between the waters, like a hollow egg, and then land floating in the water.Rather than a sun, moon, and stars in outer space, the Ancients actually pictured all of those in the actual sky.

And once he spells it out, you realize, "Oh, of course! How foolish! *This* really is their understanding! How could I have not seen that?"For the whole concept of a round Earth and outer space are extremely modern concepts.And concepts that, even if they could have been explained to the Ancients, would have been completely unhelpful to them.

No, the genius of the two Genesis Stories is that God is powerful and greater than all other gods, and that he is intimate, and walks with us. Plenty of other religions had one or the other. No other people until the Hebrews had combined those two concepts into one deity until that point.And for that to be an effective idea, it had to reach them where they were at- it had to be an observational cosmology, and observational perspective, and observational science.

And so Smith and Godfrey return us to the original intent of Genesis.Not all this unhelpful discussion of origins and what literally happened.No.So much of the attack on evolution and science and insistence on a "Biblical" perspective has ironically removed us from the real Biblical perspective.

It's about God.

Finally, some satisfying theological answers to a very tough subject
About a year and a half ago I decided I was ready to delve into the creationism/evolution debate. I'm an evangelical Christian. It didn't take long for me to be convinced by the scientific evidence that evolution & common descent are indeed facts.

I was left with a lot of theological questions, though. Since I grew up in a very conservative home, a lot of my theology has been based on a literal rendering of "the fall" in Genesis. This book didn't answer all of my questions. (I'd have given it five stars if it had gone into even more depth.) But the answers that were given by Christopher R. Smith were the most satisfying I have found. From the poetry of Genesis 1 to Messianic prophecies, Dr. Smith helped tweak the way that I am reading my Bible. I still have questions and "issues" but this book gave me more confidence that there are satisfying answers to be had, at least to a lot of the questions.

I'd like to take a minute to compare this book to "Finding Darwin's God" by Kenneth R. Miller. Dr. Miller's book is generally one of the first recommended to people who want to explore the compatibility of religion with faith. I love Dr. Miller's ability to explain science--he makes it exciting and understandable. He's a fantastic writer! But "Finding Darwin's God" answered very few theological questions for me. Dr. Miller makes no claims to being a theologian; he is a scientist. His book is very worth reading, as a primer on evolution--one that is specifically pro-faith. Dr. Godfrey & Dr. Smith do not give nearly as much scientific information as Dr. Miller's book does. In fact, "Paradigms on Pilgrimage" talks very little about the proposed mechanisms for evolution. It, however, goes into a great more theological detail. The books complement each other very well, and their topics don't overlap very much.

This book is promoted as being useful to those with evangelical or fundamentalist Christian backgrounds--in other words, Christians who have held very conservative theologies. I would add it's also very useful for those Christians who hold more theologically moderate ideas, but who haven't really thought through these particular issues. In fact, Dr. Smith's non-literalist views on the Bible will not be acceptable to many theological conservatives. But to people like me, who are open to more moderate views, this is exciting stuff!

Richard Dawkins is famously quoted as saying, "Darwin made it possible to be an intellectually-fulfilled atheist." This book got me a lot closer to being an intellectually-fulfilled Christian.

Thoughtful approach to Genesis 1
Interesting, well-written book featuring plenty of food for thought. Godfrey's foundational premise, differentiating between methodological naturalism and metaphysical naturalism, is similar to that promulgated by Dr Francis Collins.I would have preferred that he not posit the contrast as being between "faith" and "reason" in his introduction, but rather that he point out that each position combines elements of faith and reason.

I agree with the author's argument against a 'literalist' reading of the text as flat historical narrative, an interpretative mode that Young Earth Creationists rely on to force a 6,000 year old universe on the passage. My understanding of Gen 1-3is that Moses is instructing the Israelites who God is, who they were and what events led them from Egypt to the Sinai to Palestine, and not in providing them with a scientific explanation of the creation of the universe.

Another good Biblical case for an old earth
This book is about the personal spiritual and intellectual journeys of two brothers-in-law (a PhD paleontologist and a PhD Baptist minister) from Young Earth Creationism to Evolutionary Creationism (Theistic Evolution).

The first five chapters were written by the paleontologist (Stephen Gopdfrey) and deal a lot with the fossil record.He sums up his discussion by stating that evolution "wasn't devised specifically to deny the existence of God any more than the science of meterology was. It developed like any other branch of science as biologists, paleontologists and geologists sought to "subdue the earth,' that is, to to make sense of it and to provide a natural explanation for what they observed."

The next five chapters were written by the Baptist minister and deal a lot with evolution. He boils down his discussion to two large categories of questions (p. 154): "(1) The character of God: could a God who might have used a process such as evolution in creating the world be the same God revealed to us in the Bible?(2) The position of humans within creation: on what basis can it be said that they enjoy an elevated status, and how could their actions in relation to God have affected all other life on earth?"He then takes up each of these issues.

The final chapter (Genesis cosmology and its Implications) was written by both. It starts with a reading of Genesis 1 as "an observational cosmology, rather than an objective scientific one." Their theme is that "Genesis, when understood as originally intended, does not present an objective scientific account of the origins of the universe. It rather presents a phenomenological account - that is, it describes how things appear and how they appear to have been made."

They summarize their argument very nicely (p. 192): "If you feel that you must believe in a young earth on the basis of a commitment to a literal reading of Genesis, you must also believe in a flat earth on that same basis. But if, as is no doubt the case, you do not feel that you have to believe in a flat earth, even though it has now been shown that this is what Genesis literally presents, then you may have articulated for yourself the reasons why you don't need to believe in a young earth either."

I recommend this book to any Young Earth Creationist or to any Old Earth, Progressive or Evolutionary Creationist who is trying to reach Young Earth Creationists.

A look inside two former YECs
I received my copy of Paradigms on Pilgrimage (Clements Publishing, 2005) this week, and finished it in a couple of sittings ... which is to say that I found it hard to put down. The authors, Stephen J. Godfrey and Christopher R. Smith write of their personal pilgrimages out of a YEC paradigm which they were taught earlier in life, and into an understanding of the evolutionary history of life on earth. The two men, brothers-in-law, have backgrounds in different disciplines. Godfrey is a trained paleontologist, and Smith is a student of the Biblical interpretation and literary science. Each describe the succession of understandings as they struggled to integrate what became for them undeniable -- evolutionary science -- with their Biblical faith. Any believer who struggles with this huge shift in paradigms would benefit from the personal accounts of their respective journeys.

Stephen Godfrey writes the opening five chapters. His style is engaging and, at times, entertaining (chapter one is entitled, "The Dog Skeleton and My Grandmother's Toothbrush"). As Godfrey receives his training in descriptive paleontology, and as he becomes proficient in the science of fossils, his long-held assumptions of Young Earth Creationism and Flood Geology are rocked again and again. He entered the field, in part, hoping to find evidence in the fossil record to support his YEC views. But instead he finds that the fossil record renders Flood Geology wholly untenable, and that it strongly supports the evolutionary hypothesis. What I found interesting is that, even in the face of this mounting evidence, Godfrey clings to a literalist view of early Genesis, and he continues to look for something, anything, some shred of data that might be used to discount Darwin and/or substantiate a literal reading of Genesis. He describes the chronology of his personal discoveries and his ensuing struggle, and leads the open-minded reader to understand why his ultimate acceptance of evolution was the only reasonable conclusion.

These chapters are filled with illustrations and fossils that tell amazing stories of the history of life on earth; I found them fascinating. The chapters dealing with trace fossils should forever put to rest the idea that the Flood is responsible for laying down our fossil rich geological strata. At one time, I found the notion of so-called "polystrate fossils" (fossilized trees which are said to pass through multiple strata of sedimentary deposits suggesting that all these layers were the result of a single catastrophic event) quite convincing. Still looking for that shred of evidence for Flood Geology, Godfrey describes his disappointment when he personally observed this phenomenon: "Some young-earth creationists ... were claiming that places like Joggins, where fossilized trees were seen to pass upright though the surrounding sedimentary rocks, provided powerful evidence that the world had been overtaken suddenly by a global flood. I had once believed this to be true. However, after visiting Joggins, I knew first hand that this could not be. The tree stumps lined up along clearly visible, once horizontal, beds" (page 49).

Christopher Smith takes up the account of his pilgrimage in the second half of the book. Trained in theology, Biblical languages and literary studies, his shifting paradigm travels along a slightly different course from Godfrey's. Like his co-author and brother-in-law, Smith was taught a YEC perspective as a young person, and he tenaciously stuck to his views even during his years at Harvard University where he was among an extreme minority. Not until the time of his graduation did he begin to experience doubt about his literalist/creationist understandings. He describes the processes involved in the ultimate merging of his Biblical faith with what he was learning about his world from the various fields of scientific inquiry. In short, he develops a hermeneutic which not only accommodates good science, but is far more in keeping with the internal evidence of the Bible itself. Far from undermining his confidence in the Bible, this new paradigm has opened new vistas upon the Biblical truth, and given him fresh insight into what God is really communicating through the inspired scriptures.

Some believers may struggle with some of Smith's methods of understanding and interpreting Scriptures. Paradigm shifts in theology and Biblical interpretation are never easy. Smith's views do not entirely line up with my own. But I appreciate his honesty in dealing with Scriptures with intellectual honesty.

The final chapter of the book returns to the first chapter of the Bible, in light of the Ancient Near-eastern Cosmology context in which it was written. Genesis 1 can only be understood in light of its historical context. The authors help us to see that, read properly, Genesis is not in conflict with evolution.

I wish every evangelical and fundamental believer could read this book. Making the journey from a YEC perspective into an acceptance of evolutionary science can be a painful and difficult experience. But in light of the overwhelming evidence for evolution, it is a journey believers must be willing to make. This book can be very useful in smoothing that path. ... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive, one-term paleontology text. Its unified approach presents animal, plant, and invertebrate history and interaction. Emphasis is on how life evolved and shows how paleontology reveals earth history. Presents an integrated picture of paleontology, rather than detailed classification schemes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good overview, but some things are out of date
I had this as the textbook to the general paleontology course I took as an undergrad at the University of Florida back in the late 1990s. I found it to be quite thorough and useful as a general intro, though as the field had already progressed significantly in many ways by that time (and moreso by now), I found it wanting for methodological or conceptual uses. I would certainly still recommend it as an intro to many of the key issues in paleontology - I still refer to it for reminders of some apsects of paleo that I do not encounter frequently in my work - but I would not consider it ultimately as useful as some other texts out there that are more recent if you are planning to start a career in paleontology.

NOT A DINO-DICTIONARY!
This book is terrific as it explains the ins and outs of Palaeontology rather than gives a very basic dictionary of the most popular dinosaurs in the Mesozoic. It is a good book for anybody who is interested in evolutionand how Palaeontology is used to discover the history of the earth. If youwant explanations as to what Palaeontology, Palaeoichnology andPalaeobotany is then pick up this book and be amazed! The wording is alittle complicated however and if you're not familar with Palaeontologists'jargon you may find yourself a little lost but have a go anyway, you'llfind yourself intrigued.--Nikki DuncanAustralia ... Read more

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In this updated and expanded version of his 1982 book Fossils of New Mexico, Kues offers a detailed overview of the fauna and flora of New Mexico through the past 500 million years, from Cambrian through Pleistocene time. An explosion in our knowledge of the state's fossil record has occurred in the past twenty-five years, and in this comprehensive examination Kues thoroughly discusses new discoveries and interpretations as well as the classic New Mexico fossil assemblages that are known worldwide.

After an introductory section covering basic paleontological concepts and a survey of the major groups of animals, plants, and protozoans, each chapter focuses on the state's fossil record for an individual geological period or epoch. These chapters include a summary of important paleontological and evolutionary events, an outline of the stratigraphy of the state, maps, and commentary on the vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants that lived in New Mexico during each time interval. Numerous illustrations portray the important fossils known from the state. This book demonstrates not only how rich and diverse New Mexico's record of past life is, but also documents ongoing studies that will lead to new discoveries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Diverse Ancient Life of a Geologically Complex State
New Mexico is a very complex state, geologically speaking.It has from relatively young Pleistocene alluvial deposits all the way back to ancient Proterozoic (Pre-Cambrian) rock.From the Cambrian to the recent, New Mexico has a huge fossil fauna and flora.This ancient biota has been only treated to my knowledge in scattered technical publications and one or two booklets before Barry S. Kues of the University of New Mexico produced this volume entitled "The Paleontology of New Mexico".

This is an impressive undertaking, but Kues seems to have lived up to it from what I saw.He covers each fossil-occurring period with many examples, most well illustrated.These include fossil organisms from the little late Triassic dinosaurs of Ghost Ranch to the Permian pelycosaurs of the Abo sandstone and from trilobites to mammoths.The book is fairly large in format and quite detailed, much more so than anything published earlier.Among many other details the author includes a fascinating series of maps showing the extent of the last marine deposits in New Mexico in the middle to late Cretaceous, as the sea coast disappeared to the northeast.This book is certainly going to be a major reference for anyone interested in the paleontology and geology of the state. ... Read more

Product Description

Shawnee legend tells of a herd of huge bison rampaging through the Ohio Valley, laying waste to all in their path. To protect the tribe, a deity slew these great beasts with lightning bolts, finally chasing the last giant buffalo into exile across the Wabash River, never to trouble the Shawnee again. The source of this legend was a peculiar salt lick in present-day northern Kentucky, where giant fossilized skeletons had for centuries lain undisturbed by the Shawnee and other natives of the region. In 1739, the first Europeans encountered this fossil site, which eventually came to be known as Big Bone Lick. The site drew the attention of all who heard of it, including George Washington, Daniel Boone, Benjamin Franklin, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, and especially Thomas Jefferson. The giant bones immediately cast many scientific and philosophical assumptions of the day into doubt, and they eventually gave rise to the study of fossils for biological and historical purposes. Big Bone Lick: The Cradle of American Paleontology recounts the rich history of the fossil site that gave the world the first evidence of the extinction of several mammalian species, including the American mastodon. Big Bone Lick has played many roles: nutrient source, hallowed ground, salt mine, health spa, and a rich trove of archaeological and paleontological wonders. Natural historian Stanley Hedeen presents a comprehensive narrative of Big Bone Lick from its geological formation forward, explaining why the site attracted animals, regional tribespeople, European explorers and scientists, and eventually American pioneers and presidents. Big Bone Lick is the history of both a place and a scientific discipline: it explores the infancy and adolescence of paleontology from its humble and sometimes humorous beginnings. Hedeen combines elements of history, geology, politics, and biology to make Big Bone Lick a valuable historical resource as well as the compelling tale of how a collection of fossilized bones captivated a young nation.

Customer Reviews (3)

A locality, both real and mythical
At the entrance of Big Bone Lick State Park, Kentucky, one can reads
that this is the place where American vertebrate paleontology began.
This book offers a detailed historical overview of the area since the
18th century, and of the work done there, combining several scientific approaches, history, geology, biology and, of course, paleontology. It is more than a revision of Willard Rouse Jillson's 1936 classic book of the same title.

Great historical read, but needed more...
Hedeen's "Big Bone Lick: The Cradle of American Paleontology" is a great review of the historical significance that Big Bone Lick played in American paleontology and science.

It was refreshing to read how our early American forefathers, including Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin, were truly renaissance men who not only had interests in politics and world affairs, but also natural history and science issues (so different from many of our current politicians). I also enjoyed learning about how the Lick was an interface between our forefathers as well as some of the world's leading scientific minds.

The book was wonderfully quick and fascinating lead, but felt like it was lacking something.

Personally, I would have liked to learn more about the ecology of the extinct animals that were found at the site, or at least more in-depth information about the animals themselves.The content of the book really focused more on the major players who were involved in discoveries at the site, or naming and identifying the species found at the Lick, but spent little time talking about how those animals may have lived and died at the site (though did mention some speculations made by some of the people involved).Likewise, it would have been nice to learn more about the habitats and environments around the lick when these extinct animals were alive, and what may have actually caused their extinction (presumably climate change and the end of the ice age?).

Lastly, it would have been interesting if Hedeen could have expanded on the history of Native American groups at the Lick.

Overall, it's a great book and will be especially of interest to those who have visited the Lick, are familiar with the Ohio River Valley, or have an interest in early American paleontology.

Big Bone Lick
Stanley Hedeen does a nice job pulling together a wide variety of reference materials into a very readable account of the history of paleontological investigations at Big Bone Lick, Kentucky. I knew something about Thomas Jefferson's interest in the site, both before and after Lewis and Clarke's expedition to the American west, and how his paleontological interests partially motivated his desire for western exploration, but I was unfamiliar with the many others who visited the site and came away with magnificent fossils. The book highlights how this site helped raise the consciousness of people about distant times and the concept of species extinctions in general. ... Read more

Product Description
Millions of years after vanishing from the Earth, dinosaurs still have the power to stir students’ curiosity. Deepen that interest with Adventures in Paleontology, a series of lively hands-on activities especially for middle schoolers. This beautifully illustrated full color book features 36 activities that open students up to a variety of foundational sciences, including biology, geology, chemistry, physics, and astronomy. For example: • “How Do Fossils Form?” discusses how organisms become fossils and illustrates the concept with activities that simulate fossil-making processes. • “What Can You Learn From Fossils?” explores what fossils teach about ancient organisms. • “Mass Extinction and Meteor Collisions With Earth” discusses recently discovered links between meteor and asteroid impacts on Earth and the demise of animals like dinosaurs. Other chapters cover how to tell the age of the Earth; how dinosaurs evolved; and diversity, classification, and taxonomy.! The final chapters offer humanistic perspectives on fossils in literature and art. As an attention-grabbing complement to the text, vivid full color illustrations show not just skeletons and animal tracks but also what dinosaurs probably looked like in their natural settings. Handy line drawings guide students through each step of the activities. ... Read more

Product Description

Urumaco and Venezuelan Paleontology offers a synthesis of the paleontological record of Venezuela, including new discoveries on stratigraphy, paleobotany, fossil invertebrates, and vertebrates. Besides providing a critical summary of the record of decapods, fishes, crocodiles, turtles, rodents, armadillos, and ungulates, several chapters introduce new information on the distribution and paleobiology of groups not previously studied in this part of the world. Given its position in the northern neotropics, close to the Panamanian land bridge, Venezuela is a key location for understanding faunal exchanges between the Americas in the recent geological past. The book reviews the recent paleobotanical and vertebrate fossil record of the region, provides an understanding of Pleistocene climatic change and biogeography for the last few thousand years, and integrates new information with summaries of Spanish language works on Venezuelan geology and paleontology.