Fossils: The Key to the Past

This comprehensive introduction to paleontology includes recent discoveries about human evolution and the development of micropaleontology. Fortey (Natural History Museum, London; Earth) clarifies the relationships among geology, paleontology, biology, and chemistry, and discusses topics such as geological eras, rock types, plant and animal fossils, extinction, and evolution. The material is illustrated with charts and colored photographs. Particularly fascinating are speculations on dinosaur extinction and on the precursors to and evolution of Homo sapiens. In addition, Fortey explains that since fossil fuels such as coal and oil will eventually run out, prospecting companies now employ micropaleontologists who use the presence of specific guide fossils to estimate sedimentary conditions. Readers interested in fossil collecting are advised where to hunt for them as well as how to handle, clean, identify, and store them.