Experimental Approaches to Understanding Fossil Organisms

Paleontologists and geologists struggle with research questions often complicated by the loss or even absence of key paleobiological and paleoenvironmental information. Insight into this missing data can be gained through direct exploration of analogous living organisms and modern environments. Creative, experimental and interdisciplinary treatments of such ancient-Earth analogs form the basis of Lessons from the Living. This volume unites a diverse range of expert paleontologists, neontologists and geologists presenting case studies that cover a spectrum of topics, including functional morphology, taphonomy, environments and organism-substrate interactions.

Unifies an array of diverse topics in geobiology through the shared approach of using the present as the key to the past Tackles intriguing paleontological questions through creative, tangible, real-world experiments with modern analogous organisms and environments Represents advances in multiple paleontological and sedimentological fields and provides those familiar with the subject with new results and unique perspectives Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext

Daniel I. Hembree, Associate Professor, Department of Geological Sciences, Ohio University; PhD University of Kansas 2005.

Brian F. Platt, Assistant Professor, Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, University of Mississippi; PhD University of Kansas 2012.

Jon J. Smith, Assistant Scientist, Stratigraphic Research Group, Kansas Geological Survey; PhD University of Kansas 2007.

Inhalt
Part I Functional Morphology.- Part II Taphonomy and Environment.- Part III Organism-Substrate Interaction.