North America Through Time: A Paleontological History of Our Continent [Hardcover]

Lynne M. Clos (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2008

What part has North America played in the history of life? How did our continent come to be, and how has it changed over time? What was it like during past ages? What were the climate and geography like, and what plants and animals lived here? Where can fossils from each age be found? And where are there public preserves where you can view the fossils in place?

North America Through Time is an exciting journey through the history of life and the part our favorite continent has played in it all. Not a dry textbook, it is written for the general reader with a strong interest in science but no professional background. Abundantly illustrated, it will grasp your attention and entertain your imagination until the very last page, winding up with a discussion of what lessons we can learn from North America's past that apply to our future.

+ Eighteen chapters, beginning with the Precambrian, and covering each time Period of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic Eras, and each Epoch of the Cenozoic

+ Twenty-five stunning paleoenvironmental reconstructions, all in full color

+ Over 200 color photographs of fossils

+ Covers North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the Panama Canal to the Arctic Ocean

Editorial Reviews

Review

I was totally blown away by [this] book. It's everything I was hoping it would be and much, much more...it will be the standard reference for [those] interested in North American paleontology for quite some time. An exceptional piece of work -- a real masterpiece! ----Stephen Brusatte, Dept. of Paleobiology, University of Bristol

North America Through Time is an exceptional book, clearly written and with a pleasing assortment of color photographs splashed across almost every page. Each chapter -- focusing on a particular time slice, such as the Devonian Period or the Eocene Epoch -- greets the reader with an original artistic rendition representing that time, followed by a map showing North America's contemporary land configuration. Then there's everything you want to know about life from those respective times, including where the evidence comes from and where you can go to witness it yourself in the field. The pageant of life -- not just 'glitzy' members like fin-backed reptiles, dinosaurs, and mammoths -- as known from fossils is the theme throughout. There's little competition for such an up-to-date popular book of this caliber. ----Allen A. Debus, former editor, Dinosaur World

About the Author

Lynne M. Clos holds a Master's Degree from the University of Colorado in museum studies with a specialization in vertebrate paleontology. Her Master's research focused on a new Miocene varanid lizard from Kenya and relationships within the Varanidae. A member of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, the Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences, and the Western Interior Paleontological Society, she has done fieldwork in such far-flung places as the North Slope of Alaska, Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park, Porcupine Cave high in Colorado's Rocky Mountains, and cliffs along the seashore of South Australia. She formerly worked at the Denver Museum of Natural History explaining the dinosaurs of the Ghost Ranch Quarry to the public. Since 1998 she has been editor and publisher of Fossil News, a monthly journal for avocational paleontologists. Her paleoart is on display at the T. Rex Museum in Tucson, Arizona. She received the Decree of Excellence in Literature in 2005 from the International Biographical Centre in Cambridge, England, and was featured in Two Thousand Notable Women in 2003. Her first book, Field Adventures in Paleontology, was published in 2003. She lives with her family in Boulder, Colorado.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 284 pages
• Publisher: Fossil News (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972441646
• ISBN-13: 978-0972441643
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,904,352 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super, July 6, 2009

By 

B. Higgins (Finger Lakes Region, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: North America Through Time: A Paleontological History of Our Continent (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book for those of us who know very little about this subject or for those who know a lot and want an interesting read.

I found that I wished there was more in depth coverage in some areas, such as plant and animal descriptions but the scope of the project probably prevented too much detail.

Super book and fun to read.