21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Should be one like it for every state!, August 7, 2006
This review is from: Oceans of Kansas: A Natural History of the Western Interior Sea (Life of the Past) (Hardcover)
I found the description of this book intriguing and found it listed in a couple of different places, so I decided I was fated to read it. I wasn't disappointed either. Although in places the non-professional may find their eyes glazing, for the most part, it is full of interesting information on the faunal era of the Cretaceous Interior Sea of North America (roughly the entire Midwest from Northern Canada to the present Gulf of Mexico).
Particularly fascinating is Everhart's discussion of the famous fossil finders of Kansas: Professor Benjamin Mudge, the Sternberg family (George H., George M., and Charles H.), Theophilus Turner, and Samuel Williston, all of whom provided some of the earliest and finest material from this period now found in Eastern and European museums. Some of their finds formed the type basis of species and genus descriptions for the marine fauna of the age world wide.
Should anyone have the erroneous impression that scientists are totally objective and above petty squabbles, the author's frequent comments on the famous Cope and Marsh and their "bone wars," will totally disabuse you of the notion. Marsh from the Yale Peabody Museum and Cope from the Accademy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia conducted a personal battle to be the first to describe and name in print specimen arriving from the midwest that is virtually legendary in paleontology and geology departments. Both employed the local talent of Kansas to find suitable museum quality specimen for display. The 19th century seemed to have been the age of "collections" of every conceivable type. In an age before television and cinema, such collections drew large crowds, as P. T. Barnum's' menagerie of oddities illustrated. In their field of natural history, the two scientists rivaled the ambitions of the fine art and archaeological collectors of some of the nation's art museums and even Barnum's more eclectic presentations.
Particularly interesting is the author's presentation of his own fossil finds and of the techniques and difficulties in removing specimen from their in situ location to one for preservation. It is obvious from his occasional reference to his field work that he is not simply an armchair or lab bound paleontologist. Although not the more biographical work that the writing of Peter Ward tends to be, in context, the personal experiences described by Everhart provide the reader with some idea of what the field involves. This might be of some interest to young people looking for a career in the biological sciences that does not involve all indoor work.
The book is extremely well organized, introducing the geology and earth history of the region now the part of the state of Kansas and describing in some detail the various categories of animals found there. Each of the chapters on a given type of animal is introduced by a short fictional account of what their life was like and how the particular specimen introduced might have met its end. This allows the reader to picture the animal as more than a lifeless pile of "old bones." Each chapter also introduces the genera and species within it, the period in which they flourished and that in which they seem to have disappeared. The author also discusses the rarity of finds and the possible causes thereof. Where indicated he also brings in information from neighboring states where species appear either before or after those in Kansas, so that the reader has a better understanding of extinction, regression and transgression of sea water and its residual rock facies, and the character of life and death in a changing environment. Completing this discussion, he also gives a thorough account of when, where, and by whom specific fossils were found and named. In short a history of their provenance and subsequent disposition. One could actually go to see these individual specimen if one chose to do so and know everything known about them.
From his discussion of the literature and of the finds and communications of other workers in the field, it is very apparent that the author is both well read and well connected. He does not write or work in isolation, but collaboratively with those in his specialty. The entries in his bibliography are extensive, including older works regarding the history of given researchers or type fossils, and more recent journal articles on finds made that extend or change the designation or understanding of a specimen and/or its relationship to others. A student doing a paper on paleontology, on the Cretaceous, on Kansas in particular, or on a given animal from the period, would find this bib a good place to start their research, and the author's style and organization a good paradigm.
The author's discussion of and some of the plates illustrating finds suggest that the Sternberg Museum collection would be a wonderful place to spend some time. One of these days, I may take a few days of vacation to visit Fort Hays and its State University to do just that.
There should be one of these books for every state and its representative faunal periods. Someone do Minnesota next!
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Oceans of Kansas Review, August 28, 2005
This review is from: Oceans of Kansas: A Natural History of the Western Interior Sea (Life of the Past) (Hardcover)
Oceans of Kansas is an extremely well researched book. The author has been working in this field for a long time and his experience shows. I am pleased to review his book. I live in Kansas and I have been interested in this topic on an amateur basis. I have lived in other areas so I have been acquainted with other geological periods and other collections of fauna. I have seen many of the specimens that Michael Everhart discusses in his book. I have been to the Yale Peabody Museum in New Haven several times and have seen Kansas fossils there. His insight into those specimens is enlightening.
The treatment of the topic within a chapter is progressive. The author starts with a short dramatization. He sets the stage and presents a description of the setting and environment that pertains to the creatures discussed within that chapter. The chapter on sea turtles follows this pattern, for example. Once the dramatic setting is presented, the author commences to add details about the creatures that are the subject of a given chapter. Details about the fossil specimens are then added. This information is extensive and thorough. The author presents these specimens within their historical and paleontological perspectives. Several important names recur throughout the book. These are historical names well known to readers in this subject area. The author, himself, is responsible for surprisingly many of the discoveries cited.
I was impressed by the scope of this book. Its breadth is great. The level of detail presented here is daunting. It takes careful reading to follow that level of detail though. This is a substantial book and should be a good addition to the library of anyone interested in this subject. Kansas readers should take pride in how important the findings that have taken place in Kansas have been to the understanding of this earlier time.
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33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally, a science book that reads like . . . they all should., July 3, 2005
This review is from: Oceans of Kansas: A Natural History of the Western Interior Sea (Life of the Past) (Hardcover)
This is really a nice book. It is a throrough, comprehensive and up-to-date review of life in the interior sea - with chapters on sharks, fish, elasmosaurs, pliosaurs mosasaurs, and more. Unlike the other paleontology books I've ordered, including some from Indianna University Press, this one is not so technical as to alienate the casual reader - like myself. It's an interesting - and very enjoyable - way to learn about a scientific subject. I wish more of these books were written this way.
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