MARVELLOUS WORLD OF FOSSILS
R225.00
PREFACE
It gives me great pleasure in presenting this book, which covers, from an original viewpoint the history of some of the world’s oldest inhabitants. We now know that they were not self-sufficient, solitary creatures which cropped up haphazardly across the immense span of the ages. There are links of dependence between them, and they can only be understood, in their structure and way of life, by placing them in their original habitat. They can be considered within the problem of evolution by studying their logical sequence in vegetable and animal form; by considering the physical framework in which these beings grew and developed, on is confronted by the problem of ecology. The latter of these two points of view has been brought into special focus here by adding to it other interesting points, and this what gives the book its appeal.
The countless creatures that patient research has made available for us to admire, are brought to life here in a series of items written in a meaningful and clear style. The description of the swamps with their flora and fauna, where life perhaps witnessed its most spectacular development, is exceptionally vivid, as is the section on the majestic waterfalls , which date from the beginning of the Tertiary age, where favourable conditions for fossilization have left us with perfectly conserved flowers and leaves. Forsaking the usual dry style found in textbooks, the author provides excellent descriptions of subjects of great interest; traces of biological activity in the shape of footprints, moulds, and so on. Looking at lifestyles brings him round to talking of various methods of locomotion: swimming, running, and flight, as well as static life or life in colonies. And he does not forget to mention that a fossil is often a great work of art.
In this way we are able to grasp the continual progress of life, both on the continents as well as in the oceans.
A book like this is an introduction to palaeontology that is a history and not a mere catalogue. It gives us the opportunity to study some of the huge problems of geological and biological science. The author’s collection, which contains nearly a million specimens, is currently being re-organized and an exhibition is being prepared which will allow us to trace the fabulous story of life from the dawn of time to the present day.
Professor Jean Piveteau. de l’Academie des sciences
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