__________________________________________________________________________ A BRIEF PALEO RESOURCE FAQ Created early 1995, last changed 21 August 1996, by Una Smith. __________________________________________________________________________ Contents: Mailing lists Books Frequently asked questions Amateur and professional societies etc. __________________________________________________________________________ MAILING LISTS __________________________________________________________________________ Note: If you subscribe to COLLECTIONSNET, COMMNET, DATABASENET, or TRAININGNET, you will also be subscribed automatically to PALEONET. COLLECTIONSNET (you will be subscribed to PALEONET too) To subscribe, send e-mail containing the text subscribe collectionsnet (where is replaced by your own name) to listproc@ucmp1.berkeley.edu COMMNET (you will be subscribed to PALEONET too) To subscribe, send e-mail containing the text subscribe commnet (where is replaced by your own name) to listproc@ucmp1.berkeley.edu DATABASENET (you will be subscribed to PALEONET too) To subscribe, send e-mail containing the text subscribe databasenet (where is replaced by your own name) to listproc@ucmp1.berkeley.edu DINOSAUR Dinosaur Discussion List To subscribe, send e-mail containing the text subscribe dinosaur (where is replaced by your own name) to listproc@lepomis.psych.upenn.edu FOSSIL-NUTS To subscribe, send e-mail containing the text subscribe fossil-nuts (where is replaced by your own name) to fossil-nuts-request@notam.uio.no MICROPAL Micropaleontology List To subscribe, send e-mail containing the text subscribe micropal (where is replaced by your own name) to listproc@ucmp1.berkeley.edu NHCOLL-L Natural History Collections List To subscribe, send e-mail containing the text subscribe nhcoll-l (where is replaced by your own name) to listproc@ucmp1.berkeley.edu PALAEOBOTANY Palaeobotany List To subscribe, send e-mail containing the text subscribe (where is replaced by your own name) to palaeobotany-request@alpha1.rhbnc.ac.uk Note: Americans please note the spelling of "palaeo" PALEOBOT BSA Paleobotanical Section Mailing List To subscribe, send e-mail containing the text subscribe paleobot (where is replaced by your own name) to listserv@dartmouth.edu Note: BSA is the Botanical Society of America PALEONET Paleontology Network List To subscribe, send e-mail containing the text subscribe paleonet (where is replaced by your own name) to listproc@ucmp1.berkeley.edu POLPAL-L Pollination and Palynology List To subscribe, send e-mail containing the text subscribe polpal-l (where is replaced by your own name) to listproc@uoguelph.ca ROCKS-AND-FOSSILS To subscribe, send e-mail containing the text subscribe rocks-and-fossils (where is replaced by your own name) to majordomo@world.std.com TAXACOM Taxonomy and Systematics Discussion List To subscribe, send e-mail containing the text subscribe taxacom (where is replaced by your own name) to listserv@cmsa.berkeley.edu TRAININGNET (you will be subscribed to PALEONET too) To subscribe, send e-mail containing the text subscribe trainingnet (where is replaced by your own name) to listproc@ucmp1.berkeley.edu VRTPALEO Vertebrate Paleontology Community List To subscribe, send e-mail containing the text subscribe vrtpaleo (where is replaced by your own name) to listserv@vm.usc.edu Note: for the most part these mailing lists are small, quiet, and quite professional forums. They are used by scientists to keep in touch with one another and discuss current research, which may seem dry and boring, unless you are passionately interested in the topic of discussion. You are more than welcome to subscribe, but please "lurk" for a while to get a feel for each mailing list, before contributing your own articles. __________________________________________________________________________ BOOKS __________________________________________________________________________ GENERAL Andrews, H.N. (1980) The fossil hunters: in search of ancient plants. Cornell University Press, Ithaca. This is an important and very enjoyable book, written for a wide audience but also a primary source of information about numerous historic fossil collections. Cowen, Richard (1995) History of life. 2nd edition. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Boston. ISBN 0-86542-354-7. Large format paperback. A very broad and thorough undergraduate textbook. The author has a Web page for distribution of corrections and ancillary materials (http://www-geology.ucdavis.edu/www/faculty/cowen/Cowenbooks.html) and welcomes comments. Send them to rcowen@ucdavis.edu. Ecker, Ronald L. (1990) Dictionary of science & creationism. Foreword by Martin Gardner. Prometheus Books, Buffalo, New York. ISBN 0-87975-549-0. This and the following book are briefly reviewed in Taxon 44:143 (1995). Ecker, Ronald L. (1993) The evolutionary tales: Rhyme and reason on creation/evolution, with apologies to Chaucer and Darwin. North Bridge Books, Palatka Florida. ISBN 0-9634806-0-7. Long, John A. (1995) The rise of fishes: 500 million years of evolution. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. ISBN 0-8018-4992-6. A very informative book with many excellent color photos of fossil and living fishes, fossil localities, paleontologists at work, and illustrations. Mayr, H. (1992) A guide to fossils. Princeton University Press, Princeton. Vickers-Rich, P. and T. Rich (1993) Wildlife of Gondwana. Reed Books. ISBN 0-7301-0315-3. "Covers vertebrate paleontology of the last 500 million years, lots of spectacular photos." - Jim Foley White, Mary E. (1990) The flowering of Gondwana. Princeton University Press, Princeton. 256 pp. ISBN 0-691-08592-7. "A spectacular coffee- table picture book of fossil and modern plants of Australia. Includes paleogeographic maps and full-colour plant reconstructions showing how Australia's geologic history explains the many unique plants present today." - Andrew MacRae This book was published in 1986 as "The greening of Gondwana" (Reed Books). See Taxon 43:349. White, Mary E. (1994) After the greening: The browning of Australia. Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst, Australia. ISBN 0-86417-585-X. This book extends the story of Gondwana (White 1990) up to today, with many interesting stops along the way. See Taxon 44:120-121. See also SPECIAL (Burgess Shale): Gould (1989). METHODS and SOURCES Leiggi, P. and P. May, Eds. (1994) Vertebrate paleontological techniques. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Wood, D.N., J.E. Hardy, and A.P. Harvey, eds. (1989) Information sources in the earth sciences. 2nd edition. Bowker-Saur, London and New York. MICROPALEONTOLOGY Haq and Boersma (1978) Intro to marine micropaleontology. Elsevier. Lipps, Jere (1992) Fossil prokaryotes and protists. Blackwell. PALEOBIOLOGY and PALEOECOLOGY Briggs, D.E.G. and P.R. Crowther (1990) Palaeobiology: A Synthesis. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford. 583 pp. ISBN 0-632-02525-5. An excellent collection of information on subjects in paleontology other than the description of each type of fossil group. - Andrew MacRae PALEOBOTANY Graham, L.E. (1993) Origin of land plants. John Wiley, New York. A very important but difficult text for advanced students and researchers. Stewart, W.N and G.W. Rothwell (1993) Paleobotany and the evolution of plants. 2nd edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Loaded with pictures and excellent discussion of the relationships between taxa. Taylor, T.N. and E.L. (1993) The biology and evolution of fossil plants. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. ISBN 0-13-651589-4. Hbk. More comprehensive and detailed than Stewart and Rothwell (1993), but with somewhat less synthesis. See also GENERAL: Andrews (1980). PALEONTOLOGY, INVERTEBRATE Boardman, R.S., A.H. Cheetham, and A.J. Rowell, Eds. (1987) Fossil Invertebrates. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Palo Alto. 713 pp. ISBN 0-86542-302-4. A more advanced introduction to the major invertebrate fossil groups. Also includes a chapter on conodonts and trace fossils. - Andrew MacRae Clarkson, E.N.K. (1986) Invertebrate Palaeontology and Evolution. 2nd Edition. Allen and Unwin, London. 382 pp. ISBN 0-04-560010-4 (Pbk). A good introduction to the major invertebrate fossil groups. Also has a section on Lagerstatten (exceptional preservation). Now in its third edition. - Andrew MacRae PALEONTOLOGY, VERTEBRATE Carroll, R.L. (1988) Vertebrate paleontology and evolution. Freeman, New York. Long, John A., editor (1994) Palaeozoic vertebrate biostratigraphy and biogeography. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Pbk. Stearn C.W. and R.L. Carroll (1989) Paleontology: the record of life. J. Wiley, New York. See also METHODS: Leiggi and May (1994). SPECIAL: Burgess Shale Briggs, D.E.G., D.H. Erwin, and F.J. Collier (1994) The fossils of the Burgess Shale. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington. 239 pp. With photographs by Chip Clark. Updated material and photographs of each genus. - Captain Entropy Gould, S.J. (1989) Wonderful life: the Burgess Shale and the nature of history. W.W. Norton, New York. 347 pp. A more accessible book, written for the mass market. - Captain Entropy Whittington, H.B. (1985) The Burgess Shale. Yale University Press, New Haven. 151 pp. EXCELLENT book, though doesn't cover some more recent developments. - Captain Entropy. See Briggs et al. (1994). SPECIAL: Extinction Events Donovan, S.K., ed. (1989) Mass Extinctions. Columbia University Press. Presents processes and evidence for mass extinction events from the Pre-Cambrian through Pleistocene. - Dave Carlson STRATIGRAPHY Ager, D.V. (1993) The Nature of the Stratigraphical Record. 3rd edition. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, England. ISBN 0-471-93808-4. Pbk $22. A good introduction to some stimulating and provocative ideas and enigmas that keep stratigraphers up late into the night, arguing hotly. This is a slim book with an unorthodox attitude. Blatt, H., W.B.N. Berry, and S. Brande (1991) Principles of Stratigraphic Analysis. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Boston. 512 pp. ISBN 0-86542-069-6 Good introduction to stratigraphy, including biostratigraphy. - Andrew MacRae Doyle, P., M.R. Bennett, and A.N. Baxter (1994) The key to earth history: an introduction to stratigraphy. Wiley, Chichester. Salvador, A., Ed. (1994) International stratigraphic guide: a guide to stratigraphic classification, terminology, and procedure. 2nd edition. International Union of Geological Sciences, Trondheim, Norway and Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO. A highly technical source for professional stratigraphers. Smith, A.G., D.G. Smith, and B.M. Funnell (1994) Atlas of Mesozoic and Cenozoic coastlines. Cambridge University Press, New York. A technical resource that may be of interest to serious amateurs. This is a very incomplete list. Other recommendatios are welcome! I'd like to hear your opinions of these various books, if you have used them in a course. __________________________________________________________________________ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS __________________________________________________________________________ Q. Where can I find out about helping with dinosaur excavations, etc.? A. Check out Dino Russ's Lair (http://jacobson.isgs.uiuc.edu/). Q. Where can I discuss/debate creationism vs. science? A. Try talk.origins, a lively Usenet newsgroup devoted to this topic. __________________________________________________________________________ AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES ETC. __________________________________________________________________________ EASTERN NORTH AMERICA Kentucky (USA) Paleontological Society. Monthly meetings, newsletter, and field trips. For a free newsletter and information on joining the KPS, write to: The Kentucky Paleontological Society, 365 Cromwell Way, Lexington, KY 40503. Or send e-mail to Daniel J. Phelps . Paleontological Research Institution (PRI), 1259 Trumansburg Road, Ithaca, NY 14850-1398. Fax: 607 273-6620, e-mail: wda1@cornell.edu. WESTERN NORTH AMERICA Mid-America Paleontology Society (MAPS). MAPS holds large annual fossil expositions. Write to: G. Norris 2623 34th Avenue Court Rock Island, IL 61201 New Mexico Friends of Paleontology (NMFP). To receive a free newsletter and membership application, write to: NMFP PO Box 26145 Albuquerque, NM 87101 North Dakota Paleontological Society. Write to: ND Paleontological Society PO Box 1921 Bismarck, ND 58502-1921 The Southern California Paleontological Society. E-mail: scpaleo@aol.com. Western Interior Paleontological Society. Write to: WIPS PO Box 200011 Denver, CO 80220-0011 INTERNATIONAL The International Organization of Paleobotany. Publishes an inexpensive newsletter three times a year containing research news, brief essays, news about members, and book reviews. The newsletter is distributed by regional representatives. Contact Mike Boulter or see the IOP Web page for details. The Palaeontology Association. The major paleontology society in the UK, with mainly professional members, but amateurs are welcome. See the PalAss URL, http://www.nhm.ac.uk/paleonet/PalAss/PalAss.html. The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. To obtain a free newsletter, "Outreach", for encouraging productive working relationships between amateur and professional palaeontologists, write to: Outreach Newsletter, San Diego Natural History Museum, P. O. Box 1390, San Diego, CA 92112 (USA). Or send e-mail to . __________________________________________________________________________