The Jehol Biota The Emergence of Feathered Dinosaurs, Beaked Birds and Flowering Plants

About this book

No other single volume reference to the Jehol site and its fossils exists and nowhere is there such a collection of fine photos of the fossils concerned. The Jehol Biota has pieced together the most up-to-date information on the Jehol Biota, a place that has shown the world some of the most astonishing fossil finds including the first complete skeleton of Archaeopteryx in 1861, four-winged dinosaurs- many feathered ones, the first beaked bird, the first plants with flowers and fruits, and thousands of species of invertebrates. Authors shed new light on a number of interesting theoretical issues in evolutionary biology today, such as the origin and early evolution of some major taxonomic groups.

The first two chapters give an inviting introduction to the Jehol Biota in terms of its history of study, its main components, its scientific importance, its geographical, geological and biostratigraphic framework, and its renowned fossil discoveries. Each of the remaining chapters deals with a particular organismal group of the Biota written by leading experts. The Jehol Biota is lavishly illustrated with nearly 280 illustrations, which include 200 photographs that show the diversity of the taxa and beauty of their preservation. The coloured life restorations, elegantly done by some of China's most celebrated scientific illustrators, give a kiss of life to the dead bones.

Contents

Introduction
Mesozoic Pompeii
Gastropods
Bivalves
Conchostracans
Ostracods
Shrimps
Insects & Spiders
Fishes
Amphibians
Turtles
Choristoderes
Squamates
Pterosaurs
Dinosaurs
Birds
Mammals
Charophytes
Land Plants
Angiosperms
Spores and Pollen
Selected References
List of Taxa
A Composite Picture of the Jehol Biota
Abbreviation of Institutions and Organizations

Customer Reviews

Biography

Edited by Mee-Mann Chang, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing; Pei-Ji Chen, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Yuan-Qing Wang, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing; and Yuan Wang, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing