Paleontology Practical Manual

Identifying and describing a specimen (extant or extinct) is not just a challenge for students and early researchers but is also the first step in doing any form of environmental analyses (of the past and the present) and the depositional history of a basin based on correct species identification. Additionally, a sound specimen identification is a prerequisite for refined biostratigraphic correlations (local, regional or global). Hence, identifying a specimen based on its morphological characteristics is fundamental for improving taxonomy (paleontological systematics). Most such identifications for a student (or even for a researcher who is starting to take his first steps) are very difficult as there is a general lack of books outlining the specimen’s morphological characteristics. Due to this lack of available illustrated study material, teaching in paleontological laboratories is not just tedious, time consuming, and cumbersome but also difficult. The present practical book with over 1000 well-labelled illustrated diagrams of paleontological specimens aims to fill this gap and also provides a much-needed supplementary text for a corresponding theory class. The final chapter provides a comprehensive look at when and where significant fossil deposits have been discovered across the United States throughout geological history.