Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Illustrations -- 1 What Is Palaeontology? -- 1.1 Palaeontology: the Study of Ancient Life -- 1.2 The Scope of Palaeontology -- 1.3 The Aim and Structure of This Book -- PART I. KEY CONCEPTS -- 2 Fossils and Fossilisation -- 2.1 What Are Fossils? -- 2.2 Taphonomy: the Process of Fossilisation -- 2.2.1 Death of the Organism -- 2.2.2 Effects on the Dead Organism Before Burial -- 2.2.3 Effects on the Dead Organism After Burial -- 2.2.4 The Preservation of Trace Fossils -- 2.3 Is the Fossil Record Complete? -- 2.4 Lagerstätten: Windows on an Ancient World -- 2.5 Summary of Key Points -- 2.6 Suggested Reading -- 3 Fossils as Living Rganlsms -- 3.1 Early Concepts of Fossils -- 3.2 The Concept of the Species in Palaeontology -- 3.3 Taxonomic Hierarchy: The System of Nature -- 3.4 Taxonomic Uniformitarianism: the Basis for Reconstruction of Fossil Organisms -- 3.5 Introduction to Palaeoecology -- 3.5.1 Palaeosynecology -- 3.5.2 Palaeoautecology -- 3.5.3 The Role of Trace Fossils in Palaeoecology -- 3.5.4 Palaeoenvironmental Analysis -- 3.6 Summary of Key Points -- 3.7 Suggested Reading -- 4 Fossils and Evolution -- 4.1 The Process of Organic Evolution -- 4.1.1 Darwinian Theory -- 4.1.2 Heredity and Genetics -- 4.1.3 Natural Selection -- 4.2 Palaeontology and Evolution -- 4.2.1 Microevolution: The Small-scale Changes -- 4.2.2 Macroevolution: The Broad Patterns -- 4.3 Summary of Key Points -- 4.4 Suggested Reading -- 5 Fossils and Stratigraphy -- 5.1 Principles of Stratigraphy -- 5.2 Faunal and Floral Succession -- 5.3 Biostratigraphy -- 5.3.1 Guide Fossils: The Tools of Biostratigraphy -- 5.3.2 The Basic Unit of Biostratigraphy: The Biozone -- 5.4 Chronostratigraphy.

5.5 Summary of Key Points -- 5.6 Further Reading -- 6 Summary of Part I -- PART II. THE MAIN FOSSIL GROUPS -- 7 Introduction to the Fossil Record -- 7.1 Major Features of the Fossil Record -- 7.1.1 Life in the Precambrian -- Archaean Life -- Proterozoic Life -- 7.1.2 Life in the Phanerozoic -- The Development of the Phanerozoic Invertebrate Fauna -- The Evolution of the Terrestrial Flora -- The Development of the Vertebrates -- 7.2 The Main Fossil Groups -- 7.3 Summary of Key Points -- 7.4 Suggestions for Further Reading -- 8 Molluscs: Bivalves and Gastropods -- 8.1 Bivalve and Gastropod Taxonomy -- 8.1.1 General Characteristics of Bivalves -- 8.1.2 General Characteristics of Gastropods -- 8.1.3 Classification of Bivalves and Gastropods -- 8.2 Bivalve Shell Morphology -- 8.3 Gastropod Shell Morphology -- 8.4 Bivalve and Gastropod Evolution -- 8.4.1 The Molluscan Archetype -- 8.4.2 Bivalve Evolution -- 8.4.3 Gastropod Evolution -- 8.5 Bivalve and Gastropod Applications -- 8.5.1 Palaeobiology -- Functional Morphology -- Evolution -- 8.5.2 Palaeoenvironmental Analysis -- 8.5.3 Stratigraphy -- 8.6 Suggested Reading -- 9 Molluscs: Cephalopods -- 9.1 Cephalopod Taxonomy -- 9.1.1 General Characteristics of Cephalopods -- 9.1.2 Cephalopod Classification -- 9.2 Cephalopod Shell Morphology -- 9.2.1 Basic Components of Ectocochleate Cephalopod Shells -- 9.2.2 Basic Components of Endocochleate Cephalopod Shells -- 9.3 Cephalopod Evolution -- 9.4 Cephalopod Applications -- 9.4.1 Palaeobiology -- Functional Morphology -- Evolution -- 9.4.2 Palaeoenvironmental Analysis -- 9.4.3 Stratigraphy -- 9.5 Suggested Reading -- 10 Brachiopods -- 10.1 Brachiopod Taxonomy -- 10.1.1 General Characteristics of Brachiopods -- 10.1.2 Brachiopod Classification.

10.2 Brachiopod Shell Morphology -- 10.2.1 Basic Components of Articulate Brachiopod Shells -- 10.2.2 Basic Components of Inarticulate Brachiopod Shells -- 10.3 Brachiopod Evolution -- 10.4 Brachiopod Applications -- 10.4.1 Palaeobiology -- Functional Morphology -- Evolution -- 10.4.2 Palaeoenvironmental Analysis -- 10.4.3 Stratigraphy -- 10.5 Suggested Reading -- 11 Echinoderms -- 11.1 Echinoderm Taxonomy -- 11.1.1 General Characteristics of Echinoderms -- 11.1.2 Echinoderm Classification -- 11.2 Echinoid Morphology -- 11.3 Crinoid Morphology -- 11.4 Echinoderm Evolution -- 11.5 Echinoderm Applications -- 11.5.1 Palaeobiology -- Functional Morphology -- Evolution -- 11.5.2 Palaeoenvironmental Analysis -- 11.5.3 Stratigraphy -- 11.6 Suggested Reading -- 12 Trilobites -- 12.1 Trilobite Taxonomy -- 12.1.1 General Characteristics -- 12.1.2 Trilobite Classification -- 12.2 Trilobite Morphology -- 12.3 Trilobite Evolution -- 12.4 Trilobite Applications -- 12.4.1 Palaeobiology -- Functional Morphology -- Evolution -- 12.4.2 Palaeoenvironmental Analysis -- 12.4.3 Stratigraphy -- 12.5 Suggested Reading -- 13 Corals -- 13.1 Coral Taxonomy -- 13.1.1 General Characteristics of Corals -- 13.1.2 Coral Classification -- 13.2 Coral Morphology -- 13.3 Coral Evolution -- 13.4 Coral Applications -- 13.4.1 Palaeobiology -- 13.4.2 Palaeoenvironmental Analysis -- 13.4.3 Stratigraphy -- 13.5 Suggested Reading -- 14 Graptolites -- 14.1 Graptolite Taxonomy -- 14.1.1 Graptolite General Characteristics -- 14.1.2 Graptolite Classification -- 14.2 Graptolite Morphology -- 14.3 Graptolite Evolution -- 14.4 Graptolite Applications -- 14.4.1 Palaeobiology -- Functional Morphology -- Evolution -- 14.4.2 Palaeoenvironmental Analysis -- 14.4.3 Stratigraphy -- 14.5 Suggested Reading -- 15 Bryozoans.

15.1 Bryozoan Taxonomy -- 15.1.1 General Characteristics of Bryozoans -- 15.1.2 Bryozoan Classification -- 15.2 Bryozoan Morphology -- 15.3 Bryozoan Evolution -- 15.4 Bryozoan Applications -- 15.4.1 Palaeobiology -- Functional Morphology -- Evolutionary Studies -- 15.4.2 Palaeoenvironmental Analysis -- 15.4.3 Stratigraphy -- 15.5 Suggested Reading -- 16 Microfossils: Foraminifera -- 16.1 Foraminiferal Taxonomy -- 16.1.1 General Characteristics of Fmaminifera -- 16.1.2 Foraminiferal Classification -- 16.2 Foraminiferal Morphology -- 16.3 Foraminiferal Evolution -- 16.4 Applications -- 16.4.1 Palaeobiology -- 16.4.2 Palaeoenvironmental Analysis -- 16.4.3 Stratigraphy -- 16.5 Suggested Reading -- 17 Microfossils: Ostracods -- 17.1 Ostracod Taxonomy -- 17.1.1 General Characteristics of Ostracods -- 17.1.2 Ostracod Classification -- 17.2 Ostracod Morphology -- 17.3 Ostracod Evolution -- 17.4 Ostracod Applications -- 17.4.1 Palaeobiology -- 17.4.2 Palaeoenvironmental Analysis -- 17.4.3 Stratigraphy -- 17.5 Suggested Reading -- 18 Trace Fossils -- 18.1 Introduction to Trace Fossils -- 18.2 Trace Fossil Taxonomy -- 18.2.1 Linnaean Classification -- 18.2.2 Ethological Classification -- 18.2.3 Preservational Classification -- 18.3 Trace Fossil Morphologies -- 18.4 Trace Fossil Applications -- 18.4.1 General Concepts -- 18.4.2 Applications in Palaeobiology -- Functional Morphology -- Evolution -- 18.4.3 Applications in Palaeoenvironmental Analysis -- 18.4.4 Applications in Stratigraphy -- 18.5 Suggested Reading -- 19 Summary of Part II -- 19.1 The Geological Record of the Marine Invertebrates -- 19.2 Application of the Main Fossil Groups in Palaeobiology.

19.3 Application of Fossils in Palaeoenvironmental Analysis -- 19.4 Applications of Fossils in Stratigraphy -- PART III. FOSSILS AS INFORMATION -- 20 Data from the Fossil Record -- 20.1 Fossils and Sediments -- 20.2 Data Retrieval from the Fossil Record -- 20.2.1 General Principles -- 20.2.2 Sampling -- 20.2.3 Collecting -- 20.3 Data Retrieval from the Published Record -- 20.4 Summary of Key Points -- 20.5 Suggested Reading -- 21 Studies in Palaeobiology -- 21.1 General Considerations -- 21.2 Stasis and Punctuation in Bryozoans -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Neogene Bryozoan Metrarabdotos -- 3. Rale of Change in Evolving Metrarabdotos -- 4. Comment -- 5. References -- 21.3 Gradualism and Reversals in Trilobites -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Trilobites of Builth, Central Wales -- 3. Parallel Gradualistic Lineages -- 4. Comment -- 5. References -- 21.4 The Nature of an Extinction Boundary -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Cretaceous-tertiary Boundary at El Kef, Tunisia -- 3. Foraminifera from El Kef -- 4. Extinctions at the Cretaceous-tertiary Boundary -- 6. Comment -- 6. References -- 21.5 The Periodicity of Extinctions -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The 26 Million Year Periodicity of Extinctions -- 3. The Data Set Questioned -- 4. Comment -- 5. References -- 21.6 Summary of Key Points -- 22 Studies in Palaeoenvironmental Analysis -- 22.1 General Considerations of Palaeoecology and Palaeoenvironments -- 22.2 Interpreting Ancient Salinity Levels -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Middle Jurassic Great Estuarine Group -- 3. General Characteristics of the Fauna -- 4. Characteristics of Recent Brackish and Great Estuarine Group Faunas -- 5. Comment -- 6. References -- 22.3 Palaeoxygenation Studies -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Palaeoxygenation Models.

3. Trace Fossils and Palaeoxygenation.