Sleuthing Fossils: The Art of Investigating Past Life

by Alan M. Cvancara

An introduction to the fascinating world of investigating fossils, an activity enjoyed worldwide by thousands of paleontologists. Brings to life the colorful history of the development of life on Earth and shows you where to find fossils and how to interpret them. All technical terms are clearly explained. Considers theories of the extinction of dinosaurs, including asteroid impact and punctual versus gradualistic evolution.

203 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Rhiannon Bacon]

My library copy dates this book to 1990. Why, yes a science book that old is bound to be outdated. Does that mean it isn't useful anymore? Sometimes, but sometimes it's value just changes form. We still read Darwin even though many of his ideas are now thought to be wrong and we look at evolution very differently. This is a great original source book when it comes to 80s paleontological politics. For instance, it's very interesting the hear the pros and cons of the K-T Impact theory before they found the impact crator. While the impact being a large contributor to the dinosaur's extinction is widely accept as a fact now, it wasn't back then.

Beyond that, Cvancara takes a critical look at paleontology itself, in an almost psychological way. This insight into the world of paleontologists is unique, still very relevant, and not likely to change anytime soon. Technology changes quickly, but people change very slowly. This is a great book to review if considering a career in paleontology or even in a serious pursuit of a hobby.