Fantastic Fossils: A Guide to Finding and Identifying Prehistoric Life

by Donald R. Prothero

Nothing fills us with a sense of wonder like fossils. What looks at first like a simple rock is in fact a clue that reveals the staggering diversity of ancient environments, the winding pathways of evolution, and the majesty of a vanished earth. But as much as one might daydream of digging a hole in the backyard and finding a Tyrannosaurus , only a few places contain these buried treasures, and when a scientist comes across a remnant of prehistoric life, great care must be taken. What do budding paleontologists need to know before starting their search?

In Fantastic Fossils , Donald R. Prothero offers an accessible, entertaining, and richly illustrated guide to the paleontologist’s journey. He details the best places to look for fossils, the art of how to find them, and how to classify the major types. Prothero provides expert wisdom about typical fossils that an average person can hope to collect and how to hunt fossils responsibly and ethically. He also explores the lessons that both common and rarer discoveries offer about paleontology and its history, as well as what fossils can tell us about past climates and present climate change. Captivating illustrations by the paleoartist Mary Persis Williams bring to life hundreds of important specimens. Offering valuable lessons for armchair enthusiasts and paleontology students alike, Fantastic Fossils is an essential companion for all readers who have ever dreamed of going in search of traces of a lost world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Palaeontology

336 pages, Hardcover

Published March 31, 2020

About the author

Donald R. Prothero is a Professor of Geology at Occidental College and Lecturer in Geobiology at the California Institute of Technology. He teaches Physical and Historical Geology, Sedimentary Geology, and Paleontology. His specialties are mammalian paleontology and magnetic stratigraphy of the Cenozoic. His current research focuses on the dating of the climatic changes that occurred between 30 and 40 million years ago, using the technique of magnetic stratigraphy. Dr. Prothero has been a Guggenheim and NSF Fellow, a Fellow of the Linnean Society, and in 1991 received the Schuchert Award of the Paleontological Society for outstanding paleontologist under the age of 40, the same award won by the renowned paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould. He has authored or co-edited numerous books, including Horns, Tusks, Hooves and Flippers: The Evolution of Hoofed Mammals, the best-selling textbook from McGraw-Hill, Evolution of the Earth, Evolution: What the Fossils Say & Why it Matters, Bringing Fossils to Life, After the Dinosaurs, and the textbook Sedimentary Geology. He is also a Technical Editor of the Journal of Paleontology.

Reviews

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The content is really lovely-- succinct but comprehensive, a perfect intro to fossils of all kinds. Fossil collecting has been one of my quarantine hobbies, and I've been reading a good number of fossil-related books, and this is one of my two favourites. As the author notes in the foreword, it might be a good candidate for a college paleontology 101 class.

Docked a star for two reasons:

--Only an issue in one chapter (on scientific names)--it felt a little silly that the author explained what a scientific name for a plant or animal is. That chapter in general felt unnecessarily "dumbed down" for anyone over the age of 15 or 16. I know the reader isn't going to be a paleontologist, but... we get it.

--the major issue I had: the photographs. Almost all are black and white. For a book on identifying fossils, colour seems like a pretty important addition to any photographs, particularly since fossils are pretty similar in shade to their surrounding rock. It was extremely difficult to make out any kind of detail in most of the photos. Also, the descriptions of what the photo was depicting would all be on one page, followed by 2-4 pages of multiple photos. So... you end up flipping back and forth trying to figure out what's what. It would have been a lot tidier to just have the photo description under that specific photo.

If the author just fixed those aggravating photo issues it'd be a 5 star read.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good text about fossils and contains many photos and drawings. Unfortunately except for a few in the middle of the book, the photos are in black and white and not on glossy paper. They are blurry and hard to look at. It really cut into my interest in the book and understanding of fossils. Very disappointing.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book that answered a lot of questions I had about evolution and fossils. There were a few chapters that felt a bit too technical so I skimmed over a few parts but otherwise it was a fun read.

[Laura Madsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful, basic paleontology knowledge for fossil collectors or museum nerds.