An Introduction to Grand Canyon Fossils

by Dave Thayer

The Grand Canyon is famous for its rock layers, multihued bands of limestones, shales, sandstones, granites, and schists that have made the canyon one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. But in many of those layers, the Grand Canyon contains a veritable sea of fossilized life, from ancient stromatolites in the Grand Canyon Supergroup layers to trilobites in the rimrock Kaibab Formation to ancient reptile trackways preserved in the Coconino Sandstone. An Introduction to Grand Canyon Fossils introduces readers to the vast evidence of ancient life in the canyon and to paleontology, the study of fossilized life. Written in an easy-to-read style and heavily illustrated with diagrams and photographs, the book offers readers access to worlds of ocean shallows, windswept sand dunes, and swampy forests that once covered the Grand Canyon region and have left evidence of their presence in fossils. An Introduction to Grand Canyon Fossils is the only book of its kind focusing on the fossils of the national park, and it will be a delight to readers young and old fascinated by evidence of life hardened in stone.

64 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2009

Reviews

[Michael Doubek]

Another great read post Grand Canyon visit makes me want to go back ASAP

[Brittain]

Personable writing that is thorough on the subject yet never overly technical (and when it is the terms are very clearly explained without expecting any prior knowledge).

The book covers the whole history of life in the Grand Canyon in ways that will make the visitor even more in awe of this natural wonder.

If you see it in any gift shop, it's worth the money.