Introducing palaeontology : a guide to ancient life

Contents
Acknowledgements
Note on illustrations
Suggested additional reading and further information
Note to the second edition
Part 1: The science of palaeontology
	1.1 Preface: the fascination of fossils
	1.2 A chancy business: the preservation of fossils
	1.3 From the field to the laboratory: how to collect, curate, study and image fossils
	1.4 Code of conduct for fossil collectors
	1.5 Taxonomy: how to classify and identify fossils
	1.6 Uses of fossils
		1.6.1 Palaeobiological history of life on Earth
		1.6.2 Evolution and extinctions
		1.6.3 Interpretation of ancient environments and climates
		1.6.4 Biostratigraphy and the concept of zone fossils
		1.6.5 Development of the geological timescale
	1.7 Fossil Lagerstätten: exceptional preservation of fossils
	1.8 Colour in fossils
	1.9 Early ideas on the nature and significance of fossils
Part 2: Fossil groups
	2.1 Algae and vascular plants
	2.2 Unicellular animals: Foraminifera and Radiolarians
	2.3 Sponges
	2.4 Cnidaria
	2.5 Bryozoans
	2.6 Molluscs
		2.6.1 Cephalopods
		2.6.2 Gastropods
		2.6.3 Bivalves
		2.6.4 Other Molluscs
	2.7 Brachiopoda
	2.8 Echinodermata
		2.8.1 Echinoids and Edrioasteroids
		2.8.2 Crinoids and Blastoids
		2.8.3 Starfish, Brittlestars and Homalozoans
	2.9 Arthropods
		2.9.1 Trilobites
		2.9.2 Crustaceans (Crabs, Shrimps and Ostracods)
		2.9.3 Chelicerates (Horseshoe Crabs, Eurypterids and Spiders)
		2.9.4 Myriapods
		2.9.5 Insects
	2.10 Graptolites
	2.11 Conodonts
	2.12 Fishes
	2.13 Tetrapods and Amphibians
	2.14 Reptiles
	2.15 Birds
	2.16 Mammals
	2.17 Hominids and Hominins
	2.18 Trace Fossils
Glossary