Fossils in the Making
Vertebrate Taphonomy and Paleoecology
9780226041537
Fossils in the Making
Vertebrate Taphonomy and Paleoecology
One of the first interdisciplinary discussions of taphonomy (the study of how fossil assemblages are formed) and paleoecology (the reconstruction of ancient ecosystems), this volume helped establish these relatively new disciplines. It was originally published as part of the influential Prehistoric Archeology and Ecology series.
"Taphonomy is plainly here to stay, and this book makes a first class introduction to its range and appeal."—Anthony Smith, Interdisciplinary Science Reviews
"Taphonomy is plainly here to stay, and this book makes a first class introduction to its range and appeal."—Anthony Smith, Interdisciplinary Science Reviews
345 pages | 6 x 9 | © 1988
Prehistoric Archeology and Ecology series
Anthropology: Physical Anthropology
Biological Sciences: Paleobiology, Geology, and Paleontology
Earth Sciences: Paleontology
Table of Contents
Series Editors’ Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Part 1. History and Background
1. Taphonomy: Its History and Role in Community Evolution
Everett C. Olson
2. Paleogeomorphology and Continental Taphonomy
Walter William Bishop
Part 2. Modern Ecology and Models for the Past
3. Linking the Ecology of Past and Present Mammal Communities
David Western
4. The Role of Modern Ecological Studies in Reconstruction of Paleoenvironments in Sub-Saharan Africa
Malcolm Coe
Part 3. Taphonomy in Modern Environments
5. The Recent Bones of Amboseli National Park, Kenya, in Relation to East African Paleoecology
Anna K. Behrensmeyer and Dorothy E. Dechant Boaz
6. Ethnoarcheological Contributions to the Taphonomy of Human Sites
Diane P. Gifford
7. Some Criteria for the Recognition of Bone-Collecting Agencies in African Caves
C. K. Brain
8. Early Postmortem Damage to the Remains of Some Contemporary East African Mammals
Andrew P. Hill
Part 4. Taphonomy in the Laboratory
9. Fluvial Taphonomic Processes: Models and Experiments
C. Bruce Hanson
10. Functional Anatomy and Taphonomy
Alan C. Walker
11. Trace Elements in Bones as Paleobiological Indicators
Ronald B. Parker and Heinrich Toots
12. Organic Geochemistry of Bone and Its Relation to the Survival of Bone in the Natural Environment
P. E. Hare
Part 5. Paleoecology
13. The Interpretation of Mammalian Faunas from Stone-Age Archeological Sites, with Special Reference to Sites in the Southern Cape Province, South Africa
Richard G. Klein
14. The Significance of Bovid Remains as Indicators of Environment and Predation Patterns
Elisabeth S. Vrba
15. Community Evolution in East Africa during the Late Cenozoic
Judith A. H. Van Couvering
Conclusion
References
List of Contributors
Index
Preface
Introduction
Part 1. History and Background
1. Taphonomy: Its History and Role in Community Evolution
Everett C. Olson
2. Paleogeomorphology and Continental Taphonomy
Walter William Bishop
Part 2. Modern Ecology and Models for the Past
3. Linking the Ecology of Past and Present Mammal Communities
David Western
4. The Role of Modern Ecological Studies in Reconstruction of Paleoenvironments in Sub-Saharan Africa
Malcolm Coe
Part 3. Taphonomy in Modern Environments
5. The Recent Bones of Amboseli National Park, Kenya, in Relation to East African Paleoecology
Anna K. Behrensmeyer and Dorothy E. Dechant Boaz
6. Ethnoarcheological Contributions to the Taphonomy of Human Sites
Diane P. Gifford
7. Some Criteria for the Recognition of Bone-Collecting Agencies in African Caves
C. K. Brain
8. Early Postmortem Damage to the Remains of Some Contemporary East African Mammals
Andrew P. Hill
Part 4. Taphonomy in the Laboratory
9. Fluvial Taphonomic Processes: Models and Experiments
C. Bruce Hanson
10. Functional Anatomy and Taphonomy
Alan C. Walker
11. Trace Elements in Bones as Paleobiological Indicators
Ronald B. Parker and Heinrich Toots
12. Organic Geochemistry of Bone and Its Relation to the Survival of Bone in the Natural Environment
P. E. Hare
Part 5. Paleoecology
13. The Interpretation of Mammalian Faunas from Stone-Age Archeological Sites, with Special Reference to Sites in the Southern Cape Province, South Africa
Richard G. Klein
14. The Significance of Bovid Remains as Indicators of Environment and Predation Patterns
Elisabeth S. Vrba
15. Community Evolution in East Africa during the Late Cenozoic
Judith A. H. Van Couvering
Conclusion
References
List of Contributors
Index