Spirit Whales and Sloth Tales : fossils of Washington state / Elizabeth A. Nesbitt and David B. Williams.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Nesbitt, Elizabeth A., author.

Williams, David B., 1965- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Fossils--Washington (State).

Fossils.

Paleontology--Washington (State).

Paleontology.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (226 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Seattle, WA : University of Washington Press, [2023]

Summary:

"From trilobites near the Idaho border and primitive horses on the Columbia Plateau to giant bird tracks near Bellingham and curious bear-like beasts on the Olympic Peninsula, fossils across Washington State are filled with clues of past life on Earth. With abundant and well-exposed rock layers, the state has fossils dating from Ice Age mammals only 12,000 years old back to marine invertebrates more than 500 million years old. In Spirit Whales and Sloth Tales, paleontologist Elizabeth A. Nesbitt teams up with popular science writer David B. Williams to offer a tour through more than a half billion years of natural history. Following an introduction to key concepts, twenty-four profiles-each featuring a unique plant, animal, or environment-tell stories of individual fossils, many of which are on display in Washington museums. The paleontology of Washington is brought to life with details of the fossils' discovery and extraction, their place in geological time, and the insights they provide into contemporary issues like climate change and species extinction."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Introduction: Paleontology & Geology

Thrilling to find, exciting to identify

Geological Beginnings

Geologic Time

Geologic History of Washington

Paleontology and Fossils

The Quaternary Period. 2.58 Million Years Ago to Present

Introduction

1. Charismatic Megafauna / Mammoths

2. Charismatic Megafauna / Mastodons

3. The Sea-Tac Sloth

4. What We Learn from Pollen

5. A Million-Year-Old Migration

The Late Cenozoic Era. 23 Million Years Ago to 2.58 Million Years Ago

6. Washington’s First Deer

7. The Stone Rhino

8. Washington’s Most Beautiful Forests

The Early Cenozoic Era. 66 Million Years Ago to 23 Million Years Ago

9. Tracking the Terrifying Birds

10. Fueling the Economy with Fossil Flora

11. Stonerose

12. The Last Nautiloids

13. Clams and Bacteria

14. Helmet Shells and Whale Gases

15. Spirit Whales

16. Whale Teeth and Jaws

17. A Curious Beast

18. Big Birds

19. The Terror of the Docks

20. Global Hothouse / The Marine Environment

The Cretaceous Period. 145 Million Years Ago to 66 Million Years Ago

21. Coiled Denizens of the Sea

22. Dinosaur Island

The Paleozoic Era. 539 Million Years Ago to 252 Million Years Ago

23. The Earliest Animal Fossils

24. Washington’s First Reef Builders

Acknowledgments

References

Index

Notes:

Published in association with the Burke Museum.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780295752334

0295752335

OCLC:

1401004662