Throughout the four hundred thousand years that humanity has been collecting fossils, sea urchin fossils, or echinoids, have continually been among the most prized, from the Paleolithic era, when they decorated flint axes, to today, when paleobiologists study them for clues to the earth’s history. In The Star-Crossed Stone, Kenneth J. McNamara, an expert on fossil echinoids, takes readers on an incredible fossil hunt, with stops in history, paleontology, folklore, mythology, art, religion, and much more. Beginning with prehistoric times, when urchin fossils were used as jewelry, McNamara reveals how the fossil crept into the religious and cultural lives of societies around the world—the roots of the familiar five-pointed star, for example, can be traced to the pattern found on urchins. But McNamara’s vision is even broader than that: using our knowledge of early habits of fossil collecting, he explores the evolution of the human mind itself, drawing striking conclusions about humanity’s earliest appreciation of beauty and the first stirrings of artistic expression. Along the way, the fossil becomes a nexus through which we meet brilliant eccentrics and visionary archaeologists and develop new insights into topics as seemingly disparate as hieroglyphics, Beowulf, and even church organs. An idiosyncratic celebration of science, nature, and human ingenuity, The Star-Crossed Stone is as charming and unforgettable as the fossil at its heart.

The Mesozoic era was an important time in the evolution of elasmobranch and actinopterygian fishes because it was then that most of the modern groups first entered the fossil record and began to radiate. By the end of the era, many archaic forms had disappeared and the foundation had been laid for the ichthyofauna that now exists. Despite this significant evolutionary change, there has been little concerted research done on Mesozoic fishes and no synopsis or compilation of the systematics and paleoecology of Mesozoic fishes has been published, not even for single groups. To remedy this deficiency, Gloria Arratia initiated the symposium "Mesozoic Fishes ? Systematics and Paleoecology". Its goal was to bring together paleontologists and other scientists studying Mesozoic fishes so that they might evaluate current research and form an active research group to press the investigation forward.The meeting generated fruitful discussions and new information that helps to clarify the course of piscine evolution at a crucial time. Phylogenetic relationships of the different groups were the central issue; but attention was given also to questions of biostratigraphy, functional anatomy, and the evolution of histological structures. The results of the symposium presented in this volumen reflect the current state of knowledge about Mesozoic fishes. The new findings described in the 36 papers and the disagreements among authors concerning the phylogenetic relationships of the fishes they have studied is an invitation to further research.

The Laboratory for Vertebrate Paleontology at the University of Allberta houses type specimens of fossil fishes. This book is a catalogue of these specimens. Included for each entry is taxonomy, detailed collection locality information, the citation wherein the species was originally described, and a list of individual type specimens. This is the first list ever compiled of the fossil fish types deposited in the collections of the University of Alberta Laboratory for Vertebrate Paleontology (UALVP). This collection contains 88 fish holotypes, 966 fish paratypes, 55 casts of fish holotypes from other museums, and 20 casts of fish paratypes from other museums. Key selling features: List all of the type specimens of fossil fishes currently housed in the collection of the Laboratory of Vertebrate Paleontology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. Provides details of all 88 holotypes and nearly 1000 paratypes as well as casts of types specimens held in other museum collections. Includes information on unpublished "types" - type specimens of not yet described new species.

Unearthing the amazing hidden stories of women who changed paleontology forever. For centuries, women have played key roles in defining and developing the field of vertebrate paleontology. Yet very little is known about these important paleontologists, and the true impacts of their contributions have remained obscure. In Rebels, Scholars, Explorers, Annalisa Berta and Susan Turner celebrate the history of women "bone hunters," delving into their fascinating lives and work. At the same time, they explore how the discipline has shaped our understanding of the history of life on Earth. Berta and Turner begin by presenting readers with a review of the emergence of vertebrate paleontology as a science, emphasizing the contributions of women to research topics and employment. This is followed by brief biographical sketches and explanations of early discoveries by women around the world over the past 200 years, including those who who held roles as researchers, educators, curators, artists, and preparators. Forging new territory, Berta and Turner highlight the barriers and challenges faced by women paleontologists, describing how some managed to overcome those obstacles in order to build careers in the field. Finally, drawing on interviews with a diverse group of contemporary paleontologists, who share their experiences and offer recommendations to aspiring fossil hunters, they provide perspectives on what work still needs to be done in order to ensure that women's contributions to the field are encouraged and celebrated. Uncovering and relating lost stories about the pivotal contributions of women in vertebrate paleontology doesn't just make for enthralling storytelling, but also helps ensure a richer and more diverse future for this vibrant field. Illuminating the discoveries, collections, and studies of fossil vertebrates conducted by women in vertebrate paleontology, Rebels, Scholars, Explorers will be on every paleontologist's most-wanted list and should find a broader audience in the burgeoning sector of readers from all backgrounds eager to learn about women in the sciences.