The Legacy Of The Mastodon: The Golden Age Of Fossils In America Paperback

New

Keith Stewart Thomson

A history of the early days of fossil hunting in America, replete with high adventure, ruthless competitors, and amazing scientific discoveries The uncovering in the mid-1700s of fossilized mastodon bones and teeth at Big Bone Lick, Ken

9780300151299

English

Yale University Press

28 Apr 2009

424

Keith Thomson is professor emeritus of natural history, University of Oxford, where he also served as director of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Former president of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, professor of biology and dean at Yale, he is the author of more than 200 scientific papers and twelve books, including Before Darwin and The Common but Less Frequent Loon and Other Essays, both published by Yale University Press. He lives in Philadelphia.

"'This tale begins Thomson's look at the early years of American fossil hunting. In addition to a history of paleontology, it is an account of the opening of the West and of how adventurous and often egotistical men mined the new land for fossils. The book explains how Darwinian evolution made the second half of this 'golden age' important scientifically, but Thomson really succeeds by bringing to life the fossil-finders and their world.' Marc Kaufman, Washington Post 'this unique and fascinating book... but what makes the book unique is that Thomson links the emergence of the new nation to the discovery of its fossils. Along the way, he turns up many surprising gems.' Michelle Press, Scientific American"