Exceptionally preserved fossils from Fossil Lagerstätten contribute greatly to resolving details on the history of life on Earth. For the first time, the “Paläontologische Gesellschaft” (PalGes) and the “Palaeontological Society of China” (PSC) combined forces to jointly present an international conference aimed to highlight and encourage the study of exceptionally well-preserved fossil sites worldwide. The conference focused on all aspects of palaeontology and geobiology, also incorporating related fields like biogeochemistry, biology, sedimentology and stratigraphy. The present volume contains the abstracts of more than 275 lectures and posters presented during the joint international conference “Palaeobiology & Geobiology of Fossil Lagerstätten through Earth History”. This year’s conference was held at the northern campus of the Georg-August University in Göttingen, Germany, from September 23-27, 2013. More than three hundred palaeontologists, biologists, geologists and other scientists and researchers from sixteen countries, mainly from Germany and the P. R. of China, participated.

A collection of papers reviewing selected conservation Lagerstätten for terrestrial animals and plants throughout the Phanerozoic worldwide. The synthesis details recent progress in documenting the biodiversity of such extraordinary fossil deposits and elucidating the geological conditions for and biogeochemical processes behind their formation.

This 3-volume handbook brings together contributions by the world ́s leading specialists that reflect the broad spectrum of modern palaeoanthropology, thus presenting an indispensable resource for professionals and students alike. Vol. 1 reviews principles, methods, and approaches, recounting recent advances and state-of-the-art knowledge in phylogenetic analysis, palaeoecology and evolutionary theory and philosophy. Vol. 2 examines primate origins, evolution, behaviour, and adaptive variety, emphasizing integration of fossil data with contemporary knowledge of the behaviour and ecology of living primates in natural environments. Vol. 3 deals with fossil and molecular evidence for the evolution of Homo sapiens and its fossil relatives.

This book presents a comprehensive overview of the science of the history of life. Paleobiologists bring many analytical tools to bear in interpreting the fossil record and the book introduces the latest techniques, from multivariate investigations of biogeography and biostratigraphy to engineering analysis of dinosaur skulls, and from homeobox genes to cladistics. All the well-known fossil groups are included, including microfossils and invertebrates, but an important feature is the thorough coverage of plants, vertebrates and trace fossils together with discussion of the origins of both life and the metazoans. All key related subjects are introduced, such as systematics, ecology, evolution and development, stratigraphy and their roles in understanding where life came from and how it evolved and diversified. Unique features of the book are the numerous case studies from current research that lead students to the primary literature, analytical and mathematical explanations and tools, together with associated problem sets and practical schedules for instructors and students. New to this edition The text and figures have been updated throughout to reflect current opinion on all aspects New case studies illustrate the chapters, drawn from a broad distribution internationally Chapters on Macroevolution, Form and Function, Mass extinctions, Origin of Life, and Origin of Metazoans have been entirely rewritten to reflect substantial advances in these topics There is a new focus on careers in paleobiology

This long-awaited book about non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) aims to cover gaps in our knowledge of these abundant but understudied palynological remains. NPPs, such as fungal spores, testate amoebae, dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs and animal remains, are routinely recovered from palynological preparations of marine or terrestrial material, from Proterozoic to recent geological times. This book gives the reader a comprehensive overview of the different types of NPPs, with examples from diverse time periods and environments. It provides guidance on sample preparation to maximize the recovery of these NPPs, detailed information on their diversity and ecological affinity, clarification on the nomenclature and demonstrates their value as environmental indicators. This volume will become the reference guide for any student, academic or practitioner interested in everything else in their palynological preparations.