Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History

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The Burgess Shale of British Columbia "is the most precious and important of all fossil localities," writes Stephen Jay Gould. These 600-million-year-old rocks preserve the soft parts of a collection of animals unlike any other. Just how unlike is the subject of Gould's book.

Gould describes how the Burgess Shale fauna was discovered, reassembled, and analyzed in detail so clear that the reader actually gets some feeling for what paleobiologists do, in the field and in the lab. The many line drawings are unusually beautiful, and now can be compared to a wonderful collection of photographs in Fossils of the Burgess Shale by Derek Briggs, one of Gould's students.

Burgess Shale animals have been called a "paleontological Rorschach test," and not every geologist by any means agrees with Gould's thesis that they represent a "road not taken" in the history of life. Simon Conway Morris, one of the subjects of Wonderful Life, has expressed his disagreement in Crucible of Creation. Wonderful Life was published in 1989, and there has been an explosion of scientific interest in the pre-Cambrian and Cambrian periods, with radical new ideas fighting for dominance. But even though many scientists disagree with Gould about the radical oddity of the Burgess Shale animals, his argument that the history of life is profoundly contingent--as in the movie It's a Wonderful Life, from which this book takes its title--has become more accepted, in theories such as Ward and Brownlee's Rare Earth hypothesis. And Gould's loving, detailed exposition of the labor it took to understand the Burgess Shale remains one of the best explanations of scientific work around. --Mary Ellen Curtin

Book Description

"Gould has brought to light one of the least known but most spectacular paleontological discoveries of all time….a brilliant tapestry."—Martin Gardner

The Burgess Shale is a small limestone quarry formed 530 million years ago. In it are the remains of an ancient sea that nurtured more varieties of life than can be found in all of our modern oceans. Stephen Jay Gould explores what the Burgess Shale reveals about evolution and the nature of history. 116 illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Not Good.......2007-07-15

This book is quoted so often in the literature that I thought I was going to read something profound. It isn't. Conway Morris and others were right to criticize it. Not sure what all the fuss is about. As a well reasoned argument Gould missed the mark.

LIFE 101.......2007-03-19

I READ THIS BOOK WHEN CAME OUT YEARS AGO. NOW YOU CAN GET IT AT AMAZON AS A BARGAIN BOOK. THIS WONDERFUL STORY TELLS ABOUT AN ALTERNATE EARTH THAT NEVER MADE IT. SOMETHING DESTROYED IT UTTERLY. AND WONDERFUL LIFE FOUGHT BACK AND WITH TIME BECAME GIANT ANIMALS ROAMING THE LANDS OF THE EARTH. THE K-T EVENT. WACKED AGAIN! BUT LIFE ENDURED AND BECAME US...

READING THIS BEATS WATCHING THE FLUFF ON SATELLITE AND CABLE. AND IT MAKES YOU THINK. IT HELPS YOU PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER TO ARRIVE AT YOU!

Revolution in thinking about evolution.......2007-02-25

Burgess Shale is the most important find ever of remains of early animal life on earth. Stephen Jay Gould explains why, and also why it took almost seventy years before the true significance of this treasure trove began to dawn upon the scientific world. In Gould's view, the 1970's reappraisal of the Burgess Shale fossils represents no less than a Copernical revolution in thinking about the way life on earth has evolved. While this may be, or may not be the case, the tale of how this reappraisal came about is thrillingly and competently told.

As a complete layman in the field of paleontology, I found the insets, explaining the basics and the terminology of the science very helpful. The beautiful drawings by Marianne Collins also helped me a lot to get a feel of what the amazing creatures of Burgess Shale must have been like while living.

The tale of how three British paleontologists, through their work on the fossils, arrived, much to their own surprise, upon conclusions very different from Walcott's (who first discovered Burgess Shale) is a captivating one. Gould's analysis of why Walcott in his time could not possibly have seen his find in it's true light, is something I could have done without.

But then, even if this part holds less interest for me than the main story, were it not for social obligations, I would have finished this book in one sitting!

Heartily recommended for all interested in the history of life on earth.

Elegant prose, science made accessible.......2007-01-10

I feel remiss for not writing a lengthy review of the book, but I hardly have time to do it justice as I go about my work. Instead, I will summarize the major points.

Gould is an exceptional writer who makes science accesible for all readers. I know that this book has drawn new paleontologists into the field, and it definitely encouraged me. It also inspired research programs, numerous books by detractors (e.g., Conway-Morris's "The Crucible of Creation"), which are unfortunately not nearly as well written, and helped popularize the importance of the Cambrian explosion and the lack of understanding of this crucially important time in the history of life. While some of Gould's ideas have since been proved wrong (e.g., he felt that there were more body plans, phyla, represented by Burgess Shale animals than at present but these animals have since been seen to fit into existing phyla), other ideas (e.g., that nearly all phyla arose in the same geological instant) have stood the test of time.

As with all science, the book should be approached critically. Unfortunately, there are few scientists who are able or willing to make their work accessible to the lay person so that all can have an opportunity to understand, enjoy, and contemplate.

Gould's take on the creatures of the Burgess Shale........2006-01-31

Stephen Jay Gould (1941-2002) was a very popular (and controversial) scientist/professor. He wrote several books and many articles in Natural Science magazine. In Wonderful Life, he focuses on the Pre-Cambrian fossils of the Burgess Shale in western Canada.

In doing so, he creates a book with three divisions: the biography of Charles Dolittle Walcott, a description of the creatures from that find, and his own interpretation of what they mean in evolutionary theory.

I found the narrative about Walcott interesting as he was surely a man of powerful intellect, standards and drive. But Gould does go out of his way to not just point out that Walcott never performed a serious study of the fossils, but to explain ~why~ and why his early analysis was wrong.

There is a one-hundred-plus section in which each of the specimens is described in great detail. He uses this as a means to discuss the advances in techniques and approaches to studying these fossils, how our understanding of them changed over time, replacing Walcott's ideas. The discussion of scientific approach was fine, but frankly, I was a bit overloaded with the detailed descriptions of the Burgess creatures. A set of good drawings would have gone a long way - a picture being worth a thousand words and what. This section became tedious to read.

The third section, Gould's interpretation of the data, is also a bit confusing and has turned out to be controversial and even wrong. Gould presents his thoughts on the diversity of life in the Cambrian vs modern times, and why there is such a difference. Simon Conway Morris, one of the young scientists he lauds, would later criticize him in his own book about the Burgess Shale fossils, The Crucible Of Creation (1998).

When published, Wonderful Life was a best seller and won awards. I am honestly not sure why. While it is fairly interesting, it is not a 5-star book.

The Crucible of Creation: The Burgess Shale and the Rise of Animals

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Not the best book on the subject
Superb study on the Burgess Shale
From a Reader in Sanibel Island Florida
interesting but misses the point
Fascinating book - don't get distracted by side issues

The Crucible of Creation: The Burgess Shale and the Rise of Animals
Simon Conway-Morris
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192862022

Amazon.com

The Burgess Shale deposits, in western Canada, have joined the Galapagos Islands as a destination of choice for vacationing scientists and fans of evolutionary theory. The fame of these places is in part due to the unique flora and fauna (living or dead) they boast, and in part to the scientists who have described and attempted to explain them. Like Stephen J. Gould's Wonderful Life, this book from Simon Conway Morris, original describer of the fascinating, troubling fossil Hallucigenia, gives an account of the Burgess Shale and the scientists who argue over the tiny remains of once-living creatures. Conway Morris calls the place "the most wonderful fossil deposit in the world," and his emotion is contagious. Beyond describing the creatures that formed the fossils, he speculates about how the Burgess Shale fits in to the story of human evolution.

Book Description

'tells a great story and manages to be informative at all levels. Conway Morris has a collector's eye for the sort of entertaining yet informative snippets that keep readers on their toes.' New Scientist Located in the west of Canada, the Burgess Shale contains a unique collection of fossil remains, and has become an icon for those studying the history of life. This remarkable book takes us on a fresh journey back in time through the Burgess Shale and its astonishing collection of pre-Cambrian creatures. In an entertaining and readable style, Simon Conway Morris paints a vivid picture of the critical period which saw the diversification of all the major animal groups, and takes a controversial stance on current evolutionary theories that is sure to provoke much interest and debate. 'It is less bleak in its assessment of life on earth and it is spiritually uplifting, rather than dry and mechanistic as some would have us believe' THES R 'The centerpiece of The Crucible of Creation is a description, authoritative and readable, of the animals themselves. New York Times Book Review

Customer Reviews:

Not the best book on the subject.......2006-04-04

The Burgess Shale is interesting in itself as well as for the deeper points that it makes (or rather than people make with it) for evolutionary history. Conway Morris' updated explanation of the fauna from the Burgess and recent research into similar deposits in China and Greenland is important but suffers in comparision with A Wonderfull Life. It is simply not as detailed or engaging. As for his larger points, Conway Morris points out several flaws and hidden assumtions in Gould's work but his conclusions are themselves quite weak. His later book Life's Solution does a much better job at presenting his points and marshalling evidence for them, even if they still, in my opinion, remain unproven.

Superb study on the Burgess Shale.......2002-09-01

Morris, one of two contemporary specialists on the Burgess Shale, has produced an exceedingly well-written survey of the Burgess shale fauna and their meaning for evolutionary biology. The book is loaded with scores of B/W photos, 4 color drawings, a 13-page glossary of terms for the uninitiated, an imaginative underwater excursis with time-travelling paleontologists to the middle Cambrian, and a chapter on developmental evolutionary genetics (wherein he argues that many Burgess forms *are* related to contemporary forms). Stephen Jay Gould's view of the significance of the Burgess Shale is that the bizarre life-forms seen then demonstrate the historical contingency of evolution--rewind the tape and let it play out again, and things would turn out differently (a la Jimmy Stewart's "Wonderful Life"). Morris's thesis is that Gould's tape-player metaphor is misleading, overemphasizing contingency at the cost of ignoring the powerful role played by ecology . One need only consider the evolution of convergent traits in insular life-forms (e.g., Australian marsupial cat-like predators) to get the point. (I should point out that I am suspicious of monolithic theories from either pole of the necessity-chance spectrum.) I find it unfortunate that Gould never discussed Bradley Efron's Bootstrap, a technique used widely in evolutionary and population genetics, or cellular automata, a la Stuart Kauffman, which give rise to the same recurrent patterns with astonishing regularity.) Morris is an adaptationist senstive to the power of ecology to shape evolution, who sees Burgess forms not as deviant freaks that accidentally went extinct but as ancestral to contemporary animals. As usual, there is likely to be truth to both positions; indeed, in some ways, their different views turn on different understandings of probability. For anyone with more than a passing interest in evolutionary biology and paleontology, who finds Gould's incessant digressions distracting, or wonders about the hypertrophy of contingency, this book should not be missed.

From a Reader in Sanibel Island Florida.......2002-05-25

I started this book with high hopes but found it consistently disappointing and annoying. He comtinually comes up with sentences that are so imprecise as to be meaningless. For example (page 205) ' It is my opinion that human history can make no sense unless evil doings are recognized for what they are, and that they are bearable only if somehow they may be redeemed'

Then in debating convergence he argues that whales are inevitable in the sense that life will inevitably produce a 'fast ocean going animal that sieves sea water for food' True, but it is surely not logical to deduce from that the inevitability of homo sapiens. One could argue the inevitability of 'something like an ape' ie 4 limbs, 2 for standing 2 for grasping, upright stance, omnivore etc. Sure, but not such a specific and unusual creature as man. Especially recognising that the features which give us uniqueness have emerged so recently in geological time. Surely something so inevitable and important would not have waited three and a half million years just to enjoy 50,000 years of existence.

The key characteristics of man in this context are intelligence and consciousness. If it is argued that convergence inevitably leads to the emergence of man (with these characteristics) then why do they not emerge (with similar inevitably) in some or all of the other phylla. Having heard his arguments I am afraid I side with Gould on this particular topic ie we could have lots of re-runs but still not lead to that fortunate (or unfortunate!) outcome labeled 'homo sapiens'.

interesting but misses the point.......2001-11-01

In a very interesting book, on a fascinating and inspiring topic, one of the key figures is making his ideas public, and does not convince.
Simon Conway Morris tries to undermine or oppose the views of S.J. Gould, and while he might scientifically be the most likely person to succeed in such a feat, he utterly fails to do so.
Conway Morris is very hostile to the views presented in Gould's "wonderful life", which were largely based upon his OWN earlier view, and does little justice to the man who brought him under the public (although by no means scientific, a task in which he succeeded extremely well on his own merit) spotlights.
Conway Morris's arguments are based upon 3 major arguments: that of convergence, that of cladistics, and that of disparity.
The first one is undoubtedly true, but trivial. Convergence can and will occur, but as it can be brought up by taxa belonging to extant groups, it has no bearing on the shape of the tree of life. Gould made no claim that ecological niches will not be filled - just that they will be filled later in evolution by more closely related taxa.
The second argument is irrelevant and misleading. Again, Gould does not claim all the Burgess shale's weird wonders arose separately - quite on the contrary, but he does claim they arose early on the tree of life. Every life form can be fitted on a dendrogram, so the fact you can put Opabinia and Sidenyia on the same tree, is irrelevant to the argument presented.
So we are basically left with the third argument. Throughout the book Conway Morris is claiming to have refuted the arguments of "Wonderful life", and as his own arguments are weak you are constantly waiting for him to pull the smoking gun. This appears not before about 15 pages from the end, and one is startled to see all of Conway Morris's argument relies on just one study - Foote's 1990 study of disparity in Burgess-shale and later trilobites. The conclusions arising from this analysis are in no way the clear cut evidence Conway Morris wants them to be: the debate is on between scientists as to their validity and implications, and more importantly - they do not even directly bear on the question of disparity between HIGHER taxonomic units (e.g. Phyla): the major issue at hand.
Thus Conway Morris's book fails to convince. It does however a fascinating story, and the most updated one today, of the wonderful story about animal origins. Conway Morris is modest in his claims to knowledge, and fully acknowledges what he don't know, or not sure of (this goes to facts, not arguments) and noble in his efforts to relate his story to recent conservation issues. All in all I'd read his book for the most updated info on the animals, and "Wonderful life" for the best philosophy of science

Fascinating book - don't get distracted by side issues.......2001-08-25

I think some of the reviews make far too much about the author's comments about Stephen Jay Gould. That these two disagree about certain things is just fine with me and if it gets a little personal at times, so what? Consider that just a little spice in the dish. What is wonderful about this book is its concise expression of ideas and concepts and its use of apt illustrations to help us understand the points it makes. Simon Conway Morris obviously cares very deeply about the subject of the book and his skillful writing helps us catch some of that fervor. Whether you end up believe Dr Gould or Dr Conway Morris or make up some other conclusion isn't really the point. You will be better off having read this book (as well as Gould and other authors). This book is a valuable contribution to our understanding of the implications of the Burgess Shale and what we believe we are learning from it and other sites. There are many valuable concepts discussed in this book and valuable references to other reading so you can take your investigations as deep as you care to go. If you read this book I believe you will enjoy it and learn from it.

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A Comprehensive Treatment of a Fascinating Field of Study
Power of Paleontology

Invertebrate Palaeontology & Evolution
Euan N. K. Clarkson , and Euan, N.K. Clarkson
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0632052384

Book Description

Invertebrate Palaeontology and Evolution is well established as the foremost palaeontology text at undergraduate level. This fully revised fourth edition includes a complete update of the sections on evolution and the fossil record, and the evolution of the early metazoans. New work on the classification of the major phyla (in particular brachiopods and molluscs) has been incorporated, and the section on trace fossils is extensively rewritten. The author has taken care to involve specialists in the major groups, to ensure the taxonomy is as up-to-date and accurate as possible.

Customer Reviews:

A Comprehensive Treatment of a Fascinating Field of Study.......2007-05-05

Dr. Clarkson presents a detailed and informative summary of all major aspects of invertebrate evolution. The book is organized in a step-wise fashion that introduces the reader to the main principles of the field of paleontology (including genetics, populations and micro- and macroevolution) and then moves into detailed descriptions of the various invertebrate phyla. Be aware that this is not your typical coffee table book; rather, it is written at a level best appreciated by those with a biological background or by introductory students in this field. Descriptions are appropriately detailed and concise and are accompanied by a wealth of similarly detailed drawings and images. I particularly enjoyed his chapters on molluscs, echinoderms and crinoids. It is a valuable accompaniment to other books that have been written on the Burgess Shale and early forms of non-vertebrate life. Both the armchair paleontologist and the professional will find this to be a most valuable addition to his or her collection of books on this wonderfully diverse group of ancient animals.

Power of Paleontology.......2002-06-22

This very fine invertebrate paleontology textbook strikes a nice balance between focus on the paleobiology/taxonomy of the organisms and theoretical topics in the science. The well-crafted illustrations help to make the sometimes intricate details of fossil morphology clear. Clarkson has a knack for bringing forth key details that illuminate ancient organisms (e.g., the hysteresis mechanisms that control the liquid in cephalopod chambers), and he writes with a wry sense of humor (see the Lehmann quotation on p. 245). The importance of convergent evolution is apparent throughout the book, and is one of the main lessons to be learned from the science of invertebrate paleontology. The next edition of this book needs to stop calling the Ediacarans a "fauna" (the term "biota" is preferable, as we are not sure that Ediacarans were indeed animals). I also have quibbles with the higher taxonomy presented in this book for other groups. Overall, however, this is an outstanding presentation of invertebrate paleontology.

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Enjoyable & informative, but with multiple flaws
Great ideas but too many digressions
Fascinating content, terrible writing
The eyes have it
A great read but where is the bibliography?

In the Blink of an Eye
Andrew Parker
Manufacturer: Perseus Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0738206075
Release Date: 2003-04-15

Book Description

An accomplished young scientist solves one of the greatest mysteries of evolution: What caused the dramatic explosion of life half a billion years ago?

The Cambrian Explosion is universally referred to as biology's "Big Bang." About 550 million years ago, there was literally an explosion of life forms, as all the major animal groups suddenly and dramatically appeared. Why did it happen this way? Why didn't these creatures continue the slow, plodding pace of evolution, appearing only very gradually in the fossil record? Although several books have been written about this surprising event, none have explained why it occurred. Indeed, none were able to.

Here, for the first time, Oxford zoologist Andrew Parker reveals his theory of this great flourishing of life. Parker's "Light Switch Theory" holds that it was the development of vision in primitive animals that caused the explosion. Precambrian creatures were unable to see, making it impossible to find friend or foe. With the evolution of the eye, the size, shape, color, and behavior of animals was suddenly revealed for the first time. Once the lights were "turned on," all animals had to either adapt or die, and in a geological instant, the world became a very different place. A controversial theory but one that is quickly gaining ground, the Light Switch Theory promises to revolutionize our understanding of life and light. Drawing on evidence not just from biology but also from geology, physics, chemistry, history, and art, In the Blink of an Eye is the fascinating story of a young scientist's intellectual journey, and a celebration of the scientific method.

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable & informative, but with multiple flaws.......2007-10-01

Other reviewers have mentioned Andrew Parker's proclivity in 'In the Blink of an Eye' to digress, to present his thesis as more revolutionary & unique than it actually is, & to fall into a 'gee whiz' style from time to time, & I will merely second those critiques, while agreeing with previous reviewers that Parker's book is nevertheless an entertaining & surprisingly broadly informative read.

But my primary criticism of Parker's book is his failure to construct a solid logical argument for his thesis, which is that the evolution of vision was THE cause of the Cambrian Explosion ('CE'). Parker tends to zigzag through his chapters, & upon reaching the end, claim that he has formulated a logically-sequenced argument, which he rarely has.

Few paleontologists, I think, would disagree with the idea that the development of vision (as distinct from mere light sensitivity) gave an enormous acceleration to Early Cambrian evolutionary rates, but Parker wants more than mere primum inter pares for vision, he wants it to have sole credit for the Explosion. To quote one reviewer: "What happened in the explosion is that animals acquired armor, hard body parts, and a huge variety of different shapes. Parker explains that the shapes and armor came along because eyes came along."

Yes, that's precisely Parker's explanation, but his argument leaves a skeptical reader not entirely convinced. At one point, Parker states (paraphrasing) that one must separate the CE itself (i.e., the evolution of fossilizable hard parts made of calcite) from the Cause of the CE. Stating it doesn't necessarily make it so. Sometimes an events IS the same thing as its cause.

Parker spends considerable time making the case that trilobites were the first creatures to develop vision. By Parker's own, slightly buried, report, this first lens that made vision possible was a calcite lens. I.e., it was either literally or virtually a modified bit of calcite body armor. If a bit of modified armor came first & made vision possible, how can one claim that "...armor came along because eyes came along."?

I don't want to argue that the evolution of vision wasn't crucial, merely that it's more reasonable to view it as 'primum inter pares', 'first among equals'. There's just too many evolutions of 'firsts' happening in the CE: first calcite secretion by multiple phyla, first eyes with considerable degrees of vision in multiple phyla, and several new body plans. It's probably more realistic to view these all as giving important positive feedback to each other, instead of crediting one as being the sole source of all the changes.

On this account, I think Parker's book would have been improved by a consideration of how & why so many different phyla evolved both calcite body coverings & vision so nearly simultaneously. The problem, to the best of my knowledge, is that we're still pretty much stumped by this one. Perhaps it's a useful place in earth history to postulate the incorporation, by several phyla, of bacterial DNA coded for calcite secretion, a la Lynn Margulis.

It makes no sense to somehow imply that the evolution of vision by trilobites somehow produces the evolution of vision in trilobite prey species. Evolution doesn't work that way, though that's the impression Parker just sorta leaves hanging out there.

Parker, like Dawkins before him, cites Nilson & Pelger's theoretical calculations of the rapidity--in geological time terms--with which "eyespots" can evolve into camera-type eyes. Perhaps a fruitful field for Parker to consider than would have been why then did vision not evolve prior to the CE? 99+% of all animal lenses through geologic history have been made of organic materials rather than calcite. Why then did lenses not evolve in multicellular life prior to the evolution of calcite secretion & hence the first calcite lens?

But again, the final line here is that Parker's book is an enjoyable & worthwhile read, even if it ultimately fails to marshall a complete & compelling argument in support of its thesis.

Great ideas but too many digressions.......2007-07-31

In the blink of an eye splits the Cambrian Explosion into two pieces, the development of multicellular life (the "precambrian surge", which is mostly just dropped) and the evolution of "hard parts" as a result of the development of vision (which is the bulk of the book). The story does not flow well because of the frequent digressions, but there is a lot of support for his main conclusion. He mentions that the end of "snowball earth" comes a littel too soon before the Cambrian Explosion. At the same time he makes the point that 38 phyla were developed during this time and none since. I think evolving 38 phyla would take some time. I also think the snowball earth did not just go away quietly, it may have been several million years before the precambrian animals were able to dispurse across the seas to the point that they were detectible and primed for the explosion. The book is very up-to-date and worth reading, but ber prepared to listne ot too much autobiography and "and then I did..."

Fascinating content, terrible writing.......2006-04-23

The content of this book is simply fascinating. Not only does it present a plausible solution to the Cambrian enigma, it also provides a huge amount of information on the role of color and eyesight in nature. The only drawback is that the writing style is extremely clumsy and sometimes the logic is very difficult to follow. The author should have teamed up with a professional writer.

The eyes have it.......2006-03-09

What triggered the Cambrian Explosion?

Starting around 543 million years ago, there was a 10-million year period (give or take 5 million years) in which the number of phyla on this planet went from three to thirty-eight. After that, no new phyla appeared. Something dramatic happened during that time period, but why? There was also a major evolution of external body parts in all phyla at that time, but what caused all this?

There are some explanations that have been taken seriously for the Cambrian explosion, and Parker reviews a number of them. The first is that the Cambrian was just a great time for rapid evolution. But there is evidence from embryos of nonskeletised animals that indicates that the Cambrian was probably not a particularly hospitable time after all. The second group of explanations that Parker deals with attempt to cover not only the Cambrian explosion itself, but the Precambrian changes in internal body plans. But Parker wants to know what caused the explosion itself, and feels strongly that the Precambrian changes are not an integral part of this. The third explanation is that the physical environment changed significantly at the start of the Cambrian. That means changes in, say, oxygen, carbon dioxide, or phosphorus levels. But these levels changed at plenty of times, and the start of the Cambrian doesn't appear to be all that special. A fourth explanation is that shallow-water continental shelf areas increased at the start of the Cambrian. A fifth is that there was a "Snowball Earth" that ended just prior to the Cambrian. A sixth is that collagen was acquired by animals during the Cambrian. A seventh deals with the generation of new niches: perhaps the increased availability of free-swimming plants could create a new niche. An eighth deals not with niches, but with all feeding modes. And yes, one or more of these explanations may be pretty close. But they don't satisfy Parker, and he has an explanation that makes plenty of sense, namely that around 543 million years ago, there was a sudden development of sight among animals. That means eyes, and brains to interpret the light that reaches those eyes. By the way, one of the early species to acquire eyes may have been the box jellyfish, which has no brain! But the trilobites are the creatures that Parker dwells on: they originated at the start of the Cambrian, and they appear to have had eyes (and brains) at that time.

The book covers plenty about what eyes are, what different sorts of eyes there are, how eyes evolved, and what eyes are used for. As an example, rabbits have eyes on each side of their heads. A reason is that they spend plenty of energy to avoid getting eaten. That means they want as close to 360-degree vision as they can get, since they intend to run away at top speed towards safety if they see a predator (and keep running for their lives if the predator chases them). That is a cost-effective idea! On the other hand, foxes spend more of their energy chasing potential food. They don't need 360-degree vision for this, so they have eyes in front, where they can be used to provide depth perception. That lets them judge the distances to possible prey and saves them from costly futile chases.

It doesn't take much imagination to, um, see that the introduction of vision could lead to a huge evolutionary explosion, as species developed armor, camouflage, and more defenses against suddenly non-blind predators. So this is indeed an interesting hypothesis.

A critical issue is just how long it would take for working eyes to evolve from simple patches of light-sensitive cells (sandwiched between a transparent protective layer and a layer of dark pigment). But as the author explains, a paper by Dan-Eric Nilsson and Susanne Pelger shows that a few hundred thousand years should be ample time to accomplish all this. Vision could indeed have arisen in an evolutionary blink of an eye. And that may well have led to the Cambrian explosion.

At the end of the book, Parker considers possible triggers for the evolution of eyes, such as increases in the available light reaching the Earth's surface. I think these areas are worth pursuing as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I recommend it.

A great read but where is the bibliography?.......2006-02-07

Parker presents a very plausible theory that seems to explain the great increase of species in the Cambrian explosion. In fact, it is so well-presented (much like Darwin included overwhelming arguments and examples in Origin of Species) that you are tempted to repeat Huxley and say that it is so obvious, why didn't I think of that?

Like other reviewers, I cannot comprehend the absence of a bibliography. With one, I would have rated the book 5 stars.

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Arthropod Systematics at its eclectic best

Arthropod Fossils and Phylogeny

Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

-- J. C. von Vaupel Klein, Crustaceana

What light do fossils shed on the deep history of life's most diverse phylum, the Arthropoda? Are the interrelationships between major groups of arthropods -- crustaceans, chelicerates, and tracheates -- resolved the same way whether or not fossils are included? How should we combine evidence from extinct and extant taxa? These are the central questions of Arthropod Fossils and Phylogeny.

Many recent controversies in arthropod evolution have been initiated by new fossil discoveries and new interpretations of early fossils. This book examines the role that these finds and ideas have played in understanding the deep evolutionary history of arthropods. The authors of the book's seven chapters have been at the forefront of this research.

Contributions include phylogeny based on DNA sequence data for living groups, cladistic analysis of the major lineages of arthropods, detailed case studies of crustaceans, chelicerates, and lobopodians, and the evolutionary significance of arthropods in Cambrian fossil sites with exceptional preservation. All contributors use cladistic methods, presenting copious new data to stimulate further research.

The book will be a vital resource for paleontologists, researchers on extant arthropods interested in fossil history, and evolutionists concerned with how different kinds of systematic data should be analyzed.

Customer Reviews:

Arthropod Systematics at its eclectic best.......2002-02-22

Arthropods are one of the most diverse and long-lived phyla in the animal kingdom. Their origins date back to the pre-Cambrian, and over the decades that they have been studied, they have generated controversy that persists to the present and will likely extend into the future. Yet this controversy is not fueled by idle speculation, but by the sometimes-bewildering complexity of arthropod diversity, both in the living representatives and in the fossil record. This book delves into the analyses of molecular, morphological, and paleontological data, and allows the critical reader to assess the disparate conclusions of the leading arthropod systematists. At the same time, the spotlight chapters on celebrated fossil arthropod sites (such as the Burgess Shales, the Chengjiang site, and others, allow a focus on the early diversification of Arthropod groups, as well as lobopods and the earliest crustaceans. Many illustrations and charts add interest to this challenging book. If you want more than a cursory exposure to Arthropod evolution. This is the book for you!

Understanding Fossils: An Introduction to Invertebrate Palaeontology

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Understanding Fossils: An Introduction to Invertebrate Palaeontology
Peter Doyle
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0471963518

Book Description

The first introductory palaeontology text which demonstrates the importance of selected fossil groups in geological and biological studies, particularly in understanding evolutionary patterns, palaeoenvironmental analysis, and stratigraphy. Part one explores several key concepts, such as the processes of fossil preservation, the determination of evolutionary patterns, and use of fossils and statigraphical tools. Part two introduces the main fossil groups of value in these applied fields. Part three concentrates on the examination of important case histories which demonstrate the use of fossils in diverse practical examples. Evolutionary studies, palaeoenvironmental analysis, and stratigraphical applications are documented using up-to-date examples supported by overviews of the principles.

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The Fossils of the Burgess Shale
Images of our ancient ancestors
An excellent book
Richard F.
Burgess Shale - treasure trove of Cambrian explosion

The Fossils of the Burgess Shale
Derek E. G. Briggs , Douglas H. Erwin , and Frederick J. Collier
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1560983647

Customer Reviews:

The Fossils of the Burgess Shale.......2004-08-01

"The Fossils of the Burgess Shale" written by Derek E.G. Briggs, Douglas H. Erwin, and Frederick J. Collier and photographs by Chip Clark is simply a marvelous book about early Cambrian life some 540 million years ago. We get a rare look into life's past and what makes the Burgess Shale such a significant part of life's mystery is that these fossils, in most cases, are soft- bodied fauna and flora.

"The Fossils of the Burgess Shale" is a snapshot into life's past and there are only a few locations (30) left that can afford such a look ( China, Central America, Greenland, Spain, Poland, and Southern Australia). Found in 1909 by Charles D. Walcott, high in the Rocky Mountains of Canada, now part of Yoho Park in British Columbia, who had a huge collection of these remarkable fossils shipped back to the Smithsonian Institution where he was Secretary. Today the Cambrian is among the most intensively studied intervals in the history of life, and the debate rages over what triggered the rapid appearance of most major groups of animals.

The photographs in this book are a major accomplishment as it affords the reader with an example of the fossil in question along with a line drawing of what this particular flora of fauna looked like. Thus, making the reader aware of what the authors are talking about.

If you've ever read "It's a Wonderful Life" by Stephen Jay Gould or "The Crucible of Creation" by Simon Conway-Morris "The Fossils of the Burgess Shale" will make a great companion book that explains some of the personalized conclusions that are found in these books and it makes it very clear as to what they are discussing. The preservation of soft-bodied animals is not evenly distributed through the fossil record. Thus, making this book all the more important concerning about what life was like.

The first few pages of the book explains where the Burgess Shale is and its significance and the major players in which have played an important part in the furthering the knowledge of these fossil remains, how fossilization probably occured.

The remainder of the book is devoted to the fossils of the Burgess Shale, with illustrations, discussions, full page photographs and reconstructions of 85 out of 125 recognized genra. The text accompanying the illustrations aims to provide an outline of the morphology, mode of life, and the affinities of the organism. There is ample identification of the sample fossils so the specialist can search for further data.

"The Fossils of the Burgess Shale" is rated a solid 5 stars and is one of the best books that I've found for life in the Cambrian. You will not be dissapointed with this book as it delivers in spades.

Images of our ancient ancestors.......2002-02-21

If you've ever kept a scrapbook of old photographs, you'll understand the fascination of this collection. Instead of grandmothers, aged aunts or toddler cousins, this book reveals life from the dimmest past. With photographs and drawings, Briggs and his colleagues have restored to view rare animals that lived in ancient seas. These are our earliest forebears, and for that reason alone, this book is worth repeated scrutiny. The images, with their stories of discovery and restoration, are offered in a spirit of shared discovery. These are very special creatures and it behooves us all to understand their value.

Although the book is targeted for professional paleontologists, the authors give us text nearly as illustrative as the images. They are part of the team who personally enticed many of these fossils from their lithic prison. Beginning with an account of Charles Woolcott's trek into the mountains of British Columbia, they go on to describe the environment in which these creatures lived. The significance of the Burgess Shale fossils, of course, is that they are images of soft body parts, usually lost as fossilization proceeds. At the time of the original find in 1909, such artifacts, especially ones of such ancient deposition were pricelessly rare. Woolcott himself understood their value to science, but never dedicated the necessary time to tease out their full secrets. It took Briggs and others, particularly Simon Conway Morris to apply the painstaking effort to recreate the body forms locked in the shale. In so doing, they overthrew a number of blithe assumptions made by a number of commentators, in particular Stephen J. Gould who had popularized the Shale finds, but sadly misinterpreted what they represent.

As you slowly turn over the pages of this book, reflect on the vast ages separating you from these creatures. The sea has always kept some bizarre secrets, but few can match the multi-spined Hallucegenia or mud-burrowing Ottoia. Haplophrentis might be mistaken for a Roman dagger lost in the sea until you read that its maximum length was but 30 millimetres long. A more formidable denizen of these waters is the Anomalocaris, with its hooked feelers and rasping mouth. Swimming in a sea with this half-meter long predator might not have been dangerous, but observing it might best be done from the beach.

This book is a clearly valuable contribution to our understanding of life's history and the process of evolution. It belongs on the shelf next to the other albums of family history. Take it down from time to time and simply open it at random. With half-closed eyes it isn't difficult to see these creatures in their daily lives, clutching rocks, swimming through the water, or burrowing into the bottom. They are your forebears, and deserve as much of your respect as does Aunt Matilda.

An excellent book.......2001-10-11

This is a wonderful book. It is chock-full of photographs of Burgess shale fossils. The photographs are full page photographs and are accompanied by drawings that illustrate what the plant or animal probably looked like. The text is informative and easy to follow for a layperson.

Richard F........2001-08-01

"The Fossils of the Burgess Shale," the non-geologist will find this book fascinating and understandable - yet the author did not "water down" the facts for those of us who have the technical background in the fields of geology and paleontology. The only drawback of the book was that some of the species listed in the back were not included in the pictorial portion of the book. I do understand that if Briggs had placed them all in the book the volume would have been over a 1,000 pages in length; however, several of the species not included are equally spectacular!

The first third of the book provides a brief history of the site and it's significance within Cambrian paleontology; the remaining two-third portion of the book provides clear photographs and line drawings of the animals entombed in this special location. I have used this book in teaching about the Cambrian explosion. Students were awed by the content of the book. If you are interested in invertebrate paleontology; this book is a must!

Burgess Shale - treasure trove of Cambrian explosion.......2000-11-26

The Burgess Shale in the Canadian Rockies contains rarely preserved fossils of the soft body parts of animals, including many from the Cambrian. This reference provides good quality black and white photographs and illustrations of 85 of the 125 recognized genera of the Burgess Shale. Of interest, the proportion of the total Burgess Shale fossils a given specimen represents, is given.

Advancing Research on Living and Fossil Cephalopods: Development and Evolution; Form, Construction, and Function; Taphonomy, Paleoecology, Paleobiogeography, Biostratigraphy, and Basin Analysis

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Advancing Research on Living and Fossil Cephalopods: Development and Evolution; Form, Construction, and Function; Taphonomy, Paleoecology, Paleobiogeography, Biostratigraphy, and Basin Analysis

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Relying on the latest analytical techniques, this all-embracing new reference offers comprehensive coverage of the development, evolution, and morphology of both fossil and living cephalopods. In 34 in-depth chapters a group of 51 international neontologists and peleontologists offer and opverview of current methods, data, analyses, and interpretations, and posit suggestions for future research.
With its unparalleled combination of first-rate contributions on living and fossil cephalopods, this book provides researchers and advanced students in paleontology, invertebrate zoology, evolutionary biology, and allied disciplines with a trove of recent data and authoritative interpretations that will immeasurably benefit their own studies.

Ammonoid Paleobiology (Topics in Geobiology)

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almost Exhaustively complete
An excelent joint of ammonoid paleobiology

Ammonoid Paleobiology (Topics in Geobiology)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0306452227

Book Description

Renowned researchers summarize the current knowledge on ammonoid paleobiology. The book begins with a description of the systematic position of the Ammonoidea within the Cephalopoda, providing the phylogenetic framework for the rest of the book. Following discussions include soft- and hard-part morphology of ammonoids, rate of growth and ontogeny, and taphonomy and ecology. Closing chapters explore the distribution of ammonoids in time and space as well as their extinction at the end of the Cretaceous. With its diverse viewpoints and new material, this resource will benefit researchers and graduate students in paleontology, marine biology, and evolutionary biology.

Customer Reviews:

almost Exhaustively complete.......2001-11-18

the only weakness in this book is the very limited description concerning ammonite extinction. the other chapters of this massive book
are extremely interesting .i really like the description
of ammonite dimorphism .functional morphology, phylogeny, are are among the many interesting chapters of this book .this book is a window to a the lost world of the ammonites.

An excelent joint of ammonoid paleobiology.......1997-10-08

In this book we can search the more interesting topics on ammonoid paleobiology, which are treated in a deep form. The quality of the papers is without doubt one of the most succesfull books. I want to send my best greetings to the editosr and authors

Brachiopods: Past and Present (Systematics Association Special Volume)

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Brachiopods: Past and Present (Systematics Association Special Volume)

Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0748409211

Book Description

The growth history of a brachiopod is entombed in its shell, but research on fossil and living brachiopods has generated unanswered questions about these marine invertebrates. Several contributors to Brachiopods Past and Present comment on their differing structures and morphological detail. They use these as examples of ontogenetic and evolutionary change, as indicators of taxonomic relationships, or to discuss micro-structural shell morphology. Population studies of various species and recent progress in molecular phylogeny are presented. This single compilation is a must for postgraduate students and researchers in evolution, zoology, geology, palaeontology and related fields.

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