What Your Fossils Can Tell You

by Sinibaldi, Robert W.

• ISBN13: 9780813034256
• ISBN10: 0813034256
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-04-04
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Florida

Summary

Written primarily for the avid amateur and beginning professional paleontologist, the pictorial guide What Your Fossils Can Tell You offers both experienced and novice fossil hunters and collectors the information necessary to correctly identify and interpret the significance of their discoveries.

Author Biography

Robert W. Sinibaldi is a former president of the Tampa Bay Fossil Club and is currently a member of its board of directors. He is author of Fossil Diving: In Florida's Waters or any other Waters Containing Prehistoric Treasures and The Handbook of Paleontological Terms.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	p. xi
Preface	p. xxiii
Introduction	p. 1
What Is a Vertebrate Fossil?	p. 3
What Are Morphology, Pathology, Natural Alterations, and Cultural Modifications?	p. 3
Why Study Morphology, Pathology, Natural Alterations, and Cultural Modifications?	p. 4
Using This Pictorial Guide	p. 5
Figures	p. 5
Geological Time Scales	p. 5
American Archaeological Time Scales	p. 7
General Directional Terminology	p. 7
Endnotes	p. 7
The Morphology of Fossil Bones	p. 9
Introduction	p. 9
Types of Joints	p. 11
Sutures	p. 22
Growth Plates and Epiphyseals	p. 23
Tendon and Ligament Attachment Scars and Processes	p. 29
Bone Densities	p. 36
Vision	p. 40
Bones as Armor	p. 44
Skin Attachment Scars	p. 50
Markings Left by Nerves and Blood Vessels	p. 53
Auditory Bones	p. 57
The Braincase	p. 60
The Morphology of Fossil Teeth	p. 63
Introduction	p. 63
General Mammalian Tooth Morphology	p. 65
Herbivores	p. 70
Carnivores	p. 80
Omnivores	p. 84
Special Cases of Mammalian Teeth	p. 88
Age Determination/Stages of Development	p. 97
Sexual Dimorphism	p. 109
Shark Tooth Morphology	p. 111
Reptile and Fish Teeth	p. 124
Natural Alterations to Fossils	p. 129
Introduction	p. 129
Biological Alterations	p. 130
Geological Alterations	p. 136
Hydrological Alterations	p. 143
Atmospheric Alterations	p. 147
Pathologies in Fossil Bones	p. 152
Introduction	p. 152
Ankylosis and Syndactyly	p. 154
Necrosis and Sequestrum	p. 156
Osteitis	p. 159
Bone Discontinuities	p. 161
Arthritis	p. 163
Osteoarthritis	p. 165
Osteophytes, Spondylosis Deformans, Spondyloarthropathy, and Herniated Disks	p. 171
Pathological Fractures	p. 176
Pseudopathologies	p. 182
Congenital Anomalies and Problematic Specimens	p. 194
Pathologies in Fossil Teeth	p. 201
Introduction	p. 201
Dental Caries	p. 202
Dental Abscess	p. 208
Dental Hypoplasia	p. 209
Periodontal Disease	p. 210
Impacted Teeth	p. 213
Unusual Wear Patterns, Extra Teeth, and Missing Teeth	p. 216
Pathological Shark Teeth	p. 219
Congenital Anomalies and Problematic Specimens	p. 231
Cultural Modification of Bones, Antlers, and Teeth	p. 239
Introduction	p. 239
Unintentional Modifications	p. 242
Intentional Modifications	p. 248
Problematic Specimens	p. 314
Glossary	p. 325
Notes	p. 339
Selected References	p. 353
Acknowledgments	p. 359
Index	p. 363
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.