A Guide to the Sites and their Extraordinary Biotas

By John R Nudds and Paul A Selden

Any serious collector of fossils will certainly have heard of the famous Green River, Morrison and Hell Creek formations. These, are not commonly detailed in guides that can easily be obtained in the UK – that is until now. Dr John R Nudds from the University of Manchester, UK, has teamed up with Dr Paul A Selden from the University of Kansas, USA, to produce this outstanding publication.

Fossil ecosystems of North America is well illustrated throughout, being packed with full-colour photographs of fossils found in North America, along with charts and diagrams. The guides are highly detailed, covering not just the palaeontology, but also the geology of the sites in detail. Evolution, historical and stratigraphic information is covered in a user-friendly style. Other than the location guides, the book also details nearby places of interest to visit, such as museums.

As well as the Green River and Hell Creek formations, the guide covers the wonderful pre-Cambrian (Ediacaran) fauna of Mistaken Point, the Palaeogene plant and animals of Florissant, Dominican amber and the tar pits of La Brea in Los Angeles, to name but a few.

If I had a bucket list (I am not sure I do), these would certainly all be in it. And, as for the guide, you can really gain a true understanding of the development of life in North America through this fascinating publication.

Fossil ecosystems of North America, by John R Nudds and Paul A Selden, Manson Publishing (2008), 288 pages (paperback), ISBN: 978-18-40760-88-0