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This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Because of its unique geographic and temporal position, the La Venta badlands in central Columbia hold special significance for understanding the evolution of vertebrate faunas in South America. John Flynn, Curator of Geology at The Field Museum, and other contributors present detailed information and interpretation about the paleobiology and environment of La Venta animals. Includes taxonomic index. ... Read more

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Shawnee legend tells of a herd of huge bison rampaging through the Ohio Valley, laying waste to all in their path. To protect the tribe, a deity slew these great beasts with lightning bolts, finally chasing the last giant buffalo into exile across the Wabash River, never to trouble the Shawnee again. The source of this legend was a peculiar salt lick in present-day northern Kentucky, where giant fossilized skeletons had for centuries lain undisturbed by the Shawnee and other natives of the region. In 1739, the first Europeans encountered this fossil site, which eventually came to be known as Big Bone Lick. The site drew the attention of all who heard of it, including George Washington, Daniel Boone, Benjamin Franklin, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, and especially Thomas Jefferson. The giant bones immediately cast many scientific and philosophical assumptions of the day into doubt, and they eventually gave rise to the study of fossils for biological and historical purposes. Big Bone Lick: The Cradle of American Paleontology recounts the rich history of the fossil site that gave the world the first evidence of the extinction of several mammalian species, including the American mastodon. Big Bone Lick has played many roles: nutrient source, hallowed ground, salt mine, health spa, and a rich trove of archaeological and paleontological wonders. Natural historian Stanley Hedeen presents a comprehensive narrative of Big Bone Lick from its geological formation forward, explaining why the site attracted animals, regional tribespeople, European explorers and scientists, and eventually American pioneers and presidents. Big Bone Lick is the history of both a place and a scientific discipline: it explores the infancy and adolescence of paleontology from its humble and sometimes humorous beginnings. Hedeen combines elements of history, geology, politics, and biology to make Big Bone Lick a valuable historical resource as well as the compelling tale of how a collection of fossilized bones captivated a young nation.

Customer Reviews (3)

A locality, both real and mythical
At the entrance of Big Bone Lick State Park, Kentucky, one can reads
that this is the place where American vertebrate paleontology began.
This book offers a detailed historical overview of the area since the
18th century, and of the work done there, combining several scientific approaches, history, geology, biology and, of course, paleontology. It is more than a revision of Willard Rouse Jillson's 1936 classic book of the same title.

Great historical read, but needed more...
Hedeen's "Big Bone Lick: The Cradle of American Paleontology" is a great review of the historical significance that Big Bone Lick played in American paleontology and science.

It was refreshing to read how our early American forefathers, including Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin, were truly renaissance men who not only had interests in politics and world affairs, but also natural history and science issues (so different from many of our current politicians). I also enjoyed learning about how the Lick was an interface between our forefathers as well as some of the world's leading scientific minds.

The book was wonderfully quick and fascinating lead, but felt like it was lacking something.

Personally, I would have liked to learn more about the ecology of the extinct animals that were found at the site, or at least more in-depth information about the animals themselves.The content of the book really focused more on the major players who were involved in discoveries at the site, or naming and identifying the species found at the Lick, but spent little time talking about how those animals may have lived and died at the site (though did mention some speculations made by some of the people involved).Likewise, it would have been nice to learn more about the habitats and environments around the lick when these extinct animals were alive, and what may have actually caused their extinction (presumably climate change and the end of the ice age?).

Lastly, it would have been interesting if Hedeen could have expanded on the history of Native American groups at the Lick.

Overall, it's a great book and will be especially of interest to those who have visited the Lick, are familiar with the Ohio River Valley, or have an interest in early American paleontology.

Big Bone Lick
Stanley Hedeen does a nice job pulling together a wide variety of reference materials into a very readable account of the history of paleontological investigations at Big Bone Lick, Kentucky. I knew something about Thomas Jefferson's interest in the site, both before and after Lewis and Clarke's expedition to the American west, and how his paleontological interests partially motivated his desire for western exploration, but I was unfamiliar with the many others who visited the site and came away with magnificent fossils. The book highlights how this site helped raise the consciousness of people about distant times and the concept of species extinctions in general. ... Read more

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The author describes forty-two fossil taxa recovered during a study of the San Timoteo Badlands that used magnetobiostratigraphy to develop a temporal framework for addressing the tectonic evolution of southern California over the last 6 million years. For the Pliocene, small mammals are an effective means of correlating a magnetostratigraphy to the Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale when radioisotopic dates are unobtainable. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Search for the Past Review
I am a paleontologist and this was the textbook I used in my first undergraduate course as a student.Thirty-five years later it is still a wonderful book, even if there are many new advancements in the science.Beerbower's approach was straightforward and simple...teach the basics of taxonomy of all major groups.Train the beginning to be broad, but knowledgeable across a spectrum of vertebrates and invertebrates.The figures are old-style pen & ink with dot shading - easy to see and easy to reproduce and add to if you are an instructor.Taxonomy was kept to a manageable minimum to learn.I still use the diagrams in my lectures to students.I loaned my personal copy out a few years back to a student needed a good starting book for paleontology and never got it back; I was happy to get a copy back into my professional library. ... Read more

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This book contains nine selected reviews and case studies on palaeopedology, including the geological history of soils, time resolution in alluvial stratigraphy, and Quaternary pedogenesis. Case studies illustrating the various approaches to paleosols and their uses in archaeology, stratigraphy, sedimentology and basin analysis are also included. ... Read more

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Lucid, nontechnical study presents the absorbing human, scientific and political dramas involved in the discovery and reconstruction of the gigantic reptiles, birds and other creatures who roamed the prehistoric West. Much of the book is devoted to the work of Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope, two brilliant 19th-century paleontologists whose discoveries revolutionized the discipline, but whose bitter feud is legendary. "Excellently written...highly recommended..."—Science Books. 51 halftones. Bibliography.
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