Chinese Fossil Vertebrates

by Spencer Lucas

Overview

This book is a comprehensive, chronologically ordered review of China's vertebrate fossil record. It also presents a history of vertebrate paleontological studies in China and an entrée to some important issues of systematics, evolutionary history, paleoecology, taphonomy, and functional anatomy best elucidated by China's fossils.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231084833
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	01/30/2002
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	1310L (what's this?)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Spencer Lucas is curator of paleontology at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
Political divisions of China
Geological setting
Vertebrate biochronology
Some features of this book
2. History of Vertebrate Paleontological Studies
Basalla's model
Ancient Chinese observations on fossil vertebrates
Dragon bones: Nineteenth century western paleontology and China's vertebrate fossils
Johan Gunnar Andersson and the Lagrelius Collection
Otto Zdansky
Black, Bohlin and Zhoukoudian
End of the Sino-Swedish paleontological program
The Central Asiatic Expeditions
The 1920s-1930s: Foreign vertebrate paleontologists living in China
C.C. Young and Minchen Chow
The IVPP
New collaboration
The three-stage model
3. Cambrian-Silurian
Silurian vertebrate-producing strata
Early Silurian - Dayongaspis biochron
Early middle Silurian - Hanyangaspis biochron
Late middle Silurian - Sinogalaeaspis biochron
Late Silurian - Nostolepis biochron
China's oldest vertebrates
Silurian vertebrate biochronology
Silurian vertebrate paleobiogeography
4. Devonian
Devonian vertebrate-producing strata
Early Devonian - Yunnanolepis biochron
Early Devonian paleocommunities
Middle Devonian - Bothriolepis biochron
Late Devonian - Remigolepis biochron
Systematics of Devonian agnathans
Diabolepis and lungfish phylogeny
Devonian vertebrate biogeography
5. Carboniferous
Carboniferous vertebrate occurrences
Acanthodes
Chondrichthyans
Heliocoprionid from Xinjiang
Prospectus
6. Permian
Permian nonmarine strata in the Junggur and Ordos basins
Urumqia
Turfania and Yaomoshania
The Dashankou locality
Pareiasaur fauna
Dicynodon fauna
The Dicyodon biochron
7. Triassic
Junggur basin
Ordos basin
Jimsarian vertebrates
Fuguan vertebrates
Ordosian vertebrates
Ningwuan vertebrates
Fukang fauna
Chinese Triassic dicynodonts
The "Nine-dragon Wall"
Lotosaurus
Triassic fishes
Triassic marine reptiles
Chinese Triassic tetrapods, Pangea and facies
8. Jurassic
Sichuan basin
Other Jurassic basins
Dawan vertebrates
Global correlation of the Dawan
Dashanpuan vertebrates
Tuojiangian vertebrates
Ningjiagouan vertebrates
Jurassic fishes
Jurassic dinosaur footprints
Chinese tritylodontids
Chinese Jurassic mammals
Chinese Jurassic dinosaurs
9. Cretaceous
Vertebrate-bearing strata
Land-vertebrate faunachrons
Tsagantsabian vertebrates
The Psittacosaurus biochron
Khukhtekian vertebrates
Age of the Liaoning birds
Chinese Early Cretaceous birds and avian origins
Baynshirenian vertebrates
Djadokhtan vertebrates
Nemegtian vertebrates
Cretaceous fishes
Ceratopsian evolution
Chinese Cretaceous dinosaur eggs
Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary and extinctions
Two vertebrate faunas
10. Paleogene
Paleogene vertebrate-bearing deposits
Paleogene land-mammal "ages"
Shanghuan mammals
Nongshanian mammals
Bumbanian mammals
Arshantan and Irdinmanhan mammals
Sharamurunian mammals
Ergilian mammals
Shandgolian mammals
Tabenbulukian mammals
Paleogene rodent evolution
Indricothere evolution
Paleogene lower vertebrates
Paleogene birds
Paleoplacentals and neoplacentals
11. Miocene-Pliocene
Miocene-Pliocene vertebrate-bearing strata
Miocene-Pliocene land-mammal "ages"
Xiejian mammals
Shanwangian mammals
Tunggurian mammals
Bahean mammals
Baodean mammals
Jinglean mammals
Youhean mammals
Forest and steppe faunas
Proboscidean evolution
Hipparion first-appearance datum
Chinese Miocene-Pliocene apes
Miocene-Pliocene lower vertebrates
Miocene-Pliocene birds
Paleozoogeography
12. Pleistocene
Pleistocene vertebrate-bearing deposits
Nihewanian land-mammal "age"
Pleistocene mammals of northern China
Pleistocene mammals of southern China
Pleistocene mammals of the transition zone
Gigantopithecus
Fossil Homo
Zhoukoudian
Pleistocene mammoths
Pleistocene lower vertebrates
Pleistocene birds
Origin of China's extant vertebrates
13. Summary
History of vertebrate paleontology in China
Cambrian-Ordovician
Silurian
Devonian
Carboniferous
Permian
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
Paleogene
Miocene-Pliocene
Pleistocene
14. References

Editorial Reviews

The literature on Chinese fossil vertebrates is extremely difficult for Western scholars to assimilate and interpret. In part, this is because much of that literature is in Chinese, and few useful reviews exist in Western languages. Yet China has an extensive vertebrate fossil record, one that plays a key role in understanding the evolution of vertebrates. Spencer Lucas gives an up-to-date review and synthesis of the Chinese vertebrate fossil record that will greatly facilitate an understanding of and further research into this outstanding fossil record. The book provides the reader with a comprehensive, chronologically ordered review of China's vertebrate fossil record. It also presents a history of vertebrate paleontological studies in China and an entrée to some important issues of systematics, evolutionary history, paleoecology, taphonomy, and functional anatomy best elucidated by China's fossils. This volume should therefore become an indispensable part of the library of any student of vertebrate evolution.

Fossil News

An important contribution.

Choice

Lucas was one of the first western vertebrate paleontologists to visit China after the end of the Cultural Revolution, and has returned four times since to continue his field work and study with Chinese and other scientists. Reflecting his primary interests in vertebrate biostratigraphy and biochronology, he provides a comprehensive and chronological review of China's vertebrate fossil record. He also includes a history of vertebrate paleontology in China, and considers some issues of systematics, evolutionary history, paleoecology, taphonomy, and functional anatomy that are illuminated by the fossils. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)