Historical geology : evolution of Earth and life through time

HISTORICAL GEOLOGY: EVOLUTION OF EARTH AND LIFE THROUGH TIME teaches students basic geologic principles as well as how scientists apply these principles to unravel Earth's history. Wicander and Monroe present a balanced overview of both the geological and biological history of Earth as a continuum of inter-related events. These events reflect the underlying principles and processes that have shaped our planet. The authors also explain the historical development of these basic principles and processes, and their importance in deciphering Earth history. Three major themes-time, evolutionary theory, and plate tectonics-are woven together throughout the book. These themes help students link essential material to enhance their understanding of historical geology.

Chapter 1 The Dynamic and Evolving Earth	p. 1
Introduction	p. 2
What Is Geology?	p. 2
Historical Geology and the Formulation of Theories	p. 3
Origin of the Universe and the Solar System, and Earth's Place in Them	p. 4
Perspective 1.1 Interpreting Earth History	p. 5
Why Is Earth a Dynamic and Evolving Planet?	p. 8
Organic Evolution and the History of Life	p. 10
Geologic Time and Uniformitarianism	p. 11
How Does the Study of Historical Geology Benefit Us?	p. 12
Summary	p. 13
Chapter 2 Earth Materials: Minerals and Rocks	p. 15
Introduction	p. 16
Matter and Its Composition	p. 17
Minerals--The Building Blocks of Rocks	p. 18
How Many Minerals Are There?	p. 19
Rock-Forming Minerals and the Rock Cycle	p. 20
Igneous Rocks	p. 20
Sedimentary Rocks	p. 22
Metamorphic Rocks	p. 26
Plate Tectonics and the Rock Cycle	p. 28
Earth Materials and Historical Geology	p. 29
Summary	p. 30
Chapter 3 Plate Tectonics: A Unifying Theory	p. 32
Introduction	p. 33
Early Ideas about Continental Drift	p. 33
Perspective 3.1 Oil, Plate Tectonics, and Politics	p. 34
Paleomagnetism and Polar Wandering	p. 37
How Do Magnetic Reversals Relate to Seafloor Spreading?	p. 38
Plate Tectonics and Plate Boundaries	p. 39
What Are Hot Sports and Mantle Plumes?	p. 47
How Are Plate Movement and Motion Determined?	p. 48
What Is the Driving Mechanism of Plate Tectonics?	p. 49
How Are Plate Tectonics and Mountain Building Related?	p. 50
How Does Plate Tectonics Affect the Distribution of Life?	p. 51
How Does Plate Tectonics Affect the Distribution of Natural Resources?	p. 52
Summary	p. 54
Chapter 4 Geologic Time: Concepts and Principles	p. 56
Introduction	p. 57
How Has the Concept of Geologic Time and Earth's Age Changed Throughout Human History?	p. 58
Perspective 4.1 Geologic Time and Climate Change	p. 59
What Are Relative Dating Methods, and Why Are They Important?	p. 59
Establishment of Geology as a Science--The Triumph of Uniformitarianism over Neptunism and Catastrophism	p. 60
Lord Kelvin and a Crisis in Geology	p. 63
What Are Absolute Dating Methods, and Why Are They Important?	p. 63
Summary	p. 69
Chapter 5 Rocks, Fossils, and Time--Making Sense of the Geologic Record	p. 72
Introduction	p. 73
Stratigraphy	p. 73
Perspective 5.1 Fossils and Uniformitarianism	p. 82
Fossilization and Fossils	p. 79
The Relative Geologic Time Scale	p. 86
Stratigraphic Terminology	p. 87
Correlation	p. 88
Absolute Dates and the Relative Geologic Time Scale	p. 90
Summary	p. 92
Chapter 6 Sedimentary Rocks--The Archives of Earth History	p. 94
Introduction	p. 95
Sedimentary Rock Properties	p. 95
Perspective 6.1 Determining the Relative Ages of Deformed Sedimentary Rocks	p. 99
Depositional Environments	p. 102
Environmental Interpretations and Historical Geology	p. 109
Paleogeography	p. 111
Summary	p. 112
Chapter 7 Evolution--The Theory and Its Supporting Evidence	p. 114
Introduction	p. 115
Evolution: What Does It Mean?	p. 116
Perspective 7.1 The Tragic Lysenko Affair	p. 118
Mendel and the Birth of Genetics	p. 118
The Modern View of Evolution	p. 120
What Kinds of Evidence Support Evolutionary Theory?	p. 127
Perspective 7.2 The Fossil Record and Missing Links	p. 133
Summary	p. 134
Chapter 8 Precambrian Earth and Life History--The Hadean and Archean	p. 136
Introduction	p. 137
What Happened during the Hadean?	p. 138
Continental Foundations--Shields, Platforms, and Cratons	p. 139
Archean Plate Tectonics and the Origin of Cratons	p. 142
The Atmosphere and Hydrosphere	p. 143
The First Organisms	p. 145
Perspective 8.1 Submarine Hydrothermal Vents and the Origin of Life	p. 148
Archean Mineral Resources	p. 149
Summary	p. 150
Chapter 9 Precambrian Earth and Life History--The Proterozoic Eon	p. 153
Introduction	p. 154
Evolution Of Proterozoic Continents	p. 154
Proterozoic Supercontinents	p. 160
Ancient Glaciers and Their Deposits	p. 160
The Evolving Atmosphere	p. 160
Important Events in Life History	p. 164
Proterozoic Mineral Resources	p. 169
Perspective 9.1 BIF: From Mine to Steel Mill	p. 170
Summary	p. 171
Chapter 10 Early Paleozoic Earth History	p. 174
Introduction	p. 175
Continental Architecture: Cratons and Mobile Belts	p. 175
Paleozoic Paleogeography	p. 176
Early Paleozoic Evolution of North America	p. 179
The Sauk Sequence	p. 179
The Tippecanoe Sequence	p. 181
Perspective 10.1 Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore	p. 182
The Appalachian Mobile Belt and the Taconic Orogeny	p. 187
Early Paleozoic Mineral Resources	p. 190
Summary	p. 191
Chapter 11 Late Paleozoic Earth History	p. 194
Introduction	p. 195
Late Paleozoic Paleogeography	p. 195
Late Paleozoic Evolution of North America	p. 198
The Kaskaskia Sequence	p. 198
Perspective 11.1 The Canning Basin, Australia--A Devonian Great Barrier Reef	p. 201
The Absaroka Sequence	p. 201
History of the Late Paleozoic Mobile Belts	p. 207
What Role Did Microplates and Terranes Play in the Formation of Pangaea?	p. 211
Late Paleozoic Mineral Resources	p. 211
Summary	p. 212
Chapter 12 Paleozoic Life History: Invertebrates	p. 216
Introduction	p. 217
What Was the Cambrian Explosion?	p. 217
The Emergence of a Shelly Fauna	p. 218
Paleozoic Invertebrate Marine Life	p. 219
Perspective 12.1 Mass Extinctions and Their Possible Causes	p. 226
Summary	p. 230
Chapter 13 Paleozoic Life History: Vertebrates and Plants	p. 234
Introduction	p. 235
Vertebrate Evolution	p. 235
Fish	p. 236
Amphibians--Vertebrates Invade the Land	p. 240
Evolution of the Reptiles--The Land Is Conquered	p. 242
Plant Evolution	p. 245
Perspective 13.1 Palynology: A Link Between Geology and Biology	p. 246
Summary	p. 252
Chapter 14 Mesozoic Earth History	p. 255
Introduction	p. 256
The Breakup of Pangaea	p. 256
Mesozoic History of North America	p. 259
Continental Interior	p. 260
Eastern Coastal Region	p. 260
Gulf Coastal Region	p. 262
Western Region	p. 263
Perspective 14.1 Petrified Forest National Park	p. 269
What Role Did Accretion of Terranes Play in the Growth of Western North America?	p. 272
Mesozoic Mineral Resources	p. 273
Summary	p. 275
Chapter 15 Life of the Mesozoic Era	p. 278
Introduction	p. 279
Marine Invertebrates and Phytoplankton	p. 279
Aquatic and Semiaquatic Vertebrates--Fish and Amphibians	p. 281
Plants-Primary Producers on Land	p. 282
The Diversification of Reptiles	p. 283
Perspective 15.1 Dinosaur Behavior	p. 286
From Reptiles to Birds	p. 290
Perspective 15.2 Vertebrates and the Origin of Flight	p. 293
Origin and Early Evolution of Mammals	p. 293
Mesozoic Climates and Paleogeography	p. 296
Mass Extinctions--A Crisis in the History of Life	p. 297
Summary	p. 298
Chapter 16 Cenozoic Geologic History: The Tertiary Period	p. 302
Introduction	p. 303
Cenozoic Plate Tectonics--An Overview	p. 303
Cenozoic Orogenic Belts	p. 304
The North American Cordillera	p. 309
Perspective 16.1 Geologic History of the Teton Range	p. 313
The Continental Interior	p. 319
Cenozoic History of the Appalachian Mountains	p. 319
The Southern and Eastern Continental Margins	p. 319
Tertiary Mineral Resources	p. 324
Summary	p. 324
Chapter 17 Cenozoic Geologic History: The Quaternary Period	p. 328
Introduction	p. 329
Pleistocene and Holocene Tectonism and Volcanism	p. 329
Pleistocene Stratigraphy	p. 330
Perspective 17.1 Supervolcanoes and the Origin of the Yellowstone Caldera	p. 332
Onset of the Ice Age	p. 335
Glaciation and Its Effects	p. 337
What Caused Pleistocene Glaciation?	p. 342
Quaternary Mineral Resources	p. 345
Summary	p. 346
Chapter 18 Life of the Cenozoic Era	p. 348
Introduction	p. 349
Marine Invertebrates and Phytoplankton	p. 349
Cenozoic Vegetation and Climate	p. 351
Cenozoic Birds	p. 352
The Age of Mammals Begins	p. 353
Diversification of Placental Mammals	p. 354
Perspective 18.1 Not All Giant Land Animals Were Dinosaurs	p. 356
Mammals of the Tertiary Period	p. 357
Pleistocene Faunas	p. 365
Intercontinental Migrations	p. 367
Summary	p. 368
Chapter 19 Primate and Human Evolution	p. 371
Introduction	p. 372
What Are Primates?	p. 372
Prosimians	p. 372
Anthropoids	p. 374
Hominids	p. 375
Perspective 19.1 Footprints at Laetoli	p. 378
Summary	p. 384
Epilogue	p. 386
Appendix A Metric Conversion Chart	p. 388
Appendix B Classification of Organisms	p. 389
Appendix C Mineral Identification	p. 394
Glossary	p. 398
Answers to Multiple-Choice Review Questions	p. 407
Credits	p. 408
Index	p. 411

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