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Main Contents
 
In
the recent years, the late Mesozoic Jehol Biota of northern China has
shown the world some of the most astonishing fossil finds ever since the
discovery of the first complete skeleton of Archaeopteryx in 1861, and
thus has become the focus of many important paleontological researches
in the global arena. On the Biota"s fabu-lous roster are the four-winged
dinosaur and many feathered ones, first beaked bird and many of its allies,
first plants with flowers and fruits, fishes with the potential to un-lock
the mystery of their origins, mammals of the special interests to their
early evolution, pterosaurs that rules the Mesozoic skies, and thousands
species of inver-tebrates (e.g.,mollusks,conchostracans, ostracods,shrimps,insects,and
spiders)that constitute a community of truly "wonderful life".
These exquisitely preserved fossils not only give us a vivid picture of
once a thriving biodiversity but also shed new light on a number of interesting
theoretical issues in evolutionary biology today, such as the origin and
angin and early evolution of some major taxonomic groups(e.g., amphibians,birds
and angiosperms),the origin of feather and avian fligt, and the co-evoution
of pollinating insects and flowering plants.The Jehol Biota also bears
significantly on paleobiogeography, paleoecology, paleoclimate and paleobiography,
paleoecology, paleoclimate and paleoenvironments during the Mesozoic.
This book has pieced together the most up-to-date information on the Jehol
Biota that is otherwise
Scattered in the vast technical literature and unavailable to the general
readers. The first two chapters give an inviting introduction to the Jehol
Biota in terms of its history of studies, its main components, its scientific
importance, its geographical, geological and biostratigraphic framework,and
its renowned fossil discoveries. Each of the remaining chapters deals
with a particular organismal group of the Biota by its leading expert(s).
In addition, the book is lavished with nearly 280 illustrations,which
include 200 photographs that show diversity of the taxa and beauty of
their preservations. The colored life restorations, elegantly done by
some of China"s most celebrated primarily at an educated public,
the book is also an invalu-able source of information for the students
and professionals in paleontology,geology, evolutionary biology, and science
education in general
Contents
1. A Panorama of the Jehol Biota
2. Contributors
3. Introduction
4. Mesozic Pompeii
5. Gastropods
6. Bivalves
7. Conchostracans
8. Ostracods
9. Shrimps
10. Insects and Spiders
11. Fishes
12. Amphibians
13. Turtles
14. Choristoderes
15. Squamates
16. Pterosaurs
17. Dinosaurs
18. Birds
19. Mammals
20. Charophytes
21. Land Plants
22. Angiosperms
23. Spores and Pollen
24. Selected References
25. List of Taxa
26. A Composite Picture of the Jehol Biota
27. Abbreviation of Institutions and Organizations
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