Download or read book Remnants of Ancient Life written by Dale E. Greenwalt and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2025-01-28 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The revolution in science that is transforming our understanding of extinct life We used to think of fossils as being composed of nothing but rock and minerals, all molecular traces of life having vanished long ago. We were wrong. Remnants of Ancient Life reveals how the new science of ancient biomolecules—pigments, proteins, and DNA that once functioned in living organisms tens of millions of years ago—is opening a new window onto the evolution of life on Earth. Paleobiologists are now uncovering these ancient remnants in the fossil record with increasing frequency, shedding vital new light on long-extinct creatures and the lost world they inhabited. Dale Greenwalt is your guide to these astonishing breakthroughs. He explains how ancient biomolecules hold the secrets to how mammoths dealt with the bitter cold, what colors dinosaurs exhibited in mating displays, how ancient viruses evolved to become more dangerous, and much more. Each chapter discusses different types of biomolecules and the insights they provide about the physiology, behavior, and evolution of extinct organisms, many of which existed long before the age of dinosaurs. A marvelous adventure of discovery, Remnants of Ancient Life offers an unparalleled look at an emerging science that is transforming our picture of the remote past. You will never think of fossils in the same way again.
Download or read book The Nature of Natural History written by Marston Bates and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2014-07-14 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This classic work is an exploration of what natural history is, and a sustained effort to see how it relates to other areas of biology. Marston Bates did not attempt to overwhelm his audience with facts or overinterpret those he did use, and, perhaps for this reason, The Nature of Natural History is a timeless work. The author's genuine interest in the tropics has a very current feeling, and the first ten or fifteen chapters of the work have a style that is parallel to that of David Attenborough's verbal presentations of nature. From the book: "I have already made several remarks about the connection between parasitism and degeneracy. I suspect this is a matter of point of view. We are predatory animals ourselves, and consequently admire the characteristics of predationagility, speed, cunning, self-reliance. We feel a certain kinship with the lion, and regard the liver fluke with horror. If a sheep were given the choice, though, it might prefer to be debilitated by liver flukes rather than killed by a lion." Originally published in 1990. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
Download or read book The Book of Naturalists written by William Beebe and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 1988-04-21 with total page 524 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This anthology covers animals, nature, and the history of biology. Reflecting his infectious enthusiasm for "the best natural history," the editor has excerpts from massive sources and intriguing pieces from lesser known authors. Among the naturalists included are Pliny, Frederick II, Linnaeus, White, Bartram, Waterton, Thoreau, Wallace, Huxley, Faber, Theodore Roosevelt, Digby, Seton, and Klingel. Arranged in chronological order, the small masterpieces here range from Aristotle to Rachel Carson. Each excerpt is introduced by an incisive and sometimes humorous description of its author.
Download or read book Ancient and Fossil Bone Collagen Remnants written by Brian Thomas (Science writer) and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Do creation scientists do actual science, or do they just propagate religious talking points? Ancient and Fossil Bone Collagen Remnants, based on Dr. Brian Thomas’ PhD dissertation, answers this question. Intended for the technical science reader, it reveals results from research projects designed to address questions about the presence or absence, geographic and stratigraphic extent, and decay rate of collagen in ancient bones. Not only do the experiments and descriptions found in this volume show that yes, creation scientists do real science, but they also provide the solid technical background needed to address the question of why short-lived collagen has been found in supposedly very old dinosaur bones"--Publisher's description.
Download or read book A History of Life in 100 Fossils written by Paul D. Taylor and published by Smithsonian Institution. This book was released on 2014-10-14 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A History of Life in 100 Fossils showcases 100 key fossils that together illustrate the evolution of life on earth. Iconic specimens have been selected from the renowned collections of the two premier natural history museums in the world, the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, and the Natural History Museum, London. The fossils ahve been chosen not only for their importance in the history of life, but also because of the visual story they tell. This stunning book is perfect for all readers because its clear explanations and beautiful photographs illuminate the significance of these amazing pieces, including 500 million-year-old Burgess Shale fossils that provide a window into early animal life in the sea, insects encapsulated by amber, the first fossil bird Archaeopteryx, and the remains of our own ancestors.
Download or read book Vital Remnants written by Gary L. Gregg and published by Intercollegiate Studies Institute. This book was released on 1999 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "America's founding generation was learned in the history and literature of the West and steeped in the English tradition of liberty. Vital Remnants revisits for a new generation the sources of America's greatness and suggests means to restore our weakened foundations."--BOOK JACKET.
Download or read book Cradle of Life written by J. William Schopf and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2021-10-12 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the greatest mysteries in reconstructing the history of life on Earth has been the apparent absence of fossils dating back more than 550 million years. We have long known that fossils of sophisticated marine life-forms existed at the dawn of the Cambrian Period, but until recently scientists had found no traces of Precambrian fossils. The quest to find such traces began in earnest in the mid-1960s and culminated in one dramatic moment in 1993 when William Schopf identified fossilized microorganisms three and a half billion years old. This startling find opened up a vast period of time--some eighty-five percent of Earth's history--to new research and new ideas about life's beginnings. In this book, William Schopf, a pioneer of modern paleobiology, tells for the first time the exciting and fascinating story of the origins and earliest evolution of life and how that story has been unearthed. Gracefully blending his personal story of discovery with the basics needed to understand the astonishing science he describes, Schopf has produced an introduction to paleobiology for the interested reader as well as a primer for beginning students in the field. He considers such questions as how did primitive bacteria, pond scum, evolve into the complex life-forms found at the beginning of the Cambrian Period? How do scientists identify ancient microbes and what do these tiny creatures tell us about the environment of the early Earth? (And, in a related chapter, Schopf discusses his role in the controversy that swirls around recent claims of fossils in the famed meteorite from Mars.) Like all great teachers, Schopf teaches the non-specialist enough about his subject along the way that we can easily follow his descriptions of the geology, biology, and chemistry behind these discoveries. Anyone interested in the intriguing questions of the origins of life on Earth and how those origins have been discovered will find this story the best place to start.
Download or read book Natural History written by and published by . This book was released on 1925 with total page 712 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Age of Mammals written by Chris Manias and published by University of Pittsburgh Press. This book was released on 2023-06-27 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When people today hear “paleontology,” they immediately think of dinosaurs. But for much of the history of the discipline, dramatic demonstrations of the history of life focused on the developmental history of mammals. The Age of Mammals examines how nineteenth-century scholars, writers, artists, and public audiences understood the animals they regarded as being at the summit of life. For them, mammals were crucial for understanding the formation (and possibly the future) of the natural world. Yet, as Chris Manias reveals, this combined with more troubling notions: that seemingly promising creatures had been swept aside in the “struggle for life,” or that modern biodiversity was impoverished compared to previous eras. Why some prehistoric creatures, such as the saber-toothed cat and ground sloth, had become extinct, while others seemed to have been the ancestors of familiar animals like elephants and horses, was a question loaded with cultural assumptions, ambiguity, and trepidation. How humans related to deep developmental processes, and whether “the Age of Man” was qualitatively different from the Age of Mammals, led to reflections on humanity’s place within the natural world. With this book, Manias considers the cultural resonance of mammal paleontology from an international perspective—how reconstructions of the deep past of fossil mammals across the world conditioned new understandings of nature and the current environment.
Download or read book The Remnants of War written by John Mueller and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2013-02-15 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "War... is merely an idea, an institution, like dueling or slavery, that has been grafted onto human existence. It is not a trick of fate, a thunderbolt from hell, a natural calamity, or a desperate plot contrivance dreamed up by some sadistic puppeteer on high. And it seems to me that the institution is in pronounced decline, abandoned as attitudes toward it have changed, roughly following the pattern by which the ancient and formidable institution of slavery became discredited and then mostly obsolete."—from the Introduction War is one of the great themes of human history and now, John Mueller believes, it is clearly declining. Developed nations have generally abandoned it as a way for conducting their relations with other countries, and most current warfare (though not all) is opportunistic predation waged by packs—often remarkably small ones—of criminals and bullies. Thus, argues Mueller, war has been substantially reduced to its remnants—or dregs—and thugs are the residual combatants. Mueller is sensitive to the policy implications of this view. When developed states commit disciplined troops to peacekeeping, the result is usually a rapid cessation of murderous disorder. The Remnants of War thus reinvigorates our sense of the moral responsibility bound up in peacekeeping. In Mueller's view, capable domestic policing and military forces can also be effective in reestablishing civic order, and the building of competent governments is key to eliminating most of what remains of warfare.
Download or read book Ancient DNA written by Elizabeth D Jones and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2022-02-22 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The untold story of the rise of the new scientific field of ancient DNA research, and how Jurassic Park and popular media influenced its development Ancient DNA research—the recovery of genetic material from long-dead organisms—is a discipline that developed from science fiction into a reality between the 1980s and today. Drawing on scientific, historical, and archival material, as well as original interviews with more than fifty researchers worldwide, Elizabeth Jones explores the field’s formation and explains its relationship with the media by examining its close connection to de-extinction, the science and technology of resurrecting extinct species. She reveals how the search for DNA from fossils flourished under the influence of intense press and public interest, particularly as this new line of research coincided with the book and movie Jurassic Park. Ancient DNA is the first account to trace the historical and sociological interplay between science and celebrity in the rise of this new research field. In the process, Jones argues that ancient DNA research is more than a public-facing science: it is a celebrity science.
Download or read book Cosmic Echoes Searching For Ancient Life Among The Stars written by GEW Reports & Analyses Team. and published by Global East-West. This book was released on 2024-10-12 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exploring the Cosmic Tapestry: A Comparative Examination of Earthly and Extraterrestrial Civilizations This tome embarks on an intricate exploration of the development of civilizations on Earth, juxtaposing and contrasting these with the conceivable frameworks of extraterrestrial societies. It underscores the necessity of a profound understanding of the sociocultural, technological, and historical trajectories that have shaped human existence, thereby illuminating the potential diversity of sentient life within the boundless expanse of the cosmos. The discourse acknowledges that Earth's civilizations have traversed a seemingly linear progression, punctuated by distinct epochs of innovation and transformation. However, it recognizes that any comparative analysis with extraterrestrial counterparts could inherently be restricted by terrestrial preconceptions and biases. Significant milestones that have punctuated human civilization, including the inception of written communication, the emergence of intricate social hierarchies, and revolutionary technological advancements, are delineated as pivotal components of this comparative study. These milestones not only catalyzed societal evolution but are also invaluable in postulating the potential developmental paths of intelligent entities that may inhabit distant realms. Moreover, the narrative ventures into the ethical, moral, and philosophical implications entwined within the ascendance of civilizations. It contemplates how diverse cultural, religious, and ideological paradigms have sculpted the arc of human history. This introspection kindles the imagination, prompting speculation on how analogous elements might emerge within hypothetical alien civilizations. The analysis further contemplates the cosmic ramifications of technological evolution, touching upon the prospect of interstellar diffusion of knowledge, resources, and worldviews. By investigating the interconnections and discrepancies between Earth's technological milestones and potential extraterrestrial innovations, the study expands our comprehension of the plausible trajectories of intelligent life amidst the universe. This intellectual odyssey enriches our capacity to perceive the vast and intricate tapestry of intelligent existence in the cosmos while fostering a comprehensive understanding of humanity's position within this broader narrative of cosmic continuity. In summary, the work presents a nuanced framework for probing into the multifaceted nature of cosmic diversity. It seeks to delineate the conceivable commonalities and distinctions between human civilization and hypothesized extraterrestrial societies, despite the speculative essence of such comparisons. This examination invites readers to ponder the intricacies of civilization, encouraging a deeper appreciation for the myriad forms intelligence may take across the cosmos.
Download or read book Geological facts or the crust of the earth what it is and what are its uses written by W. G. Barrett and published by Prabhat Prakashan. This book was released on 2024-05-24 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dive into the fascinating world of geology with "Geological Facts; or, The Crust of the Earth, What It Is, and What Are Its Uses" by W. G. Barrett. Join us as we unravel the mysteries of the Earth's crust and discover the hidden treasures that lie beneath the surface. But what if the Earth's crust is more than just a layer of rock? Delve into Barrett's exploration and uncover the intricate processes that have shaped our planet over millions of years, from volcanic eruptions to tectonic shifts. As we journey through the pages of this book, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the importance of geology in our everyday lives. From the minerals we use in construction to the fossil fuels that power our modern world, "Geological Facts" sheds light on the myriad ways in which the Earth's crust enriches and sustains human civilization. Are you ready to embark on a journey of discovery and exploration? Prepare to be captivated by the wonders of geology as we delve into the inner workings of our planet and uncover its hidden treasures. Immerse yourself in the beauty and complexity of the Earth's crust as you learn about the diverse landscapes, natural resources, and geological phenomena that shape our world. Let Barrett's insights inspire you to see thEarth in a new light and appreciate the intricate balance of forces that govern our planet. Here's your chance to experience the awe-inspiring beauty of the Earth's crust. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn from "Geological Facts" by W. G. Barrett. Will you answer the call to explore the wonders of the natural world? Secure your copy now and embark on a journey of discovery that will deepen your appreciation for the Earth's crust and its vital role in sustaining life on our planet. It's more than just a book; it's a gateway to a deeper understanding of the world around us. "
Download or read book The Pan American Geologist written by and published by . This book was released on 1923 with total page 486 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A monthly journal devoted to speculative geology, constructive geological criticism, and geological record" (varies slightly).
Download or read book The Pan American Geologist written by Charles Rollin Keyes and published by . This book was released on 1923 with total page 924 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Geological Facts Or the Crust of the Earth what it Is and what are Its Uses written by William Garland Barrett and published by . This book was released on 1855 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Lahore Its History Architectural Remains and Antiquities written by Syad Muhammad Latif and published by . This book was released on 1892 with total page 688 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
