Synopses & Reviews
Cengage Learning's HISTORICAL GEOLOGY brings course concepts to life with interactive learning, study, and exam preparation tools along with comprehensive text content for historical geology courses. Whether you use a traditional printed text or all digital CourseMate alternative, it's never been easier to better understand the the geological and biological history of Earth and the underlying principles and processes that have shaped our planet.
About the Author
Reed Wicander is a geology professor at Central Michigan University, where he teaches Physical Geology, Historical Geology, Prehistoric Life, and Invertebrate Paleontology and was previously chair of the department. He obtained his B.A. at San Diego State University and his Ph.D. at UCLA. His main research interests involve various aspects of Paleozoic palynology, specifically the study of acritarchs, on which he has published numerous papers. He is a past president of the American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists and currently a councilor of the International Federation of Palynological Societies and chair of the Acritarch Subcommission of the Commission Internationale de Microflore du Paleozoique. He has coauthored several geology textbooks with James S. Monroe. James S. Monroe is Professor Emeritus of Geology at Central Michigan University, where he taught Physical Geology, Historical Geology, Prehistoric Life, and Stratigraphy and Sedimentology beginning in 1975 and served as chair of the Geology department. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Montana. He has coauthored several textbooks with Reed Wicander and has interests in Cenozoic geology and geologic education. Monroe now lives in Chico, California, where he remains active in geology by teaching courses to a large group of retirees.
Table of Contents
1. The Dynamic and Evolving Earth. 2. Minerals and Rocks. 3. Plate Tectonics: A Unifying Theory. 4. Geologic Time: Concepts and Principles. 5. Rocks, Fossils, and Time--Making Sense of the Geologic Record. 6. Sedimentary Rocks--The Archives of Earth History. 7. Evolution--The Theory and Its Supporting Evidence. 8. Precambrian Earth and Life History--The Archean Eon. 9. Precambrian Earth and Life History--The Proterozoic Eon. 10. Early Paleozoic Earth History. 11. Late Paleozoic Earth History. 12. Paleozoic Life History: Invertebrates. 13. Paleozoic Life History: Vertebrates and Plants. 14. Mesozoic Earth History. 15. Life of the Mesozoic Era. 16. Cenozoic Earth History: The Paleogene and Neogene. 17. Cenozoic Geologic History: The Pleistocene and Holocene Epochs. 18. Life of the Cenozoic Era. 19. Primate and Human Evolution. Epilogue. Appendix A: Metric Conversion Chart. Appendix B: Classification of Organisms. Appendix C: Mineral Identification.