Book review: Fossils – The essential guide, by Paul D Taylor
Jon Trevelyan (UK
I reviewed Paul Taylor’s book, A History of Life in 1000 Fossils, a while ago (see Book review: A History of Life in 100 Fossils, by Paul D Taylor and Aaron O’Dea) and really enjoyed it and its format. And I should note that Paul is a long-time contributor to Deposits, in part due to his ability to write great English to explain palaeontology to amateurs and experts alike.
To be fair, I was expecting something just for the inexperienced as evidenced by the Natural History Museum somewhat exuberant blurb:
“Explore the world of fossils and what they reveal about the history of life on Earth, from the emergence of new life forms to cataclysmic mass extinctions.”
However, for someone like me who has been around the block a bit as far as fossils are concerned, I thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt a great deal. While it claims to be “a comprehensive guide to all aspects of fossils” (which may be a bit of a stretch), there is no doubt that it covers the ground. More particularly, the chapters cover:
- Fossils, Rocks and Geological Time
- The Oldest Fossils
- Trilobites and Other Arthropods
- Ammonites and Their Relatives
- Superabundant Shells
- Invertebrates of All Shapes and Sizes
- The Phylum of Five: Echinoderms
- Fishes and Amphibians: From Fins to Feet
- Reptiles and Birds: The Rise of the Archosaurs
- Our Family and Other Mammals
- Fossil Plants: The Greens Join the Party
- Microfossils by the Millions
- Trace Fossils: Snapshots of Ancient Behaviour
That is, the book begins with how fossils form and how they are used to define geological time, and what they tell us about the origins of life and major evolutionary events like the Cambrian Explosion. It then moves on to cover different types of fossils in terms of the animals and plants that are fossilised, and the fossilisation of their behaviour through trace fossils.
The book contains lovely full-colour pictures, which feature many original specimens from the NHM’s collections and, as I say, is written in a style that makes it accessible to everyone. As I said, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to you. And it’s published today (27 February 2025).
Paul has also written a short article about this book, which is also published today (see Fossils: The Essential Guide).
Paul D Taylor has worked in the Earth Sciences Department at the Natural History Museum, London for 35 years. His research focuses on fossil and living bryozoans, as well as on evolution, palaeoecology and fossil folklore.
Fossils: The essential guide Hardcover, by Paul D Taylor, Natural History Museum, London (2025), 224 pages (hardcover), ISBN: 978-0565095635