cover of Fossil Record book

Maine's Fossil Record

The Paleozoic


by
Lisa Churchill-Dickson

2007


500 p. (175 black-and-white photos of fossil specimens)

Price (hardcover): $20.00
(Catalog No. FOSS-HC)

Price (softcover): $15.00
(Catalog No. FOSS-SC)

ordering instructions    buy online


The Maine Geological Survey has published "Maine's Fossil Record: The Paleozoic." This 500-page book is the most comprehensive treatise on Maine's bedrock fossils ever published. The primary purpose of this book is to serve as a stand-alone reference for Maine's Paleozoic paleontology, whether it be for the interested layperson or professional geoscientist.

For the general reader, Chapters 1 and 2 cover introductory material and acquaint the non-scientist with basic geological and paleontological concepts. A general overview of each of the taxonomic groups is given in Chapters 3 to 12, including stylized line drawings and photographs of typical Maine specimens. Life in Maine during the Cambrian through Devonian, and a summary of the major geological and biological events during that time are discussed in Chapters 13 to 16. Chapter 17 briefly discusses life in Maine following the Devonian. Information relating to fossil collection is discussed in Chapter 18. A glossary of technical terms can be found at the end of the book.

For the professional, Chapter 1 provides a general overview of past paleontological work in Maine. Detailed listings of taxa, including basic systematic information and generalized ecological distributions, are provided in Chapters 3 to 12. Discussions of Maine's tectonic and environmental settings, including a listing and brief description of all fossiliferous formations, are contained within Chapters 13 to 16. Case studies providing additional detail for particular formations and ecomatrices, showing the distribution of organisms with respect to bathymetry and lithology/substrate, are provided in Chapters 14 to 16. Technical appendices include complete and fully referenced taxonomic listings arranged by formation/unit (Appendix A), criteria used to assign bathymetric ranges for each unit (Appendix B), and the data used to construct a standardized stratigraphy for Maine's fossiliferous units (Appendix C).

Our main focus throughout the development of this work has been to make Maine paleontology more accessible to all groups. It is through this increase in accessibility that the history of life in Maine can be more fully utilized and appreciated by the professional, educator, and layperson alike.


Table of Contents

PART 1 - INTRODUCTORY CONCEPTS 1
Chapter 1 - The History of Paleontological Work in Maine 5
Chapter 2 - Geological Primer 15

PART 2 - THE PALEOBIOLOGY OF MAINE'S FOSSILS 43
Chapter 3 - Phylum Cnidaria - Class Anthozoa (corals) 47
Chapter 4 - Phylum Brachiopoda 61
Chapter 5 - Phylum Mollusca - Class Bivalvia (clams) 91
Chapter 6 - Phylum Mollusca - Class Gastropoda (snails) 105
Chapter 7 - Phylum Arthropoda - Class Ostracoda 119
Chapter 8 - Phylum Arthropoda - Class Trilobita 127
Chapter 9 - Phylum Hemichordata - Class Graptolithina 141
Chapter 10 - Trace Fossils 151
Chapter 11 - Kingdom Plantae 157
Chapter 12 - Minor Fossil Groups in Maine
  • Phylum Porifera
  • Phylum Porifera - Class Stromatoporoidea
  • Phylum Bryozoa
  • Phylum Mollusca - Class Cephalopoda
  • Phylum Mollusca? - Class Tentaculitoidea
  • Phylum Echinodermata - Class Crinoidea
  • Phylum Echinodermata - Subphylum Asterozoa (starfish and brittle stars)
  • Phylum Arthropoda - Subclass Eurypterida
  • Phylum Conodonta
  • Phylum Chordata - Classes Acanthodii and Placodermi
169

PART 3 - HISTORICAL GEOLOGY 187
Chapter 13 - The Cambrian Period 189
Chapter 14 - The Ordovician Period 203
Chapter 15 - The Silurian Period 233
Chapter 16 - The Devonian Period 263
Chapter 17 - Post-Devonian Time 295
Chapter 18 - Fossil Collecting 299

References Cited 305
Appendix A: Faunal and Floral Listings by Formation 321
Appendix B: Bathymetry 403
Appendix C: Age Assignments 411
Appendix D: Species / Formation Tables 421
Glossary 475
General Index 485
Index to Genera/Species 493
Index to Formations/Deposits 497

Last updated on February 9, 2016