SUPPLEMENTARY READING
The literature pertaining to fossils is widely scattered and usually too technical for the layman. It is better to use the resources of the nearest library than to feel that a specified list of books is necessary.
Any textbook on geology, zoology, or botany will provide helpful information. Most books of this type will be found interesting and readable if used to solve definite problems suggested by the student’s immediate curiosity. Very few can be read from beginning to end without a great deal of effort and discouragement.
The following have been prominent among the books consulted by the author:
Textbook of Geology; by Pirsson and Schuchert. This work has undergone several revisions and currently appears in two volumes: Physical Geology by Longwell, Knopf, and Flint; Historical Geology by C. O. Dunbar. Published by John Wiley & Sons. (Historical geology covers the entire range of prehistoric life—plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate.)
Historical Geology (The Geologic History of North America); by Russell C. Hussey. Published by McGraw-Hill. Concise, interesting, and informative.
Geology and Natural Resources of Colorado; by R. D. George. Published by the University of Colorado. Contains an excellent summary of the historical geology and sedimentary formations of Colorado.
Vertebrate Paleontology; by Alfred Sherwood Romer. Published by the University of Chicago Press. This is one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date treatments of the subject for students desiring to go beyond the elementary stage.
A History of Land Mammals in the Western Hemisphere; by William Berryman Scott. Published by The Macmillan Company. This well-known account of living and extinct mammals is one of the favorites among students.
The Age of Mammals; by Henry Fairfield Osborn. A classic in this field of literature, but for advanced reading. The book is now out of print.
The Dinosaur Book; by Edwin H. Colbert. Published by the American Museum of Natural History, New York. An illustrated story of amphibian and reptilian evolution.
Down to Earth; by Carey Croneis and William C. Krumbein. Published by the University of Chicago Press. An excellent popularization of the earth sciences—geology and paleontology.
Lexicon of Geologic Names of the United States; compiled by M. Grace Wilmarth. Bulletin 896 (in two parts) of the United States Geological Survey. A rich source of information concerning the age, character, and distribution of geologic formations, with numerous references to fossil-bearing beds.
Bibliography of North American Geology (including paleontology); various bulletins of the United States Geological Survey. Where library facilities provide access to the technical literature of museums, universities, and scientific societies, this is a valuable aid in locating publications dealing with original work in paleontology. Bulletins 746 and 747 cover the years between 1785 and 1918; Bul. 823 (1918-1928); Bul. 937 (1929-1939); Bul. 938 (1940-1941); Bul. 949 (1942-1943); Bul. 952 (1944-1945); Bul. 958 (1940-1947); Bul. 968 (1948); Bul 977 (1949). Preparation is a continuous process with recent bulletins appearing at one or two year intervals.
Ancient Man in North America and Prehistoric Indians of the Southwest; by H. M. Wormington. Published by Denver Museum of Natural History, City Park, Denver 6, Colorado. Both volumes contain authentic and up-to-date accounts of early American cultures.