Contents
Page [Introduction] 1 [What are fossils?] 3 [The study of fossils] 4 [Paleobotany] 4 [Invertebrate paleontology] 4 [Vertebrate paleontology] 4 [Micropaleontology] 4 [Preservation of fossils] 5 [Requirements of fossilization] 5 [Missing pages in the record] 5 [Different kinds of fossil preservation] 7 [Original soft parts of organisms] 7 [Original hard parts of organisms] 7 [Calcareous remains] 10 [Phosphatic remains] 10 [Siliceous remains] 10 [Chitinous remains] 10 [Altered hard parts of organisms] 10 [Carbonization] 10 [Petrifaction or permineralization] 10 [Replacement or mineralization] 10 [Replacement by calcareous material] 11 [Replacement by siliceous material] 11 [Replacement by iron compounds] 11 [Traces of organisms] 11 [Molds and casts] 11 [Tracks, trails, and burrows] 14 [Coprolites] 14 [Gastroliths] 14 [Pseudofossils] 14 [Dendrites] 14 [Slickensides] 16 [Concretions] 16 [Where and how to collect fossils] 17 [Collecting equipment] 17 [Where to look] 19 [How to collect] 20 [Cleaning and preparation of fossils] 21 [How fossils are named] 21 [The science of classification] 21 [The units of classification] 22 [Identification of fossils] 23 [Use of identification keys] 23 [Identification key to main types of invertebrate fossils] 26 [List of Texas colleges offering geology courses] 27 [Cataloging the collection] 31 [How fossils are used] 31 [Geologic history] 33 [Geologic column and time scale] 33 [The geology of Texas] 34 [Physiography] 35 [Trans-Pecos region] 35 [Texas Plains] 35 [High Plains] 35 [North-central Plains] 37 [Edwards Plateau] 37 [Grand Prairie] 37 [Llano uplift] 37 [Gulf Coastal Plain] 37 [Geology] 37 [Precambrian rocks] 40 [Paleozoic rocks] 40 [Cambrian] 40 [Ordovician] 40 [Silurian] 40 [Devonian] 40 [Mississippian] 41 [Pennsylvanian] 41 [Permian] 41 [Mesozoic rocks] 42 [Triassic] 42 [Jurassic] 42 [Cretaceous] 42 [Cenozoic rocks] 43 [Tertiary] 43 [Quaternary] 43 [Main types of fossils] 44 [Plant fossils] 44 [Classification of the plant kingdom] 44 [Division Thallophyta] 44 [Division Bryophyta] 44 [Division Tracheophyta] 44 [Animal fossils] 48 [Phylum Protozoa] 48 [Class Sarcodina] 48 [Order Foraminifera] 48 [Order Radiolaria] 48 [Phylum Porifera] 49 [Phylum Coelenterata] 49 [Class Anthozoa] 49 [Subclass Zoantharia] 50 [Order Rugosa] 50 [Order Scleractinia] 50 [Order Tabulata] 50 [Phylum Bryozoa] 50 [Phylum Brachiopoda] 54 [Class Inarticulata] 54 [Class Articulata] 56 [Phylum Mollusca] 56 [Class Gastropoda] 59 [Class Pelecypoda] 59 [Class Cephalopoda] 66 [Subclass Nautiloidea] 66 [Subclass Ammonoidea] 75 [Subclass Coleoidea] 78 [Order Belemnoidea] 78 [Phylum Annelida] 78 [Phylum Arthropoda] 78 [Subphylum Trilobitomorpha] 78 [Class Trilobita] 78 [Subphylum Crustacea] 80 [Class Ostracoda] 80 [Phylum Echinodermata] 80 [Subphylum Pelmatozoa] 81 [Class Cystoidea] 81 [Class Blastoidea] 81 [Class Crinoidea] 81 [Subphylum Eleutherozoa] 82 [Class Asterozoa] 82 [Subclass Asteroidea] 82 [Subclass Ophiuroidea] 82 [Class Echinozoa] 82 [Subclass Echinoidea] 82 [Subclass Holothuroidea] 85 [Phylum Chordata] 85 [Subphylum Hemichordata] 85 [Class Graptolithina] 85 [Subphylum Vertebrata] 86 [Superclass Pisces] 87 [Class Agnatha] 87 [Class Placodermi] 87 [Class Chondrichthyes] 87 [Class Osteichthyes] 87 [Superclass Tetrapoda] 89 [Class Amphibia] 89 [Class Reptilia] 89 [Cotylosaurs] 89 [Turtles] 89 [Pelycosaurs] 89 [Therapsids] 89 [Ichthyosaurs] 95 [Mosasaurs] 95 [Plesiosaurs] 95 [Phytosaurs] 95 [Crocodiles and alligators] 95 [Pterosaurs] 95 [Dinosaurs] 95 [Order Saurischia] 97 [Suborder Theropoda] 97 [Suborder Sauropoda] 97 [Order Ornithischia] 97 [Suborder Ornithopoda] 97 [Suborder Stegosauria] 97 [Suborder Ankylosauria] 97 [Suborder Ceratopsia] 100 [Class Aves] 100 [Class Mammalia] 100 [Subclass Allotheria] 100 [Subclass Theria] 100 [Order Edentata] 100 [Order Carnivora] 102 [Order Pantodonta] 102 [Order Dinocerata] 102 [Order Proboscidea] 102 [Order Perissodactyla] 104 [Horses] 104 [Titanotheres] 104 [Chalicotheres] 106 [Rhinoceroses] 106 [Order Artiodactyla] 106 [Entelodonts] 106 [Camels] 106 [Books about fossils] 108 [General works] 108 [Nontechnical and juvenile] 108 [Collecting helps] 108 [Reference works] 109 [Selected references on Texas fossils] 109 [Glossary] 111 [Index] 115