Guide to Fossils

by Firefly Books

A practical guide to identifying, understanding and hunting for fossils.

The Firefly Guide to Fossils is a practical, pocket-sized and beautifully illustrated field guide. Its introduction explains how fossils form and the history of ancient life. Fossil classification and distribution are described, providing essential background information for students and collectors.

Fossil hunting is described in detail with practical advice on everything from finding sites to displaying specimens. The main part of the book presents major groups of fossils, from trilobites to tree ferns in a wide international range, from the common and easy-to-find, to dinosaur bones that would crown any collection. The entries are illustrated with color images accompanied by clear descriptive text.

A quick reference identification key organizes the 400 specimens by the major fossil classification, making it easier to find detailed information for each one.

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 6, 2003

Reviews

[Trent Marv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright so this book is meant to serve as a general guide to several common (and not so common) fossils. It generally has a solid structure. Starting with a good overview of what exactly a fossil is and the various subtypes. It also does a decent job explaining evolution, various different types of sedimentary rocks, how scientists collect fossils and the geographic record.
It shows a good variety of animals of a large number of groups like echinoderms such as Blatozoans, arthropods like trilobites, and cephalopods like ammonites and nautiloids. However, they do mention a few groups but don't illustrate them, like the Rostroconcha which is a bit odd. And the Vertebrate section honestly seemed a bit stuck on. Could have maybe been a few more plants as well.
Overall a great beginner guide for any who love extinct animals but I do recommend looking further if you want more info