The Jehol Fossils: The Emergence of Feathered Dinosaurs, Beaked Birds and Flowering Plants
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Book Summary Information
Editor: Pei-ji ChenEditor: Yuan Wang
Editor: Yuan-qing Wang
Editor: Mee-Mann Chang
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-03-07
ISBN: 0123741734
Number of pages: 208
Publisher: Academic Press
Book Reviews of The Jehol Fossils: The Emergence of Feathered Dinosaurs, Beaked Birds and Flowering Plants
Book Review: Feathers of Interest
Summary: 5 Stars
The dust jacket of this book states: "This is a first class scientific and pictorial compendium of the most important fossil locality to be found in generations - supassing the Mongolian Flaming Cliffs and rivaling Messel and Solnhofen." This is not excessive hyperbole for the thousands of fossils in excellent preservation have revealed this area to be probably the most notable and famous discovery since Archaeopteryx in 1861. The discoveries include not only birds just a little more derived than Archaeopteryx and the very earliest birds with beaks, but also a variety of dinosaurs with an array of feathers not used for flight but probably for display and thermal regulation. This is the first finding of true feathers in animals other than birds. In addition there are fossils of several early flowering plants that show some advanced characters of specialization seen in later evolved families. This book covers these varied findings giving some historical background, brief description and characterization and an indication of its importance in relation to other discoveries in the same taxonomic group. The value of the book is further enhanced by lavish color illustrations, drawings, diagrams and paintings.
"Jehol" is an old Wade-Giles romanization of what now in Pinyon romanization would be "Rehe". However since the American geologist A.W. Grabau published the name Jehol Fauna in 1926 the name Jehol remains as the area name. The book is about the spectacular discoveries made from 1996 onward in one small part of the "Jehol" region. The whole area is almost the size of continental Europe and covers northeastern China (Manchuria), parts of Mongolia, Korea, Russia and the Sea of Japan. Most of the recent discoveries are concentrated in western Liaoning, Hebei, Jilin in China and some adjacent areas. The time of formation is somewhere in Early Cretaceous, the area was near the Tethys Ocean and had a warm, wet equable climate. The dating of the Jehol biota has been debated for many years (an still is) but most workers accept Early Cretaceous - about 139 Mya for some beds and 125 Mya for many others. The beds are gray lacustrine layers intercalated with volcanic tuffa. A picture emerges of large lakes teeming with fish and other animals surrounded by lush forests filled with birds, animals and feathered dinosaurs of all sizes and hordes of insects and other invertebrates. This lasts until all is covered in volcanic ash and the whole thing starts all over again.
The several chapters take each biologic group separately so that among the animals are chapters on Gastropods, Bivalves, Conchostrachians, Ostracods, Shrimps, Insects and Spiders, Fishes, Amphibians, Turtles, Squamates, Pterosaurs, Dinosaurs, Birds, Mammals etc. and plant groups Charophytes, Land Plants, Angiosperms, Spores and Pollen. The findings of greatest general interest is in the many types of dinosaurs adorned with feathers. The first of these was Sinosauropteryx in 1996. It had many tufts of thin hair-like structures all over it's body. Some said they were primitive feathers and others disagreed. About a thousand specimens have been discovered. The following year two dinosaurs with indisputable feathers were found: Protoarchaeopteryx and Caudipteryx. Both were unable to fly. This finding was followed by many other feathered species including the smallest known dinosaur, Microrapter(about 16 inches in length). A secong species, Microrapter gui, discovered in 2003 had long feathers on it's arms and also on it's legs so that it had "four wings" but was probably a glider and a tree dweller.
By now about a dozen "feathered" dinosaurs have been found; some with several individual specimens and some with hundreds. Among the fossil birds, Confuciusornis, is notable as it appears to be the oldest beaked bird known to date. It is built to fly and the male had a bird-like tail with long feathers for display. A contemporary was Jeholornis with teeth, long wings and a long, feathered, reptilian bony tail and was little advanced from Archaeopteryx. Among the mammals are several Trichodonts, a few Multituberculates, Symmetrodonts and one Eutherian, Eomia; the earliest placental animal so far known. It is also the first such with specialized limbs for a scansorial habit.
The plant life was abundant and is well representedin in the fossil lake bottoms. Bryophtes, Lycopods, Shenopsids, Filicopsids, Ginkos, Czekanowskialeans (early seed plants), Conifers, Bennettites, Gnetales, and Angiosperms. Some of the latter were specialized aquatics such as Archefructus, and the advanced Sinocarpus with features of eudicots.
This is a grand book, grandly written and illustrated; a true gem that will be read and reread often.
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