Explorers of Deep Time : Paleontologists and the History of Life

Roy Plotnick

ISBN 10: 0231195346 / ISBN 13: 9780231195348

Published by Columbia University Press Jan 2022, 2022

About this Item

Neuware - Roy Plotnick provides a behind-the-scenes look at paleontology as it exists today in all its complexity. He explores the field's aims, methods, and possibilities, with an emphasis on the compelling personal stories of the scientists who have made it a career.

Seller Inventory # 9780231195348

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Explorers of Deep Time : Paleontologists and the History of Life
• Publisher: Columbia University Press Jan 2022
• Publication Date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0231195346
• ISBN 13: 9780231195348
• Binding: Buch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 246W x 213H x 28D millimeters 246 millimeters width by 213 millimeters height by 28 millimeters depth
• Weight: 754 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Paleontology is one of the most visible yet most misunderstood fields of science. Children dream of becoming paleontologists when they grow up. Museum visitors flock to exhibits on dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. The media reports on fossil discoveries and new clues to mass extinctions. Nonetheless, misconceptions abound: paleontologists are assumed only to be interested in dinosaurs, and they are all too often imagined as bearded white men in battered cowboy hats.

Roy Plotnick provides a behind-the-scenes look at paleontology as it exists today in all its complexity. He explores the field’s aims, methods, and possibilities, with an emphasis on the compelling personal stories of the scientists who have made it a career. Paleontologists study the entire history of life on Earth; they do not only use hammers and chisels to unearth fossils but are just as likely to work with cutting-edge computing technology. Plotnick presents the big questions about life’s history that drive paleontological research and shows why knowledge of Earth’s past is essential to understanding present-day environmental crises. He introduces readers to the diverse group of people of all genders, races, and international backgrounds who make up the twenty-first-century paleontology community, foregrounding their perspectives and firsthand narratives. He also frankly discusses the many challenges that face the profession, with key takeaways for aspiring scientists. Candid and comprehensive, Explorers of Deep Time is essential reading for anyone curious about the everyday work of real-life paleontologists.

About the Author

Roy Plotnick is professor emeritus in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a fellow of the Geological Society of America and the Paleontological Society.