Reading the Rocks : A Biography of Ancient Alberta

Alberta is one of the few places in the world where the past touches the present so directly and profoundly. From Devonian pools plumbed by today's oil and gas industry, to Jurassic seams mined for coal, to a tourist's view of Cenozoic grasslands bordering the majestic Rockies, the livelihood and recreation of most Albertans is touched directly by the ancient past. Alberta's geological history stretches from the Precambrian Era, 500 million years ago, to the end of the Pleistocene Epoch, a mere 10,000 years ago.

Alberta is one of those rare places where the history of the planet can be read with compelling precision. For more than a century, palaeontologists and geologists have been uncovering the remains of ancient creatures across this fossil-rich province, from the arid badlands to the Rocky Mountains. Recent abundant evidence from Alberta's landscape has contributed greatly to what we know about Earth's evolution.

Drawing on this rich storehouse of evidence, scientists at the world-renowned Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, working with veteran natural history writer Monique Keiran, offer a dramatic and vividly detailed chronicle of the province's geological history.

With over 200 full-color photographs, and 45 maps, timelines, and line drawings, this easy-to-read volume starts with the Big Bang and ends with the modern era - everything readers need to know about the making of ancient Alberta and the extraordinary story found when reading the rocks.

Monique Keiran is a writer and editor who has spent many years writing about and exploring Alberta's parks, environment, science and heritage. Monique has a long working relationship with the Royal Tyrrell Museum and other museums across North America. She now makes her home in Victoria, British Columbia, but remains dedicated to telling the stories of Alberta's ancient past.

The Royal Tyrrell Museum, located in the heart of Alberta's badlands, is Canada's only museum devoted exclusively to the collection, research and display of palaeontology, with special emphasis on Alberta's fossil heritage. This world-renowned facility attracts almost 400,000 visitors annually, and has one of the largest dinosaur exhibits in the world, with forty complete dinosaur skeletons and more than 800 fossils on display. Visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum web site at www.tyrrellmuseum.com.