Triassic Life on Land

The Triassic period is generally viewed as the beginning of the Age of Dinosaurs. For paleontologists, however, it also marks the rise of the world's first modern land ecosystems.

Over the past three decades, extensive, worldwide fieldwork has led to the discovery of many new species of Triassic animals and plants, suggesting that faunal and floral changes already began in the Middle Triassic and were more protracted than previously thought. The Late Triassic is a pivotal time in the evolution of life on land, with many of the major groups of present-day vertebrates and insects first appearing in the fossil record. This book provides the first detailed overview of life on land during the Triassic period for advanced students and researchers. Noted vertebrate paleontologists Hans-Dieter Sues and Nicholas C. Fraser also review the biotic changes of this period and their possible causes.

Autorentext

Hans-Dieter Sues and Nicholas C. Fraser

Inhalt

Preface

1. Introduction
2. Early and Early Middle Triassic in Gondwana
3. Early and Early Middle Triassic in Laurasia
4. Late Middle and Late Triassic of Gondwana
5. Late Middle and Late Triassic of Europe
6. Late Triassic of Great Britain
7. Triassic of the Central Atlantic Margin System
8. Late Triassic of the Western United States
9. Two Extraordinary Windows into Triassic Life
10. Biotic Changes During the Triassic Period
11. The End of the Triassic: Out with a Bang or a Whimper?
    Glossary
    References
    Index