{"product_id":"footprints-in-stone-fossil-traces-of-coal-age-tetrapods-9780817358440","title":"Footprints in Stone: Fossil Traces of Coal-Age Tetrapods","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhere ancient creatures walked--science uncovers their lasting impressions.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Steven C. Minkin (Union Chapel) Paleozoic Footprint Site ranks among the most important fossil sites in the world today, and \u003ci\u003eFootprints in Stone\u003c\/i\u003e recounts the accidental revelation of its existence and detailed findings about its fossil record.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCurrently 2,500 miles from the equator and more than 250 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico, the Minkin site was a swampy tropical forest adjacent to a tidal flat during the Coal Age or Carboniferous Period more than 300 million years ago. That fecund strand of sand and mud at the ocean's edge teemed with the earth's earliest reptiles as well as amphibians, fish, horseshoe crabs, spiders, jumping insects, and other fascinating organisms. Unlike dinosaurs and other large animals whose sturdy bodies left hard fossil records, most of these small, soft-bodied creatures left no concrete remains. But they did leave something else. Preserved in the site's coal beds along with insect wings and beautifully textured patterns of primeval plants are their footprints, fossilized animal tracks from which modern paleontologists can glean many valuable insights about their physical anatomies and behaviors.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe paleontological examination of fossil tracks is now the cutting-edge of contemporary scholarship, and the Minkin site is the first and largest site of its kind in eastern North America. Discovered by a local high school science teacher, the site provides both professional and amateur paleontologists around the world with a wealth of fossil track samples along with an inspirational story for amateur explorers and collectors.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuthoritative and extensively illustrated, \u003ci\u003eFootprints in Stone \u003c\/i\u003ebrings together the contributions of many geologists and paleontologists who photographed, documented, and analyzed the Minkin site's fossil trackways. An engrossing tale of its serendipitous discovery and a detailed study of its fossil records, \u003ci\u003eFootprints in Stone\u003c\/i\u003e is a landmark publication in the history of paleontology.\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University Alabama Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/26\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780817358440\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 352\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 2.50lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.30h x 7.30w x 1.10d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/01\/2017\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Ronald J. Buta,David C. Kopaska-Merkel","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52679482998965,"sku":"9780817358440","price":42.46,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/footprints-in-stone-fossil-traces-of-coal-age-tetrapods-9780817358440","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}