Contents
William Henry Matthews
Page
Introduction
1
What are fossils?
3
The study of fossils
4
Paleobotany
4
Invertebrate paleontology
4
Vertebrate paleontology
4
Micropaleontology
4
Preservation of fossils
5
Requirements of fossilization
5
Missing pages in the record
5
Different kinds of fossil preservation
7
Original soft parts of organisms
7
Original hard parts of organisms
7
Calcareous remains
10
Phosphatic remains
10
Siliceous remains
10
Chitinous remains
10
Altered hard parts of organisms
10
Carbonization
10
Petrifaction or permineralization
10
Replacement or mineralization
10
Replacement by calcareous material
11
Replacement by siliceous material
11
Replacement by iron compounds
11
Traces of organisms
11
Molds and casts
11
Tracks, trails, and burrows
14
Coprolites
14
Gastroliths
14
Pseudofossils
14
Dendrites
14
Slickensides
16
Concretions
16
Where and how to collect fossils
17
Collecting equipment
17
Where to look
19
How to collect
20
Cleaning and preparation of fossils
21
How fossils are named
21
The science of classification
21
The units of classification
22
Identification of fossils
23
Use of identification keys
23
Identification key to main types of invertebrate fossils
26
List of Texas colleges offering geology courses
27
Cataloging the collection
31
How fossils are used
31
Geologic history
33
Geologic column and time scale
33
The geology of Texas
34
Physiography
35
Trans-Pecos region
35
Texas Plains
35
High Plains
35
North-central Plains
37
Edwards Plateau
37
Grand Prairie
37
Llano uplift
37
Gulf Coastal Plain
37
Geology
37
Precambrian rocks
40<
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