| Description |
xviii, 239 pages, <16> leaves of color plates : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm |
| Contents |
1. Introduction. From Where and Whence. Why Select Amber for Study? How Biased Are Amber Samples? Structure of Tropical Forests -- 2. The Amber Forest. The Plants. Plant-Feeding Insects. Aquatic Biota. Social Insects. Predators. Parasites and parasitoids. Vertebrates -- 3. Reconstruction of the Amber Forest -- 4. Amber Today. Handling, Photographing, and Preserving Amber. Amber Imitations and Forgeries. Tissue Preservation and Ancient DNA in Amber -- App. A. Frequency of Organisms in Dominican Amber -- App. B. Biota in Dominican Amber |
| Summary |
George and Roberta Poinar are world leaders in the study of amber fossils and have spent years examining the uniquely rich supply that has survived from the ancient forests of the Dominican Republic. They draw on their research here to reconstruct in words, drawings, and spectacular color photographs the ecosystem that existed on the island of Hispaniola between fifteen and forty-five million years ago. The result is the most accurate picture scientists have yet produced of any tropical forest of the past. The Poinars present richly detailed drawings of how the forests once appeared. They discuss how and when life colonized Hispaniola and what caused some forms to become extinct. Along the way, they describe how amber is formed, how and where it has been preserved, and how it is mined, sold, and occasionally forged for profit today |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages [215]-228) and index |
| Subject |
Amber fossils -- Dominican Republic.
|
|
Amber -- Dominican Republic.
|
|
Paleoecology -- Dominican Republic.
|
| Author |
Poinar, Roberta.
|
| LC no. |
98035388 |
| ISBN |
0691057281 paperback |
|
0691028885 cloth alkaline paper |
|
