Author Description

Product Description The recent discovery of diverse fossil flowers and floral organs in Cretaceous strata has revealed astonishing details about the structural and systematic diversity of early angiosperms. Exploring the rich fossil record that has accumulated over the last three decades, this is a unique study of the evolutionary history of flowering plants from their earliest phases in obscurity to their dominance in modern vegetation. The discussion provides comprehensive biological and geological background information, before moving on to summarise the fossil record in detail. Including previously unpublished results based on research into Early and Late Cretaceous fossil floras from Europe and North America, the authors draw on direct palaeontological evidence of the pattern of angiosperm evolution through time. Synthesising palaeobotanical data with information from living plants, this unique book explores the latest research in the field, highlighting connections with phylogenetic systematics, structure and the biology of extant angiosperms. Review "This book presents a comprehensive and detailed examination of the origin and diversification of the flowering plants (angiosperms) based on their rich Cretaceous fossil record. The text is richly complemented by photographs and illustrations of the fossils. These chapters present information on all types of available fossil evidence, but the bulk of the Cretaceous angiosperm record, and the great strength of this book, is the compilation of information on the abundant and diverse "mesofossils" (small fossil flowers, fruits, and seeds) that have been described by Friis, Crane, and Pederson (and several other authors) over the past 30 years or so. This book will be very useful as a textbook for university courses. It may also be of interest to the dedicated amateur botanist or paleontologist, and it will be an essential reference for researchers working in angiosperm systematics and e