Sunday, June 09, 2002
If I may say so, yesterday degenerated into a totally shitty day and, at its eventual and welcomed conclusion, I felt in no way motivated to say anything about it. I should have gone to see Peter Murphy in Atlanta, even though I've been told the show wasn't all that great. Today will be better, if only because it isn't likely to be worse. Reagardless, I did write 820 wds. on Chapter Eight. Not as much as I'd have like to have written, but I can say it's a good 820 wds. I should do as well today.
Here are a couple of questions that came in yesterday. They have nothing much to do with writing, in general, or Low Red Moon, in particular, but that probably a point in their favor. Jackie asks:
Paleontology is an old, old interest of mine, recently reawakened, in part, by Threshold (and I'm blaming you for the consequences). I've been rereading the books I remember from my childhood - The Fossil Book by the Fentons (I was so amazed to find it still in print, I bought a copy) and Beerbower's Search for the Past. Do you have any suggestions for a more up to date "intro. to paleo." text?
And the other question: I am going to attempt to get ahold of and (try to) read your "Stratigraphic distribution and habitat segregation..." paper. I'm sure that there are going to be many "my brain hurts" moments, and that I'm going to need some help. I keep a dictionary near where I read. What should someone relatively clueless, but willing to make an effort, have nearby while trying the paper? A historical geology textbook? An open link to "Oceans of Kansas"? An *exceptional* dictionary?
As for an introduction to paleontology, there are a lot of good books out there. I rarely read (or notice) the very general ones these days, but here are a couple I have noticed lately:
Atlas of the Prehistoric World by Douglas Palmer
Time Machines: Scientific Explorations in Deep Time by Peter Ward
Fossils: The Key to the Past by Richard A Fortey
Life History of a Fossil: An Introduction to Taphonomy and Paleoecology by Pat Shipman
As for reading the biostratigraphy paper, I'm flattered, but be warned that it's pretty esoteric stuff. Yes, the Oceans of Kansas website is a good guide through much of the details of the Mosasauroidea and the Late Creatceous in North America. You might also check a local library for a dictionary of geological and paleontological terms. Good luck.
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