The beginning fossil collector is usually amazed by the many different
plants and animals that have left some trace of their existence. In
order to understand these different types of prehistoric life, it is
necessary to know something about the organisms that are living today.
This handbook discusses the more important groups of plants and animals
which have left some sort of paleontological record, and each major
group begins with a discussion of the more simple organisms and
continues through the more advanced forms. Because scientific workers do
not always agree on exactly the same classification, the system adopted
in this handbook contains the latest ideas of several workers. It is
simple enough to understand, yet complete enough to help one know and
classify his fossils. It should be noted that this classification may
differ in some respects from that of certain older paleontological
publications. Therefore, it has seemed advisable to list other names for
some of the groups that are discussed.
In some instances, the brief descriptions and illustrations of each
group will enable the collector to make a preliminary identification of
his fossils. For more detailed information about each group, the reader
should refer to “Books About Fossils” (pp. 108-110).
This part of the handbook begins with a brief summary of the major
groups of the plant kingdom, followed by a discussion of the
characteristics and relative paleontological importance of the various
invertebrate animals. Emphasis is placed on the invertebrates because
this type of fossil is most commonly collected by the amateur. Finally,
there is a general review of the vertebrates.