Texas Fossils: An Amateur Collector's Handbook

The handbook explains what fossils are and outlines the main branches of paleontology—paleobotany, invertebrate, vertebrate, and micropaleontology—then surveys fossil preservation mechanisms (original soft and hard parts, mineral replacement, permineralization, molds, traces) and common pseudofossils. It gives practical advice on collecting equipment, where and how to search, cleaning and preparation techniques, cataloging, and use of identification keys and classification units. Regional geology and a geologic time framework are summarized to place fossil occurrences in context. The work concludes with descriptions of major fossil groups and a discussion of how fossils are used to reconstruct ancient environments.