This project aims to study fossil amphibian and reptile (herpetofaunal) remains from Quaternary sites in the British Isles. This neglected group of vertebrates hold great potential for Quaternary Science. Collectively, they cover a wide range of ecological tolerances, although individual species often have very specific tolerances. The biology and ecology of individual species are discussed (Chapter 2) to facilitate their use in Quaternary palaeoenvironmental reconstructions, and an account of previous work on fossil herpetofaunas is given (Chapter 3). Very little work on fossil herpetofaunas has been carried out in the British Isles, mainly due to a lack of the required osteological expertise. The preparation and study of a modern osteological collection (Chapter 4), for comparative purposes, has therefore constituted a large and essential part of the project. The resulting manual for the identification of fossil herpetofaunal remains, appropriately illustrated with SEMs and hand-drawn figures, is presented (Chapter 5). The difficulties encountered in identifying some taxa are discussed in detail, and points of caution are stressed where necessary.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:389932 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Gleed-Owen, C. P. |
| Publisher | Coventry University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://curve.coventry.ac.uk/open/items/8ee6cd03-3f4f-aef0-7889-1b1783d4efd5/1 |
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