Reading the Rocks: A Biography of Ancient Alberta

Alberta is one of the few places in the world where the past touches the present so directly and profoundly. From Devonian pools plumbed by today's oil and gas industry, to Jurassic seams mined for coal, to a tourist's view of Cenozoic grasslands bordering the majestic Rockies, the livelihood and recreation of most Albertans is touched directly by the ancient past. Alberta's geological history stretches from the Precambrian Era, 500 million years ago, to the end of the Pleistocene Epoch, a mere 10,000 years ago. Alberta is one of those rare places where the history of the planet can be read with compelling precision. For more than a century, palaeontologists and geologists have been uncovering the remains of ancient creatures across this fossil-rich province, from the arid badlands to the Rocky Mountains. Recent abundant evidence from Alberta's landscape has contributed greatly to what we know about Earth's evolution. Drawing on this rich storehouse of evidence, scientists at the world-renowned Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, working with veteran natural history writer Monique Keiran, offer a dramatic and vividly detailed chronicle of the province's geological history. With over 200 full-color photographs, and 45 maps, timelines, and line drawings, this easy-to-read volume starts with the Big Bang and ends with the modern era - everything readers need to know about the making of ancient Alberta and the extraordinary story found when reading the rocks.