| The Magazine of the CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES |
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REVIEWS California's Early Inhabitants Dinosaurs and Other Mesozoic Reptiles of California, by Richard P. Hilton, illustrated by Ken Kirkland. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, 2003, 356 pp., $39.95 hardcover. California is not thought of as dinosaur country, but a surprising number and variety of fossil reptiles have been found here. Richard Hilton, professor of geology at Rocklin College, and an active fossil collector, has assembled information on all Mesozoic reptilian fossils found in the state. Though the book’s title has “dinosaurs” first and large, in fact most of these fossils are the “other Mesozoic reptiles,” especially the marine forms (ichthyosaurs, mosasaurs, etc.). This is hardly surprising since the tremendous volume of Mesozoic sedimentary rock in California consists almost entirely of marine deposits. At the beginning of the Mesozoic Era—the age of dinosaurs—the area that is now California was covered by ocean; the land area increased slowly and by the end of the era covered roughly the eastern third of the state. Even so, the common types of dinosaur-bearing sedimentary rocks (mainly river deposits) are virtually absent, and these fossils are from animals washed offshore and buried in marine sediment. But Hilton uses geological boundaries defining “California” broadly to include the abundant dinosaur material from non-marine rocks in Baja California. Alta California has just four of the eleven kinds of dinosaurs Hilton describes, and most bones are from Baja California. Hilton’s book is divided into two parts: “California during the Age of Reptiles,” and “History of Discovery.” The first part includes a generalized description of the Mesozoic geology and geological processes of the California region, a discussion of the Mesozoic marine and terrestrial environments where the reptiles lived—the book gives marine forms the space they deserve—and then describes each kind of animal and its occurrence in greater California, accompanied by skeletal drawings and colorful reconstructions of the animals as they were in life by artist Ken Kirkland. The second part is a well-illustrated, fascinating history of the discovery and collection of these fossils, with brief biographical sketches of the principal finders. Hilton has interviewed and photographed those collectors still living, and he deserves special praise for acknowledging the important contributions of preparators, illustrators, and photographers. Two operations receive extended treatment: the well-documented excavations of Late Cretaceous marine reptiles and duckbilled dinosaurs carried out by the California Institute of Technology in the Panoche Hills from 1939 to 1940, and the recovery of Triassic marine reptiles by the University of California, Berkeley, in Shasta County from 1901 to 1910. The text is easy to follow, but contains many technical terms and taxonomic names. A glossary is included. In places the writing is a bit florid, but the book’s more serious shorcomings are phrases such as “evolved to fit a particular way of life,” and “allowed the body to be stiffer,” which imply that evolution was directed or controlled rather than naturally selected. On a personal note, the ammonite illustrated in Figure 5.20 was not collected by me and Michael Murphy in Shasta County, but by Clarence Schuchman in Tehama County. Although the book is written for the non-professional, it contains much valuable technical information not readily obtained. An appendix lists all known specimens of Mesozoic “reptiles” from California and Baja California. A valuable table includes identifications, repositories and specimen numbers, skeletal elements, geologic ages and formations, names and dates of finders, and general locations. Peter Rodda Lost World: Rewriting Prehistory—How New Science is Tracing America’s Ice Age Mariners, by Tom Koppel. Atria Books, New York, NY, 2003, 320 pp., $26.00 hardcover. For those interested in who the First Americans were, where they came from, and how they got here, the “coastal migration” hypothesis is hot news. Now author Tom Koppel has pulled together much of the latest thinking on what has been a very controversial idea—that the Americas could have been settled very quickly if the first immigrants traveled along the coast from Alaska southward. By zeroing in on the people doing this research, Koppel captures the excitement of scientific investigation, from the drama of dashed hopes to the tantalizing gleam of possibility. The result is a real page-turner. By focusing on personal stories, Koppel does not shortchange the technical side. With deft journalistic skill, he slips in the archaeological evidence that has shaped prevailing views about the earliest settlers, shows why it has been controversial, and summarizes the arguments on all sides. There are a few things one might complain about. It’s probably not necessary to rant so stridently against proponents of now-faded hypotheses. One person interviewed was actually peripheral to the research, so although the facts are mostly accurate, proper credit is not given to the more central participants. And rain forest soils are acidic, not alkaline. My most serious criticism is that, since this is a book for general audiences, it would have been better to express dates in calendar years rather than on a radiocarbon dating scale. Most readers will not be able to convert those numbers easily. Otherwise, this is a most enjoyable and enlightening book.
Before California: An Archaeologist Looks at Our Earliest Inhabitants, by Brian Fagan. Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD, 2003, 288 pp., $24.95 hardcover. In his latest book, University of California at Santa Barbara professor Brian Fagan takes on the monumental task of explaining how California was populated between the last Ice Age, around 11,500 bce, and the arrival of the first Spanish explorers in 1542. Collating his own research with that of colleagues, Fagan discusses archaeological theories and methods in layman’s terms. He shows readers how scientists reconstruct the past from scant material evidence, and gives a glimpse into the daily lives of the first humans to settle California. In popular literature, pre-colonial California Indians are portrayed as living in harmony with nature and each other. In this Garden of Eden, natural resources were abundant, food was plentiful, and life was simple and peaceful. Fagan debunks these myths and tells a story of a hunter-gatherer subsistence fraught with peril. He depicts the grim realities that paleo-indians faced in an unstable and often hostile environment where constant climatic changes sometimes caused starvation and disease. After 2500 BCE, when many populations increased dramatically because of a shift to a higher protein, acorn-rich diet, the situation only got worse. More people competed for less food. Groups began venturing into neighboring territories, which led to tribal warfare. These were societies under stress, and California was not the land of milk and honey. Fagan’s findings are supported by sound archaeological analysis. Scientific clues found in human bones, artifacts, tree rings, and shellmound contents bolster his case, along with evidence that natural catastrophes such sea temperature changes played havoc with seafood supplies. Fagan never misses an opportunity to state his own viewpoint on controversial topics, such as whether people migrated to the Americas over the Bering land bridge or via the coastal sea route. But he also includes opposing views, and lets readers form their own opinions. June Anderson California Sharks Sharks, Rays, and Chimaeras of California, by David A. Ebert, illustrated by Mathew D. Squillante. California Natural History Guides No. 71, University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, 2003, 284 pp., $19.95 paper. In this field guide, Dave Ebert has drawn together volumes of archived and current scientific data to form a compact and indispensible guide to our state’s cartilaginous fishes. Many small details such as color tabs for each order, an egg case identification key, a glossary, scientific references, and notes on natural history and human interaction make this work a useful tool for all cartilaginous fish investigators. It’s easily held in one hand, fits in a jacket pocket, and maintains readability even after an occasional ocean dunking. Ebert is careful to present current research findings for most species. For example, the vertical migrations of the megamouth shark are confirmed with transmitter data, and overfishing incidents are defined and backed up with firm statistics. I have sorted the Vanderbilt Foundation shark and ray collection with Ebert’s mentor, Leonard Compagno, and fished California waters as a biologist for 40 years, yet I still didn’t know about the ratfish’s torturous 30 hours of labor or manta rays spewing pups in the air as they turn flips. I reserve judgment on the author’s reference to female sharks having thicker skin than amorous males, and white sharks having “...ominous-looking eyes,” but find no significant exception to his sound presentation of these ancient animals. Ebert’s history of California ichthyology and his thorough handling of sharks, rays and chimaeras make this work much more than a simple natural history guide. In my experience, it is worth reading cover to cover and delivers insight with the turn of each page. Tom Tucker Recommended Reading from the Editors' Desks Sea Turtles of the World, text and photography by Doug Perrine. Voyageur Press, Stillwater, MN, 2003, 144 pp., $29.95 hardcover. Doug Perrine is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost marine wildlife photographers. His photography has won a number of awards, including the prestigious BBC/British Gas Wildlife Photographer of the Year in the animal behavior category. His photographs portray the primordial beauty of these ancient reptiles, and the peril of extinction they now face, while his writing provides a well-rounded introduction into their natural history. Sea Turtles of the World provides captivating glimpses into the rarely observed underwater life of sea turtles, the poorly known post-hatchling stage, and their astonishing transoceanic migrations. Perrine writes, “One tagged loggerhead swam more than 5,600 miles in fifteen months. Loggerheads hatched in Japan cross the Pacific to feed on pelagic crabs off Baja California, Mexico, traveling roughly one-third of the way around the earth. This is one of the longest migrations known in marine animals.” The author illustrates the needless exploitation of our oceans’ resources. He describes the bycatch left by shrimp trawlers (a primary cause of the decline of sea turtles), and the illegal poaching of both sea turtles and their eggs. The caption under a photograph of a leatherback laying her eggs on a beach in Trinidad reads “A gang of poachers armed with machetes surrounded the author as this picture was taken.” Perrine’s descriptions and photographs leaves readers with the sense that urgent measures must be taken now to save these animals. All seven species of sea turtle are critically endangered, and Perrine describes the vital conservation efforts underway. Barbara D. Andrews Seaweeds of the Pacific Coast: Common Marine Algae from Alaska to Baja California, by Jennifer Mondragon and Jeff Mondragon. Sea Challengers, Monterey, CA, 2003, 97 pp., $21.95 paper. The Mondragons have produced a beautiful book, a must for all lovers of the coastal marine environment. The introduction clearly explains what seaweeds are, and describes the three main groups: green algae, brown algae and red algae. Beautifully drawn pictures illustrate the various structures and branching patterns of seaweed, and a special section is devoted to seaweed reproduction. The authors also describe seaweed habitats and provide tips on collecting, photographing and preserving seaweed specimens. A quick key to aid identification of species and 60 pages of striking coastal algae images follows a brief overview of algal taxonomy. A glossary makes it easy to identify plant structures and the end-of-book index facilitates quick look-up of seaweeds by common or scientific name. There is also a brief description of the many uses of seaweed, including as human food, health enhancers, fertilizers, and gelling agents for the food, textile, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. Products as diverse as shaving foam, ice cream, dental impression molds, laxatives, and slow-release drug formulations all contain large amounts of seaweed-supplied alginates, agar and carrageenan. Suzanne Ubick |