This book discusses the history of invertebrate fossil understanding and classification by exploring fossil studies between the 15th and 18th centuries. Before the modern age, the understanding of fossil findings went through several phases. The treatment by philologists, philosophers and historians of natural sciences involved religious, sometimes folkloristic, aspects before scientific ones. This work showcases and assesses these original findings by carrying out a bibliographical, and above all iconographical research, aimed at finding the first printed images of the objects that we now know as fossils. From here, the authors provide an understanding of the true nature of fossils by analyzing them through modern academic viewpoints, and describing each fossil group from a paleontological and taxonomic point of view, retracing their treatment in the course of the centuries.
As a point of reference for each fossil group treated, the authors have considered indispensable the use of ancient prints as evidence of the first iconographic sources dedicated to fossils, starting from those in the late fifteenth century, dedicated to the most common groups of invertebrates without neglecting a necessary exception, the ichthyodontolites, fundamental in the discussion in Italy on the interpretation of the organic origin of fossils, and from the end of the sixteenth century to about half of the eighteenth century. The abundant iconographic apparatus used, often unpublished or specially reworked, is essential and functional to the understanding of the various aspects addressed, a visual complement to the text and vice versa, designed and used taking its cue from the need imposed on early scholars to document their discoveries visually. Among the chosen images there is no shortage of original attributions to fossil finds that have been poorly understood or misidentified until now.
The English translation of this book from its Italian original manuscript was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service provider DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision of the content was done by the authors.
Author(s): Maurizio Forli, Andrea Guerrini
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 508
City: Cham
Preface
Presentation
Acknowledgments
Contents
Short Biographical Notes
Chapter 1: Toad’s Eyes, Devil’s Nails, Snake Tongues...
References
Chapter 2: Fossilia and Fossils: Considerations on Their Understanding Over the Centuries
References
Chapter 3: Fossils, Stones, and Magic (Mario Santini)
Chapter 4: The Classification of Living Beings: Carl Nilsson Linnæus and Systematics
References
Chapter 5: Giuseppe Bellucci and his Collection of Amulets, in Perugia (Maurizio Forli)
Reference
Chapter 6: Quaestio de Fossilibus: Glossopetres, Snake Tongues and Ceraunids
References
Chapter 7: The Understanding of some Ichthyodontolites Through the Time: from Bufonites, Toadstones, and Snake Eyes to Bony Fish Teeth
References
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Chapter 8: Stellaria or Stregonia Stone. About Some Corals in Folklore and Science
References
Chapter 9: Nummulites: Are they Stone Lentils, Frumentaries Stone or Devil’s Coins? No, are Giant Foraminifers
References
Chapter 10: Mollusca
References
Chapter 11: Polyplacophora: from Physsalus, Oscabrion, to Chiton
References
Chapter 12: Bivalvia: Devil’s Nails, Reflections Between Superstition and Science
References
Chapter 13: Curiosity: The Strange Mussels of Mr. Van Aken (Maurizio Forli)
Chapter 14: Miscellaneous News about Gastropods, from the Earliest Printed Images to the Present Day
References
Chapter 15: Scaphopoda: from Cannelli Simpatici, Shrieking Bones, to Tusk Shells
References
Chapter 16: Belemnoidea: from Lyncurium, Lynx Stone, to Cephalopoda
References
Chapter 17: Ammonoidea: From the Ram’s Horns of the God Jupiter Ammon to the Ammonites
References
Chapter 18: Histerolithus Lapis, from Strange Formed Stone to Brachiopods
References
Chapter 19: Echinodermata
References
Chapter 20: Snake Eggs, Judaic Stones, Ombriae: Echinoidea from Magic, to Folk Beliefs and Science
References
Chapter 21: Crinoidea: Researches among Fairy Coins and Sea Lilies
References
Chapter 22: Asteroidea and Ophiuroidea: Starfish and Brittle Stars
References
Chapter 23: Scorpions, Ants, and Other Stone Insects. The Understanding of Trilobites Over the Centuries
References
Chapter 24: Coffee Break–Chelicerata Heymons, 1901 (Maurizio Forli)
References
Chapter 25: Giant Lobsters and Paguri Lapidei from the 1500s to the Present, between Folkore and Science
References
Chapter 26: Cirripedia. A Strange Story: from Ducks to Barnacles
References
Postface (Andrea Guerrini)
Index
