Scotland's Beginnings

Dr Michael A Taylor is Principal Curator of Vertebrate Palaeontlogy; Dr Andrew C Kitchener is Principal Curator of Birds and Mammals, both National Museums Scotland.

Image and text credits Preface Part 1 Scotland's journey across the Earth's surface Introduction to Part 1: 'The present is the key to the past' The building blocks of time: rocks and fossils Scotland's journey through time: the geological timeline The oldest rocks: Lewisian gneiss Icebergs in southern seas: about 650 million years ago Crumpling Scotland: about 500 million years ago The Vanishing ocean: about 440 million years ago Early land and lake life: about 410 million years ago Volcanoes: about 340 million years ago Tropical seas: about 345 million years ago Fossils: East Kirkton - a snapshot in time Tropical coal forests: about 300 million years ago The great Scottish desert: about 260 million years ago The new seas: about 167 million years ago The high lava plateaus: about 60 million years ago The ice ages Changes of climate Ancient seasides Part 2 Scotland's Wildlife Introduction to Part 2 Scotland today: a natural wilderness? Relict species: Ice Age survivors Fossils Evidence for the extinct Reconstructing past habitats Radiocarbon dating: dating the past Pollen analysis - reconstructing past habitats History of the forests 11,750 years ago From 11,750 to 6000 years ago Former tundra and forest life From 6000 years ago Forests today Scotland's natural heritage: the biodiversity Made in Scotland: Endemic Species The Habitats Seas and shores Inland water Freshwater habitats Wetland habitats Peatlands: Fens and Bogs Mountain and Moorland Farms and cities: urban and farmland habitats Is Scotland's wildlife important? Places and websites to visit Books to read