Ichnology is most recognizable as a science to the general public through the study of tracks, specifically those made by terrestrial vertebrates. Many Americans in particular are aware of vertebrate tracks because of their rural tradition of hunting game animals, although this practical aspect of tracking is normally applied to a few mammalian prey animals. For paleoichnology, tracks are mainly known through books and news stories on non-avian dinosaur tracks, which of course are limited to Mesozoic strata. Otherwise, if you ask most people what they know about tracks that were made by animals before dinosaurs, you are likely to be greeted with the same blank expression that you would receive if you asked them what they think about the utility of ichnofacies versus ichnofabrics.

If for no other reason, I like Jerry MacDonald's book, Earth's First Steps: Tracking Life before the Dinosaurs, because it is an approachable and educational depiction of vertebrate paleoichnology, written for a lay audience, of a period not popularly known for its fossil tracks: the Permian. Fortunately, I have other reasons for liking it, which include its human interest stories, good illustrations (line drawings and black-and-white photographs), professional editing, and affordable price (in hardback). The theme of the book is obviously promoted as an American story of "rugged individualism overcomes the rest of the cruel, misunderstanding world" (probably its major selling point to the publisher as a non-academic book in a domestic market), but once the reader ignores this stereotypical approach, the book makes for enjoyable reading.

Briefly, Jerry MacDonald was an amateur fossil collector who made a big find in the late 1980's of well-preserved and abundant Early Permian vertebrate tracks. The tracksites are located in the Robledo Mountains, west of Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA, preserved in redbed supratidal to intertidal sequences that contain the aforementioned vertebrate trackways (made by amphibians, synapsids, and small reptiles), as well as invertebrate trackways, interpreted as those of scorpions, centipedes, millipedes, horseshoe crabs, and insects. A college drop-out during his first attempt at academic life, MacDonald went back to college in his early 30's to complete a degree in geology while maintaining a family life with a wife and three children. Although he was first interested in seismology, a joint decision with his wife (who also wanted to go back to school) caused both of them to attend New Mexico State University (NMSU) in Las Cruces. NMSU lacked seismology in their department, consequently he switched to historical geology and paleontology, then went into science education.

Seismology's loss turned out to be ichnology's gain. While performing volunteer work in Las Cruces during a "bring in your fossils" day in 1987, he was shown a slab containing many tracks that was discovered in the Robledo Mountains by an amateur collector. Thus began his quest to find more tracks, which immediately yielded the discovery of a large pelycosaur track (then the largest found in that area) and consequently encouraged him to search more that same year. His perseverance paid off, when, in June 1987, he uncovered one of the best collections (quantitatively and qualitatively) of Permian vertebrate tracks in the world.

Helped and encouraged by Nicholas Hotton III of the Smithsonian Institution and personnel of the Carnegie Museum, MacDonald continued to find additional track-bearing beds and began to publicize his finds. Unfortunately, he does not include a bibliography of peer-reviewed literature dealing with professional appraisal of his discovered material. In accordance with his attempt to reach a wide public readership, he mostly mentions mainstream books in a "Suggested Reading" section at the end of the book.

MacDonald's love for field work and the thrill of discovery make for inspiring reading, especially considering that all of his primary work was done on a volunteer (unfunded) basis and it involved such strenuous field work in a remote area. He also confesses that his obsession with

finding the fossil tracks caused a strain in his health and personal life (which, of course, none of us have ever had happen through our zeal for ichnology).

Some of his innocence shines through on the pages, which can be either refreshing or annoying, depending on your mood. However, this naïveté helps the reader to understand why MacDonald was so perplexed at the personal, academic, and political problems his discovery caused, including a temporary theft of tracks from his discovery site (amazingly, the tracks were immediately returned by the thieves!). After all, he just wanted to find some fossils, learn more about them, and share the fruits of his discoveries with other people. His side interest in sociology (in which he nearly earned a Ph.D. before being distracted by the Robledo tracks) also provided him with the expertise to critique the academic culture of paleontology toward the end of the book, giving the reader a glimpse of how trace fossils made millions of years ago prompt hominid territorialism and competition today. His self-professed sensitivity to

criticism also highlights the importance to ichnologists (or scientists in general) to keep themselves separate themselves from the results of their work, a good reminder to all of us when we find ourselves feeling embattled over whether a worm turned one way or another 400 million years ago.

Of interest to students or ichnologists who may not have much background in vertebrate tracks is a section on track taphonomy that he combines with discussion of modern tracking methods (using terms that I have seen non-academic trackers apply, such as "pressure ridges," "discs," and "waves"). He also has a nice illustration (done by one of his children, Noah MacDonald) that with accompanying text neatly summarizes his track terminology on one page (p. 132), a page that can be used as a photocopied handout for historical geology, paleontology, or wildlife biology classes. In contrast, my biggest disappointment in the book was its all-too-brief

coverage of invertebrate traces found in the same strata as the vertebrate tracks, which admittedly were only a sidelight of MacDonald's work but deserved at least a photograph or two (of which there are none).

All in all, I would recommend reading MacDonald's book for its narrative of discovery (and the human aftermath of a significant discovery), as well as for gaining insight on how paleontology is still one of the few sciences where people who do not have Ph.D.'s can make major contributions. I especially recommend it for amateur collectors interested in vertebrate paleoichnology, undergraduate and graduate students, and ichnologists who want to learn a little more about traces made by back-boned animals during the Permian.

MacDonald, J. 1994. Earth's First Steps: Tracking Life before the Dinosaurs. Johnson Books, Boulder, Colorado, USA, 290 pp.

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