Early Flowers and Angiosperm Evolution

"The richly illustrated book gives a family-by-family synopsis of current knowledge and the existing literature. The book is a valuable resource for professionals and students interested in up-to-date information on the topic. Highly recommended.:"
M.S. Zavada, Choice magazine

"This book is a triumph of the combination of detail, experience and intellect. It answers many questions and asks many more. We are a long way from a full understanding of the origin and early evolution of angiosperms, but thanks to this book we now know, much more precisely than ever before, what questions we should ask and where the gaps in knowledge are. This is a great legacy from all three authors, but I am optimistic they all have much more to offer in the future."
Bob Hill, University of Adelaide, South Australia

"This long-awaited book represents not only a remarkable tour de force of palaeobotanical literature, but also a potentially enduring biological textbook. Part of its appeal lies in the excellence of its production. Numerous black-and-white line drawings of flowers and pollen grains of both fossil and extant plants, beautifully executed by Polyanna von Knorring, add considerably to its informative content and high visual impact."
Paula J. Rudall, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society

"this book makes a significant contribution to understanding flowering plant history by assembling (in a single volume) an up-to-date illustrated summary of fossil evidence that establishes a pattern in the appearances of angiosperm taxa through geologic time. This volume will therefore serve as a valuable platform and reference in the continuing evolution of our understanding of angiosperm history. Also of great value is the comprehensive treatment of extant and extinct nonangiospermous seed plants that have been variously implicated in the quest to determine angiosperm ancestry. This treatment sets the stage for future investigations aimed at shedding light on the still elusive question of angiosperm origin. Hence, this is a useful book, one of considerable instructive value, and one that represents an impressive effort by its authors."
William L. Crepet, The Quarterly Review of Biology

"how do you write a definitive book for the 21st Century? Early Flowers and Angiosperm Evolution provides a blueprint... It stands as a superbly annotated index of the data behind our current understanding of early angiosperm evolution... This is among the most beautiful scholarly books I’ve seen in a long time. Outcrop pictures are clearly rendered in color, and maps and some diagrams include a touch of hue to enhance interpretation...It is detailed, accessible and offers a synthetic perspective from a team that has been thinking deeply about this topic for decades. And I hope this isn’t the last word. But the thing I love best about paleontology is that one fossil can rewrite everything we thought that we knew. Then we’ll be ready for the next definitive book."
Nan Arens, Evolution – This View of Life: Paleontology