The opening of the Palaeozoic era, some 540 million years ago, coincides with a remarkable burst of evolutionary activity. In British Paleozoic Fossils 443 species from this time, and the following 300 million years, are described and classified and illustrated with accurate line drawings. From Silurian trilobites and Devonian fishes to Carboniferous brachiopods, the book features those animal and plant species that are most commonly found in Britain. Crucially, this new edition has been fully revised and updated by specialists from the world renowned Department of Palaeontology at the Natural History Museum, London, reflecting advances in our understanding of the fossil record. The book includes 69 plates of accurate black-and-white line drawings. Each of the species is illustrated with at least one drawing, which is accompanied by details of where it can be found. There are also stratigraphical tables showing the classification of British Palaeozoic rock formations and a comprehensive listing of the geological distribution of each species illustrated, which can be cross-referenced with the appropriate illustration. A brief explanation of the scientific names of fossils and a map of the distribution of Palaeozoic strata are also available.