The Last Billion Years: A Geological History of the Maritime Provinces of Canada

Patrick Colgan is Director of Research and Natural Lands at the Royal
Botanical Gardens.

Prepared by a large committee of contributors and intended for the
general reader, this book is a highly accessible yet detailed account of
the geology of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
Every aspect of geology, from the origins of rocks through continental
drift to volcanic activity, is covered. There are also fascinating
presentations of the plants and animals, as well as the radiations and
extinctions, characteristic of each geological period, plus human
dimensions such as mining and architectural uses. The discussion of the
origins of coal deposits, and the causes and nature of ice ages and
contemporary climatic change, is especially welcome.

The chapters conclude with informative accounts of various topics such
as major geologists, the ethics of fossil collecting, and prospecting.
The diversity of items ranges from the fact that the Devonian year had
400 days to the fact that Gesner’s Museum of Natural History,
established in Saint John, N.B., in 1842, was the first museum in what
was to become Canada. The smooth text includes local history with the
science, and is greatly augmented by many photographs, paintings, maps,
and charts illustrating a wealth of detail and conveying the enormous
time frames involved. The index and background sources are extensive.
This highly recommended volume is worthy testimony to the rich
geological heritage of the region.