Stable isotopic techniques in geology illuminate not only variations in past climates and oceans, but also the life-histories of extinct animals, plants and protistans. This volume focuses on the ways that stable isotopes can be used as tracers of the fossil biology and ecology of long-dead organisms and ecosystems. Here, we introduce relevant aspects of stable isotope systematics and provide a summary of the papers collected in this volume. The nine contributions collected here, from some of the most eminent workers in their respective fields, explore aspects of the ecology, evolution and biology of organisms from planktonic foraminifera to dinosaurs.