Download or read book Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America Volume 1 Terrestrial Carnivores Ungulates and Ungulate Like Mammals written by Christine M. Janis and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1998-05-28 with total page 712 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is designed as a source and reference for people interested in the history and fossil record of North American tertiary mammals. Each chapter covers a different family or order, and includes information on anatomical features, systematics, the distribution of the genera and species at different fossil localities, and a discussion of their paleobiology. Many of these groups have never been covered in this fashion before.

Download or read book Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America Volume 2 Small Mammals Xenarthrans and Marine Mammals written by Christine M. Janis and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2008-06-12 with total page 795 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This second volume completes the unique survey of North American Tertiary mammals, and covers all the remaining taxa not contained in Volume 1. It provides a complete listing of mammalian diversity over time and space, and evaluates the effect of biogeography and climatic change on evolutionary patterns and faunal transitions, with the distribution in time and space of each taxon laid out in a standardized format. It contains six summary chapters that integrate systematic and biogeographic information for higher taxa, and provides a detailed account of the patterns of occurrence for different species at hundreds of different fossil localities, with the inclusion of many more localities than were contained in the first volume. With over thirty chapters, each written by leading authorities, and an addendum that updates the occurrence and systematics of all of the groups covered in Volume 1, this will be a valuable reference for paleontologists and zoologists.

Download or read book The Origin and Evolution of Mammals written by T. S. Kemp and published by Oxford University Press on Demand. This book was released on 2005 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mammals are the dominant large animals of today, occurring in virtually every environment. This book is an account of the remarkable 320 million year long fossil record that documents their origin, their long spell as no more than small, nocturnal creatures, and their explosive radiation since the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Tom Kemp also unveils the exciting molecular evidence, which, coupled with important new fossils, is presently challenging current thinking on the interrelationships and historical biogeography of mammals. The Origin and Evolution of Mammals will be of interest to advanced undergraduate and graduate students as well as researchers in vertebrate palaeontology, biogeography, mammalian systematics and molecular taxonomy. It will also be welcomed by vertebrate fossil enthusiasts and evolutionary biologists of all levels with an interest in macroevolutionary problems.

Download or read book Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic Mammals of North America written by Michael O. Woodburne and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2004-04-21 with total page 413 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book places into modern context the information by which North American mammalian paleontologists recognize, divide, calibrate, and discuss intervals of mammalian evolution known as North American Land Mammal Ages. It incorporates new information on the systematic biology of the fossil record and utilizes the many recent advances in geochronologic methods and their results. The book describes the increasingly highly resolved stratigraphy into which all available temporally significant data and applications are integrated. Extensive temporal coverage includes the Lancian part of the Late Cretaceous, and geographical coverage includes information from Mexico, an integral part of the North American fauna, past and present.

Download or read book Patterns and Processes of Vertebrate Evolution written by Robert Lynn Carroll and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1997-04-28 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The factors that influenced the evolution of the vertebrates are compared with the importance of variation and selection that Darwin emphasised in this broad study of the patterns and forces of evolutionary change.

Download or read book The Eternal Frontier written by Tim Flannery and published by Open Road + Grove/Atlantic. This book was released on 2015-01-07 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive history of the continent, “full of engaging and attention-catching information about North America’s geology, climate, and paleontology” (The Washington Post Book World). Here, “the rock star of modern science” tells the unforgettable story of the geological and biological evolution of the North American continent, from the time of the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago to the present day (Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel). Flannery describes the development of North America’s deciduous forests and other flora, and tracks the migrations of various animals to and from Europe, Asia, and South America, showing how plant and animal species have either adapted or become extinct. The story spans the massive changes wrought by the ice ages and the coming of the Native Americans. It continues right up to the present, covering the deforestation of the Northeast, the decimation of the buffalo, and other consequences of frontier settlement and the industrial development of the United States. This is science writing at its very best—both an engrossing narrative and a scholarly trove of information that “will forever change your perspective on the North American continent” (The New York Review of Books).

Download or read book Evolution of Cenozoic Land Mammal Faunas and Ecosystems written by Isaac Casanovas-Vilar and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-09-09 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume presents an array of different case studies which take as primary material data sourced from the NOW (‘New and Old Worlds’) database of fossil mammals. The NOW database was one of the very first large paleobiological databases, and since 1996 it has been expanded from including mainly Neogene European land mammals to cover the entire Cenozoic at a global scale. In the last two decades the number of works that are based in the use of huge databases to explore ecological and evolutionary questions has increased exponentially, and even though the importance of big data in paleobiological research has been outlined in selected chapters of general works, no volume has appeared before this one which solely focuses on the databases as a primary source in reconstructing the past. The purpose of this book is to provide an illustrative volume showing the importance of big data in paleobiological research, and presenting a broad array of unpublished examples and case studies. The book is mainly aimed to professional palaeobiologists working with Cenozoic land mammals, but the scope of the book is broad enough to fit the interest for evolutionary biologists, paleoclimatologists and paleoecologists. The volume is divided in four parts. The first part includes two chapters on the development of large paleobiological databases, providing a first-hand account on the logic and the functioning of these databases. This is a much-needed perspective which is ignored by most researchers and users of such databases and, even if centered in the NOW database, the lessons that can be learned from this part can be extended to other examples. After this introductory part, the body of the book follows and is divided into three parts: patterns in regional faunas; large scale patterns and processes; and ecological, biogeographical and evolutionary patterns of key taxa. Each chapter is written by well-known specialists in the field, with some participation of members of the NOW advisory board. The array of selected mammal taxa ranges from carnivores, equids, ruminants and rodents to the genus Homo. The topics studied also include the diversification and radiation of major clades, large-scale paleobiogeographical patterns, the evolution of ecomorphological patterns and paleobiological problems such as evolution of body size or species longevity. In most cases the results are discussed in relation to protracted environmental or paleogeographic changes.

Download or read book Vertebrate Palaeontology written by Michael J. Benton and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2014-08-04 with total page 504 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vertebrate palaeontology is a lively field, with new discoveries reported every week... and not only dinosaurs! This new edition reflects the international scope of vertebrate palaeontology, with a special focus on exciting new finds from China. A key aim is to explain the science. Gone are the days of guesswork. Young researchers use impressive new numerical and imaging methods to explore the tree of life, macroevolution, global change, and functional morphology. The fourth edition is completely revised. The cladistic framework is strengthened, and new functional and developmental spreads are added. Study aids include: key questions, research to be done, and recommendations of further reading and web sites. The book is designed for palaeontology courses in biology and geology departments. It is also aimed at enthusiasts who want to experience the flavour of how the research is done. The book is strongly phylogenetic, and this makes it a source of current data on vertebrate evolution.

Download or read book Mammalogy written by George A. Feldhamer and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2015-01-15 with total page 764 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reflecting the expertise and perspective of five leading mammalogists, the fourth edition of Mammalogy: Adaptation, Diversity, Ecology significantly updates taxonomy, includes a new chapter on mammalian molecular phylogenetics, and highlights several recently described species. There are close to 5,500 species in the class Mammalia, including the blue whale—the largest animal that has ever lived—and the pygmy shrew, which weighs little more than a penny. The functional diversity of mammals has allowed them to play critical roles in every ecosystem, whether marine, freshwater, alpine, tundra, forest, or desert. Many mammal species are critically endangered and present complex conservation and management challenges. This book touches on those challenges, which are often precipitated by overharvesting and habitat loss, as well as emerging threats, such as the impact of wind turbines and white nose syndrome on bats and chronic wasting disease on deer. Among the updates and additions to the fourth edition of Mammalogy are numerous new photos, figures, and cladograms, over 4,200 references, as well as • A completely new chapter on mammalian phylogeny and genomics • Current taxonomy—including major changes to orders, suborders, and superfamilies of bats and rodents • An explanation of the recent inclusion of whales with terrestrial even-toed ungulates • Updates on mammalian structural, functional adaptations, and fossil history • recent advances in our understanding of phylogeny, biogeography, social behavior, and ecology • A discussion of two new orders and thirteen newly recognized extant families • Reflections on the implications of climate change for mammals • Thorough examinations of several recently described species, including Durrell's vontsira (Salanoia durrelli) and the Laotian rock rat (Laonastes aenigmamus) • An explanation of mammalian biomechanics, such as that seen in lunge feeding of baleen whales • Breakout boxes on unique aspects of mammals, including the syntax of bat songs, singing mice, and why there are no green mammals (unless we count algae-covered sloths) Maintaining the accessible, readable style for which Feldhamer and his coauthors are well known, this new edition of Mammalogy is the authoritative textbook on this amazingly diverse class of vertebrates.

Download or read book Neogene Mammals written by Spencer G. Lucas and published by New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. This book was released on 2008 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Neogene Mammals: New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 44

Download or read book Paleogene Mammals written by Spencer G. Lucas and published by New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. This book was released on 2004-01-01 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Examining Evolutionary Trends in Equus and its Close Relatives from Five Continents written by Raymond Louis Bernor and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2020-03-12 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evolution of the horse has been an often-cited primary example of evolution, as well as one of the classic and important stories in paleontology for over a century and a half, due to their rich fossil record across 5 continents: North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The recent horse has served a profound role in human ancestry, including agriculture, commerce, sport, transport, warfare, and in prehistory, for the subsistence of humans. Many studies have examined the evolution of the Equidae and chronicled the striking changes in skulls, dentition, limbs, and body size which have long been perceived to be a response to environmental shifts through time. Most comprehensive studies heretofore have: (1) focused on the “Great Transformation”- changes that occurred in the early Miocene, (2) involved tracking long-term diversity or paleoecological trends on a single continent or within a geographical locality, or (3) concentrated on the 3-toed hipparions. The Plio–Pleistocene evolutionary stage of horse evolution is punctuated by the great climatic fluctuations of the Quaternary beginning 2.6 Ma which influenced Equus evolution, biogeographic dispersion and adaptation on a nearly global scale. The evolutionary biology of Equus evolution across its entire range remains relatively poorly understood and often highly controversial. Some of this lack of understanding is due to assumptions that have arisen because of the relatively derived craniodental and postcranial anatomy of Equus and its close relatives which has seemed to imply that that these forms occupied relatively homogenous and narrow dietary and locomotor niches - notions that have not been adequately addressed and rigorously tested. Other challenges have revolved around teasing apart environmentally-driven adaptation versus phylogenetically defined morphological change. Geochronologic age control of localities, geographic provinces and continents has improved, but in no way is absolute and can be reexamined in our proposed volume. Temporal resolution for paleodietary, paleohabitat and paleoecological interpretations are also challenging for understanding the evolution of Equus. Our proposed volume attempts to assemble a group of experts who will address multiple dimensions of Equus’ evolution in time and space.

Download or read book Fossil Record 6 Volume 2 written by Spencer G. Lucas and published by New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. This book was released on with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book THE RED CORRAL PROCTOR RANCH LOCAL FAUNA PLIOCENE BLANCAN OF OLDHAM COUNTY TEXAS written by GERALD E. SCHULTZ and published by New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. This book was released on 2016-01-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Cenozoic Mammals of Africa written by Lars Werdelin and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2010-07-20 with total page 1008 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This impressively comprehensive volume is a long-awaited and worthy successor to the now outdated 1978 classic, Evolution of African Mammals. A must-have reference work for everyone interested in mammalian evolution." David Pilbeam, Harvard University and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology --

Download or read book Cenozoic Vertebrate Tracks and Traces written by Spencer G. Lucas and published by New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. This book was released on 2007 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book American and Australasian Marsupials written by Nilton C. Cáceres and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-06-30 with total page 1648 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book focuses on the evolution, biogeography, systematics, taxonomy, and ecology of New World and Australasian marsupials, greatly expanding the current knowledge base. There are roughly 140 species of New World marsupials, of which the opossum is the best known. Thanks to recent research, there is now an increasing amount of understanding about their evolution, biogeography, systematics, ecology, and conservation in the Americas, especially in South America. There are also some 270 marsupial species in the Australasian region, many of which have been subject to research only in recent years. Based on this information and the authors’ extensive research, this book provides comprehensive insights into the world's marsupials. It will appeal to academics and specialized researchers, students of zoology, paleontology, evolutionary biology, ecology, physiology and conservation as well as interested non-experts.