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The origin and evolution of mammals / T.S. Kemp.
LIBRA QL708.5 .K44 2005
Available from offsite location
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Kemp, T. S. (Thomas Stainforth)
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Mammals--Origin.
- Mammals.
- Mammals--Evolution.
- Physical Description:
- x, 331 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm
- Place of Publication:
- Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2005.
- Summary:
- 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.
- Contents:
- The definition of Mammalia 1
- A sketch of the plot 3
- Palaeobiological questions 4
- 2 Time and classification
- The geological timescale 6
- Classification 9
- 3 Evolution of the mammal-like reptiles
- The vertebrate conquest of land: origin of the Amniota 14
- Pelycosauria: the basal synapsid radiation 19
- The origin and early radiation of the Therapsida 26
- Biarmosuchia 31
- Dinocephalia 33
- Anomodontia 39
- Gorgonopsia 52
- Therocephalia 56
- Cynodontia 60
- Interrelationships of Cynodontia and the phylogenetic position of Mammalia 75
- Overview of the interrelationships and evolution of the Therapsida 78
- The palaeoecology and evolution of Synapsida 80
- 4 Evolution of mammalian biology
- Feeding 90
- Locomotion 101
- Sense organs and brain 113
- Growth and development 120
- Temperature physiology 121
- An integrated view of the origin of mammalian biology 129
- The significance of miniaturisation 135
- 5 The Mesozoic mammals
- The diversity of the Mesozoic mammals 138
- An overview of the interrelationships and evolution 180
- The general biology of the Mesozoic mammals 183
- End of the era: the K/T mass extinction and its aftermath 186
- 6 Living and fossil marsupials
- Living marsupials and their interrelationships 191
- The fossil record of marsupials 196
- An overview of marsupial evolution 216
- 7 Living and fossil placentals
- Living placentals and their interrelationships 222
- Cretaceous fossils 226
- Palaeocene fossils: the archaic placentals 230
- The origin and radiation of the modern orders 250
- Overview of placental evolution 274.
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 291-323) and index.
- ISBN:
- 0198507607
- 0198507615
- OCLC:
- 56652579
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