Mammals from the Age of Dinosaurs: Origins, Evolution and Structure

Review
"Only once in a decade, if then, is a milestone book such as this one published...Essential." -- Choice


Book Description
Early mammals were significant and fast-evolving elements of the terrestrial biota for much of the Mesozoic, and they have played an increasingly important role in studies of paleoecology, faunal turnover, and historical biogeography. This book thoroughly covers all aspects of the anatomy, paleobiology, and systematics of early mammalian groups, in addition to the extant lineages with long history extending back into Mesozoic. Numerous detailed maps and line drawings enhance the text.


About the Author
Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska is professor emeritus at the Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw and the University of Oslo. She was the leader of the Polish-Mongolian expedition to the Gobi Desert (1963--1971) that discovered spectacular dinosaurs and mammals. She has devoted most of her scientific life to the studies of the Mesozoic mammals. Richard L. Cifelli is curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and professor of zoology at the University of Oklahoma. He has led extensive field explorations of fossil vertebrates in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic of North and South Americas and studied the biogeographical and faunal evolution of early mammals. Zhe-Xi Luo is curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. He has actively explored fossil mammals and dinosaurs in China and in the United States and studied evolutionary morphology and phylogenetic relationships of early mammals and fossil whales.


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The fossil record on Mesozoic mammals has expanded by orders of magnitude over the past quarter century. New specimens, some of them breathtakingly complete, have been found in nearly all parts of the globe at a rapid pace. Coupled with the application of new scientific approaches and techniques, these exciting discoveries have led to profound changes in our interpretation of early mammal history. Mesozoic mammals have come into their own as a rich source of information for evolutionary biology. Their record of episodic, successive radiations speaks to the pace and mode of evolution. Early mammals were small, but they provide key information on the morphological transformations that led to modern mammals, including our own lineage of Placentalia. Significant and fast-evolving elements of the terrestrial biota for much of the Mesozoic, early mammals have played an increasingly important role in studies of paleoecology, faunal turnover, and historical biogeography. The record of early mammals occupies center stage for testing molecular evolutionary hypotheses on the timing and sequence of mammalian radiations. Organized according to phylogeny, this book covers all aspects of the anatomy, paleobiology, and systematics of all early mammalian groups, in addition to the extant mammalian lineages extending back into the Mesozoic.


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