National Geographic Prehistoric Mammals

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 5-10 - Except for stars such as saber-toothed tigers and woolly mammoths, prehistoric mammals get short shrift when compared to dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and toothy marine reptiles. Therefore it is refreshing to see a colorful compendium of these neglected beasts, ranging in size from the rather insignificant representatives from the Age of Dinosaurs to the ponderous Indricotherium of the Asian Oligocene. Dramatic full-color pictures (many encompassing entire spreads) and captions enhance the brief, informative text. Divided by orders and species, each two- to four-page section contains a time line, fact file, global distribution map (where possible), representative beasts, and those nifty illustrations. A ghostly shadow of a six-foot modern human is offered for scale purposes (for a small creature like Eomaia, for example, only the foot is shown). Primates are included, among them Australapithecenes, Homo erectus, and Homo sapiens. For lovers of the BBC production Walking with Prehistoric Beasts, it's a treasure trove. For students, it's an important source of information. - Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-6. Deinotherium, Gomphotherium, Arsinoitherium. Budding paleontologists who take joy in tackling such scientific tongue twisters will glue themselves to the polysyllabic commentary accompanying this extensive gallery of extinct mammals. Working carefully from the latest fossil evidence, veteran science illustrator Anton has created finely detailed portraits of more than 100 vanished creatures, from early whales and tiny proto-shrews to Neanderthals. Most of these he poses sedately against simplified natural settings, sometimes adding images of fossil skulls or other remnants for comparison. Along with the picture of the animal comes a distribution map, a time line, a human silhouette or other indicator to establish scale, and a fact box. As there is some repetition in the text, and, after several introductory spreads, the 20 animal groupings are not arranged in discernible order, this survey is better designed for browsing than systematic reading, quick reference, or efficient research. However, as an informative, eye-catching link between resources on modern animals and the ever-popular dinosaurs, it's sure to be a draw. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description
National Geographic Prehistoric Mammals takes you on a prehistoric journey through time to visit some of the most amazing creatures to ever walk the Earth. See how mammals evolved from the time of the dinosaurs to the days of early humans. Learn what they ate, where they roamed, and how they took over the world that the dinosaurs left behind.When dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago, another group of animals began to achieve world dominance: the mammals. During the reign of the dinosaurs, mammals kept a low profile. They had evolved at about the same time as the dinosaurs, but were tiny shrew-like animals. Then, at the end of the Mesozoic Era, with the dinosaurs out of the way, mammals began to take over. The Cenozoic Era, which immediately followed the Mesozoic and continues today, is also known as the Age of Mammals. Mammals grew more diverse, many of them becoming larger. And they grew more intelligent, culminating (we like to think) in the evolution of the human race.This book tells the story of prehistoric mammals, including early humans, and features more than 100 profiles. The profiles range from sabre-tooth cats and woolly mammoths to less well-known but no less interesting mammals such as the pig-like entelodonts. Humans are represented by the main species from Australopithecus to Homo sapiens. Each profile features a full reconstruction and other illustrations, describes how the species lived, and provides details of its habitat, fossil finds, when it lived, and much more. The fascinating creatures pop from the pages-from the wolf-like Andrewsarchus, the giant meat-eater whose teeth could crush bone, to the enormous ground sloth called Megatherium. Readers will be fascinated to learn which mammals became fully extinct and which ones evolved into the more familiar creatures we know today. And they'll be fascinated by the world their ancestors lived in, with these strange giant neighbors lurking right around the corner!


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This book features scientific research, detailed profiles and stunning illustrations of more than one hundred prehistoric mammals. The vivid pictures and photographs are so real it seems they are going to fly off the page. The past 65 million years is known as the Age of Mammals. It follows the previous 150 million years when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. We all know that kangaroos are marsupials, but there once was a marsupial lion and marsupial wolf. The earliest pigs first appeared in Africa and some were the size of cows. Detailed profiles of the mammals include fossil findings, range maps, comparisons and timelines. A glossary, index and list of museums are also included for additional resources. This book is a great reference for reports or for students just wanting to learn more about animals of the prehistoric time period. 2004, National Geographic Society, Ages 10 to 13.


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