Evolutionary History of the Marsupials and an Analysis of Osteological Characters

The aim of this book is to examine a variety of problems in the understanding of the evolutionary history of the marsupials. In his exposition, the author covers developmental and reproductive biology, the cranio-skeletal system (including dentition, skull, and postcranial morphology), and the ecologically related aspects of skeletal morphology. In reviewing the evidence from bones, he presents much new information on both living and fossil groups of marsupials. All groups of marsupials are treated in detail, and in the final chapter their history in space and time and their paleobiogeography are considered. Evolutionary History Of The Marsupials And An Analysis Of Osteological Characters Has A Dual Aim. Its Overriding Concern Is The Critical Assessment Of The Extant And Fossil Morphological Evidence Against Which Phylogenetic Hypotheses Of Marsupial Phylogeny And Taxa Should Be Tested. In Addition To A Reexamination Of Published Character Complexes And The Proposed Taxa, The Author Presents A Detailed Analysis Of New Fossils And Osteological Information Previously Not Considered In Phylogenetic Studies Of Marsupials. All The Higher Metatherians Are Diagnosed And Discussed In Detail In The Book, And A Final Chapter Presents An Analysis Of The Evolution And Paleobiogeography Of The Marsupials.--book Jacket. In Addition To The Primary Aim Of The Book, Which Is To Arrive At An Interim, But Most Plausible Phylogeny And Biogeography Of The Marsupials, The Book Also Discusses The Methods Of Phylogeny Reconstruction, And The Special Significance Of The Skeleton. It Is Argued That The Use Of Osteological Properties, Considering All The Available Information Which These Contain, Are Critical For Plausible Phylogenetics. The Author Argues That Phylogenetic Analysis Of Groups Requires More Than Cladistics, But That Any Phylogeny Must Be Based On Noncircular Analyses Of Character Transformations To Reveal Their Contingent And Unique Attributes. The Temporal Data And The Morphology Is Provided By The Fossils, And There Must Also Be A Proper Consideration Of Ancestry, In Addition To Sistergroup Relationships.--book Jacket. This Book Is The Only Single-authored, Comprehensive Volume On The History Of Marsupials Which Deals With Both The Living And Extinct Groups, And Will Interest All Paleontologists And Biologists Concerned With Mammalian Evolution.--book Jacket. Frederick S. Szalay. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 429-453) And Index. The aim of this book is to examine a variety of problems in the understanding of the evolutionary history of the marsupials. In his exposition, the author covers developmental and reproductive biology, the cranio-skeletal system (including dentition, skull and postcranial morphology) and the ecologically related aspects of skeletal morphology. In reviewing the evidence from bones, he presents much new information on both living and fossil groups of marsupials. All groups of marsupials are treated in detail, and in the final chapter their history in space and time and their palaeobiogeography are considered Examines a variety of problems in the understanding of the evolutionary history of the marsupials. In reviewing the evidence from bones, the author presents much new information on both living and fossil groups of marsupials. All groups of marsupials are treated in detail, and in the final chapter their history in space and time and their palaeobiogeography are considered. This book provides a historical-narrative explanation for a number of osteological features of all groups of marsupials, tests a number of group hypotheses against these, and based on the tests, offers what at present appears to be the most plausible phylogeny, an evolutionary history of these animals, albeit in many ways an inadaquate one.