The Princeton Field Guide to Prehistoric Mammals (Princeton Field Guides, 112)

After the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, mammals became the dominant terrestrial life form on our planet. Roaming the earth were spectacular beasts such as saber-toothed cats, giant mastodonts, immense ground sloths, and gigantic giraffe-like rhinoceroses. Here is the ultimate illustrated field guide to the lost world of these weird and wonderful prehistoric creatures. A woolly mammoth probably won't come thundering through your vegetable garden any time soon. But if one did, this would be the book to keep on your windowsill next to the binoculars. It covers all the main groups of fossil mammals, discussing taxonomy and evolutionary history, and providing concise accounts of the better-known genera and species as well as an up-to-date family tree for each group. No other book presents such a wealth of new information about these animals--what they looked like, how they behaved, and how they were interrelated. In addition, this unique guide is stunningly illustrated throughout with full-color reconstructions of these beasts--many never before depicted--along with photographs of amazing fossils from around the world. Provides an up-to-date guidebook to hundreds of extinct species, from saber-toothed cats to giant mammoths Features a wealth of color illustrations, including new reconstructions of many animals never before depicted Demonstrates evolution in action--such as how whales evolved from hoofed mammals and how giraffes evolved from creatures with short necks Explains how mass extinctions and climate change affected mammals, including why some mammals grew so huge The ultimate illustrated guide to the lost world of prehistoric mammalsAfter the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, mammals became the dominant terrestrial life form on our planet. Roaming the earth were spectacular beasts such as saber-toothed cats, giant mastodonts, immense ground sloths, and gigantic giraffe-like rhinoceroses. Here is the ultimate illustrated field guide to the lost world of these weird and wonderful prehistoric creatures.A woolly mammoth probably won't come thundering through your vegetable garden any time soon. But if one did, this would be the book to keep on your windowsill next to the binoculars. It covers all the main groups of fossil mammals, discussing taxonomy and evolutionary history, and providing concise accounts of the better-known genera and species as well as an up-to-date family tree for each group. No other book presents such a wealth of new information about these animals—what they looked like, how they behaved, and how they were interrelated. In addition, this unique guide is stunningly illustrated throughout with full-color reconstructions of these beasts—many never before depicted—along with photographs of amazing fossils from around the world.Provides an up-to-date guidebook to hundreds of extinct species, from saber-toothed cats to giant mammothsFeatures a wealth of color illustrations, including new reconstructions of many animals never before depictedDemonstrates evolution in action—such as how whales evolved from hoofed mammals and how giraffes evolved from creatures with short necksExplains how mass extinctions and climate change affected mammals, including why some mammals grew so huge 1. The age of mammals 2. The origin and early evolution of mammals 3. Marsupials : pouched mammals 4. Placental mammals (Eutheria) 5. Xenarthra : sloths, anteaters, and armadillos 6. Afrotheria : elephants, hyraxes, sea cows, aardvarks, and their relatives 7. Euarchontoglires : Euarchonta. Primates, tree shrews, and colugos 8. Euarchontoglires : Glires. Rodents and lagomorphs 9. Laurasiatheria : insectivores. Order Eulipotyphla and other insectivorous mammals 10. Laurasiatheria : Chiroptera. Bats 11. Laurasiatheria : Pholidota. Pangolins, or "scaly anteaters" 12. Laurasiatheria : Carnivora and Creodonta. Predatory mammals 13. Laurasiatheria : Ungulata. Hoofed mammals and their relatives 14. Laurasiatheria : Artiodactyla. "Even-toed" hoofed mammals : pigs, hippos, whales, camels, ruminants, and their extinct relatives 15. Laurasiatheria : Perissodactyla. "Odd-toed" hoofed mammals : horses, rhinos, tapirs, and their extinct relatives 16. Laurasiatheria : Meridiungulata. South American hoofed mammals 17. Uintatheres, pantodonts, taeniodonts, and tillodonts 18. Mammalian evolution and extinction. After the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, mammals became the dominant terrestrial life form on our planet. Roaming the earth were spectacular beasts such as saber-toothed cats, giant mastodonts, immense ground sloths, and gigantic giraffe-like rhinoceroses. This book is an illustrated field guide to the lost world of these prehistoric creatures. It covers all the main groups of fossil mammals, discussing taxonomy and evolutionary history, and providing concise accounts of the better-known genera and species as well as an up-to-date family tree for each group. Illustrated throughout with full-color reconstructions and photographs of fossils from around the world. - - Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- CONTENTS -- DEDICATION -- Preface -- 1. The Age of Mammals -- Dating Rocks -- Clocks in Rocks -- What's in a Name? -- How Do We Classify Animals? -- Bones vs. Molecules -- Bones and Teeth -- 2. The Origin and Early Evolution of Mammals -- Synapsids (Protomammals or Stem Mammals) -- Mammals in the Age of Dinosaurs -- Morganucodonts -- Docodonts -- Monotremes (Platypus and Echidna) and Their Relatives -- Multituberculates -- Triconodonts -- Theria -- 3. Marsupials: Pouched Mammals -- Marsupial vs. Placental -- Marsupial Evolution -- Ameridelphia 14. Laurasiatheria: Artiodactyla. "Even-Toed" Hoofed Mammals: Pigs, Hippos, Whales, Camels, Ruminants, and Their Extinct Relatives -- Artiodactyl Origins -- Suoid Artiodactyls -- Whippomorpha -- Tylopods -- Ruminantia -- 15. Laurasiatheria: Perissodactyla. "Odd-Toed" Hoofed Mammals: Horses, Rhinos, Tapirs, and Their Extinct Relatives -- Equoids -- Tapiroids -- Rhinocerotoids -- Brontotheres, or Titanotheres -- 16. Laurasiatheria: Meridiungulata. South American Hoofed Mammals -- Order Notoungulata (Southern Ungulates) -- Order Pyrotheria ("Fire Beasts") Australiadelphia -- 4. Placental Mammals (Eutheria) -- The Interrelationships of Placentals -- 5. Xenarthra: Sloths, Anteaters, and Armadillos -- "Edentate" vs. Xenarthran -- Order Cingulata (Armadillos) -- Order Pilosa (Anteaters and Sloths) -- 6. Afrotheria: Elephants, Hyraxes, Sea Cows, Aardvarks, and Their Relatives -- Tethytheres and Afrotheres -- Order Proboscidea (Elephants, Mammoths, Mastodonts, and Their Relatives) -- Order Sirenia (Manatees and Dugongs, or Sea Cows) -- Order Embrithopoda (Arsinoitheres) -- Order Desmostylia (Desmostylians) 9. Laurasiatheria: Insectivores. Order Eulipotyphla and Other Insectivorous Mammals -- Order Eulipotyphla -- Extinct Insectivorous Groups -- 10. Laurasiatheria: Chiroptera. Bats -- Bat Origins -- 11. Laurasiatheria: Pholidota. Pangolins, or "Scaly Anteaters"--Order Pholidota (Pangolins) -- Palaeanodonts -- 12. Laurasiatheria: Carnivora and Creodonta. Predatory Mammals -- Carnivores, Carnivorans, and Creodonts -- Order Creodonta -- Order Carnivora -- 13. Laurasiatheria: Ungulata. Hoofed Mammals and Their Relatives -- "Condylarths Order Hyracoidea (Hyraxes) -- Order Tubulidentata (Aardvarks) -- Order Macroscelidia (Elephant Shrews) -- Order Afrosoricida -- 7. Euarchontoglires: Euarchonta. Primates, Tree Shrews, and Colugos -- Archontans -- Order Scandentia (Tree Shrews) -- Order Dermoptera (Colugos, or "Flying Lemurs") -- Order Plesiadapiformes (Plesiadapids) -- Order Primates (Euprimates) -- 8. Euarchontoglires: Glires. Rodents and Lagomorphs -- Chisel Teeth -- Order Rodentia (Rodents) -- Order Lagomorpha (Rabbits, Hares, and Pikas)