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.

Table of Contents

• 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
• 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)
• 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)
• 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”
• 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”)
• Order Astrapotheria (“Lightning Beasts”)
• Order Litopterna (Litopterns, or “Smooth Heels”)
• 17. Uintatheres, Pantodonts, Taeniodonts, and Tillodonts
• Order Dinocerata (Uintatheres)
• Order Pantodonta (Pantodonts)
• Order Taeniodonta (Taeniodonts)
• Order Tillodontia (Tillodonts)
• 18. Mammalian Evolution and Extinction
• Why Were Prehistoric Mammals So Big?
• Where Have All the Megamammals Gone?
• How Did Mammals Diversify after the Dinosaurs Vanished?
• What about Mass Extinctions?
• The Future of Mammals
• Illustration Credits
• Further Reading