The Princeton Field Guide to Prehistoric Mammals
The Princeton Field Guide to Prehistoric Mammals
Editor: Prothero, Donald R.
Publication Year: 2016
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Price: Core Collection Only

ISBN: 978-0-691-15682-8
Category: Science - Biology
Image Count:
226
Book Status: Available
Table of Contents
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.
This book is found in the following Credo Collections:
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