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.

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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