Linking the evidence of the past with that of the present, this exquisitely illustrated guide examines the evolution of the mammalian fauna of Africa within the context of dramatic changes over the course of more than 30 million years of primate presence. The book covers such topics as dating, continental drift, and global climate change and the likely motors of evolution as well as the physical evolution of the African continent, including present and past climates, and the major determinants of plant and mammal distributions. The authors discuss human evolution as a part of the larger pattern of mammalian evolution while responding to the unique interest that we have in our own past.
The meticulous reconstructions of fossil mammals in this book are the result of detailed anatomical research. Restorations of mammalian musculature and appearance take into account the affinities between fossil forms and extant species in order to make well-founded inferences about unpreserved animal attributes. Environmental reconstructions benefit from the authors' visits to more than a dozen wildlife preserves in five African countries as well as the use of an extensive database of published studies on the evolution of landscapes on the continent. A fascinating read and a visual feast, Evolving Eden lays the foundation for a deeper appreciation of contemporary African wildlife.
Product Details
ISBN-13: 9780231119450
Media Type: Paperback
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Publication Date: 07-03-2007
Pages: 304
Product Dimensions: 7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Age Range: 18 Years
About the Author
Alan Turner is professor of Vertebrate paleontology at John Moores University in Liverpool, England, and former senior curator of paleontology at the Transvaal Museum in Pretoria, South Africa. He is the author, with Mauricio Antón, of The Big Cats and Their Fossil Relatives. Mauricio Antón is a paleontological artist based at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid. His work has appeared in National Geographic and Natural History, among other magazines. He has collaborated with the Discovery Channel and the BBC, most recently for the series Walking with Prehistoric Beasts. He is the author, with Jordi Agustí, of Mammoths, Sabertooths, and Hominids.
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