Description
Book SynopsisConsiders really big animals and how they lived
Trade ReviewOverall, [this] is an enjoyable read that provides a substantial amount of detail on the biology, ecology, and distribution of these fantastic animals. . . . Highly recommended.
* Choice *
Collectively, this book brings attention to the discovery and natural history of ancient beasts in South America while providing a broader temporal and geographic background that allows readers to understand their evolution and potential immigration to South America.
* Quarterly Review of Biology *
The conversational tone in this volume makes it a pleasure to read. I recommend this book for anyone interested in paleontology, students new to the subject, graduate students, and researchers who want to become well grounded in late Neogene paleontology of both Americas.
* Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology *
"This is an excellent volume. Its structure is complex, serving well the multitude of topics the authors managed to treat in a reader-friendly, yet rigorous manner that will satisfy both specialists and general paleontologists and the educated reader. . . This book is likely to facilitate progress in the understanding of fossil mammals from the Americas."
* Priscum *
Table of ContentsPrologue
1. Paleontology and Science: What is Science?
2. Distinguished Paleomammalogists
3. Geologic and Ecological History of South America During the Cenozoic Era
4. North American Late Cenozoic Faunas
5. The Great American Biotic Interchange and Pleistocene Habitats in South America
6. Bestiary
7. Physics of the Giants
8. General Paleoecology
9. Extinction
Appendix 1: A Primer on Skeletal Anatomy
Appendix 2: Skeletal Anatomy of Xenarthrans
Appendix 3: Equations Used to Estimate Body Masses Based on Dental and Skeletal Measurements and Their Respective Sources.
Appendix 4: Calculations
References
Index
