Awards

• Commended for PROSE Award in Earth Sciences 2017

Overview

Human beings' unique friendship with dogs has been a subject of symbolic and poetic interest for centuries, from Homer's portrayal of the faithful Argos in the Odyssey to John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley and the recent New York Times best seller Marley & Me. Now readers can enjoy a scientific portrait of the long and complex history of this interesting group of carnivores and how they became our best friends through a long line of descent. Dogs: Their Fossil Ancestors and Evolutionary History is a comprehensive, vivid account of the origin and evolution of canids-including wolves, foxes, coyotes, and wild dogs-from their common ancestors more than 40 million years ago. Xiaoming Wang, who has spent the past twenty years studying the evolutionary history of the family Canidae, and Richard H. Tedford, who laid down the modern framework of the evolutionary relationship of canids, pore over a wealth of fossil and molecular evidence to rebuild a fascinating history of adaptation, succession, and domestication.The authors capture the excitement of these recent discoveries and explain canids' complex social behaviors, diverse adaptations to various environments, and predatory specializations over time. Mauricio Anton's exceptional reconstructions of both extinct and extant species are unparalleled in their anatomical detail and turn the science of paleontology into an exciting visual experience. Accessibly written while scientifically rich, this book is an unprecedented reference for anyone who has a deep fascination with man's best friend.

Full Product Details

9780231135283

Table of Contents

Reviews

An easy-to-read text, accompanied by Anton's marvelous illustrations... Recommended. -- Choice A definitive, readable treatment of the evolution of the canine clan. -- Fossil News Sets a new standard... With Anton's imagery, Wang and Tedford's Dogs is nothing short of wonderful. -- American Paleomtologist A must-read for dog junkies. -- H.J. Kirchhoff, Toronto Globe & Mail Nothing short of wonderful. -- American Paleontologist

Author Information

Xiaoming Wang is a curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and has been studying the evolutionary history of the family Canidae for the past 20 years. In collaboration with Richard H. Tedford, he has published three volumes on the fossil canids of North America. Richard H. Tedford is curator emeritus in the Department of Vertebrate Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History. Mauricio Anton is a paleontological artist based at the National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid. Among his books are Mammoths, Sabertooths, and Hominids: 65 Million Years of Mammalian Evolution in Europe, with Jordi Agusti, and The Big Cats and Their Fossil Relatives: An Illustrated Guide to Their Evolution and Natural History, and Evolving Eden: An Illustrated Guide to the Evolution of the African Large Mammal Fauna, both with Alan Turner.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available