Overview

Evolution on islands differs in a number of important ways from evolution on mainland areas. Over millions of years of isolation, exceptional and sometimes bizarre mammals evolved on islands, such as pig-sized elephants and hippos, giant rats and gorilla-sized lemurs that would have been formidable to their mainland ancestors. This timely and innovative book is the first to offer a much-needed synthesis of recent advances in the exciting field of the evolution and extinction of fossil insular placental mammals. It provides a comprehensive overview of current knowledge on fossil island mammals worldwide, ranging from the Oligocene to the onset of the Holocene. The book addresses evolutionary processes and key aspects of insular mammal biology, exemplified by a variety of fossil species. The authors discuss the human factor in past extinction events and loss of insular biodiversity. This accessible and richly illustrated textbook is written for graduate level students and professional researchers in evolutionary biology, palaeontology, biogeography, zoology, and ecology.

Full Product Details

Author:   A van der Geer ,  George Lyras ,  John de Vos ,  Michael Dermitzakis
Publisher:   John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Imprint:   Wiley-Blackwell (an imprint of John Wiley & Sons Ltd)
Dimensions:   Width: 18.20cm , Height: 3.50cm , Length: 24.60cm
Weight:   0.958kg
ISBN:  

9781405190091

ISBN 10:   1405190094
Pages:   496
Publication Date:   13 August 2010
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Reviews

This book is an important addition to the library of anyQuaternary mammalian palaeontologist and will likely be useful tothose whose interests extend back deeper into the Cenozoic. Thebook is well illustrated and very well researched, with anexcellent set of references. I suspect that it will become thestarting point for many future researchers and researchprojects. (Geological Journal, 1 March 2013) I laud the authors on undertaking a work of thismagnitude, and commend it to anyone interested in the remarkablebeasts that once populated the little places on Earth. (J Mammal Evol, 1 February 2011) With many examples and more than 50 pages of up-to-datebibliography, this book is particularly interesting for studentsand professional researchers in evolution. (Mammalia, 28 June 2012) It is generously illustrated and nicely presented. Islandbiota will continue to provide a fascinating arena for the study ofevolution, and this book highlights the value of taking a broaderview than the brief snapshot in time provided by contemporaryinsular biota alone. (BioScience, 1 April2012) Van der Geer et al. Have done a thorough job of providing anup-to-date overview of what is now known about the diversity,adaptations, biogeographical histories, and ultimate extinction ofthese quite remarkable creatures: elephants the size of large dogs,lemurs that hung from branches like sloths, rodents the size ofponies, and many other examples of adaptation in action. (TheQuarterly Review of Biology, 1 June 2011) Figure quality, including 26 color plates, is excellent.Comprehensive index and reference list included. HighlyRecommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals inpaleontology and zoology. (Choice, 1 March 2011) That aside, there's a lot of material in here that'sfascinating to the non-specialist . (Fortean Times, 1 March2011) This superb book looks at the evolution, and extinction, ofplacentals ranging from the Oligocene to the present ... a wellpublished textbook, superbly illustrated with drawings andphotographs, that it would be fun to read through a little beforesticking it on my shelf as a reference book for the future. (Troglodyte4, 2010)

I laud the authors on undertaking a work of this magnitude, and commend it to anyone interested in the remarkable beasts that once populated the little places on Earth. ( J Mammal Evol , 1 February 2011) With many examples and more than 50 pages of up-to-date bibliography, this book is particularly interesting for students and professional researchers in evolution. ( Mammalia , 28 June 2012) It is generously illustrated and nicely presented. Island biota will continue to provide a fascinating arena for the study of evolution, and this book highlights the value of taking a broader view than the brief snapshot in time provided by contemporary insular biota alone. ( BioScience , 1 April 2012) Van der Geer et al. Have done a thorough job of providing an up-to-date overview of what is now known about the diversity, adaptations, biogeographical histories, and ultimate extinction of these quite remarkable creatures: elephants the size of large dogs, lemurs that hung from branches like sloths, rodents the size of ponies, and many other examples of adaptation in action. (The Quarterly Review of Biology, 1 June 2011) Figure quality, including 26 color plates, is excellent. Comprehensive index and reference list included. Highly Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals in paleontology and zoology. (Choice, 1 March 2011) That aside, there's a lot of material in here that's fascinating to the non-specialist . (Fortean Times, 1 March 2011) This superb book looks at the evolution, and extinction, of placentals ranging from the Oligocene to the present ... a well published textbook, superbly illustrated with drawings and photographs, that it would be fun to read through a little before sticking it on my shelf as a reference book for the future. (Troglodyte4, 2010)

This superb book looks at the evolution, and extinction, of placentals ranging from the Oligocene to the present . . . a well published textbook, superbly illustrated with drawings and photographs, that it would be fun to read through a little before sticking it on my shelf as a reference book for the future. (Troglodyte4, 2010)

With many examples and more than 50 pages of up-to-date bibliography, this book is particularly interesting for students and professional researchers in evolution. (Mammalia, 28 June 2012) It is generously illustrated and nicely presented. Island biota will continue to provide a fascinating arena for the study of evolution, and this book highlights the value of taking a broader view than the brief snapshot in time provided by contemporary insular biota alone. (BioScience, 1 April 2012) Van der Geer et al. Have done a thorough job of providing an up-to-date overview of what is now known about the diversity, adaptations, biogeographical histories, and ultimate extinction of these quite remarkable creatures: elephants the size of large dogs, lemurs that hung from branches like sloths, rodents the size of ponies, and many other examples of adaptation in action. (The Quarterly Review of Biology, 1 June 2011) Figure quality, including 26 color plates, is excellent. Comprehensive index and reference list included. Highly Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals in paleontology and zoology. (Choice, 1 March 2011) That aside, there's a lot of material in here that's fascinating to the non-specialist . (Fortean Times, 1 March 2011) This superb book looks at the evolution, and extinction, of placentals ranging from the Oligocene to the present ... a well published textbook, superbly illustrated with drawings and photographs, that it would be fun to read through a little before sticking it on my shelf as a reference book for the future. (Troglodyte4, 2010)

With many examples and more than 50 pages of up-to-date bibliography, this book is particularly interesting for students and professional researchers in evolution. ( Mammalia , 28 June 2012) It is generously illustrated and nicely presented. Island biota will continue to provide a fascinating arena for the study of evolution, and this book highlights the value of taking a broader view than the brief snapshot in time provided by contemporary insular biota alone. ( BioScience , 1 April 2012) Van der Geer et al. Have done a thorough job of providing an up-to-date overview of what is now known about the diversity, adaptations, biogeographical histories, and ultimate extinction of these quite remarkable creatures: elephants the size of large dogs, lemurs that hung from branches like sloths, rodents the size of ponies, and many other examples of adaptation in action. (The Quarterly Review of Biology, 1 June 2011) Figure quality, including 26 color plates, is excellent. Comprehensive index and reference list included. Highly Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals in paleontology and zoology. (Choice, 1 March 2011) That aside, there's a lot of material in here that's fascinating to the non-specialist . (Fortean Times, 1 March 2011) This superb book looks at the evolution, and extinction, of placentals ranging from the Oligocene to the present ... a well published textbook, superbly illustrated with drawings and photographs, that it would be fun to read through a little before sticking it on my shelf as a reference book for the future. (Troglodyte4, 2010)

Van der Geer et al. Have done a thorough job of providing an up-to-date overview of what is now known about the diversity, adaptations, biogeographical histories, and ultimate extinction of these quite remarkable creatures: elephants the size of large dogs, lemurs that hung from branches like sloths, rodents the size of ponies, and many other examples of adaptation in action. (The Quarterly Review of Biology, 1 June 2011) Figure quality, including 26 color plates, is excellent. Comprehensive index and reference list included. Highly Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals in paleontology and zoology. (Choice, 1 March 2011) That aside, there's a lot of material in here that's fascinating to the non-specialist . (Fortean Times, 1 March 2011) This superb book looks at the evolution, and extinction, of placentals ranging from the Oligocene to the present ... a well published textbook, superbly illustrated with drawings and photographs, that it would be fun to read through a little before sticking it on my shelf as a reference book for the future. (Troglodyte4, 2010)

Author Information

ALEXANDRA VAN DER GEER is an independent researcher, presently guest researcher at Naturalis, the National Museum of Natural History of the Netherlands and at the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment at the University of Athens, Greece. She publishes on various subjects, including insularity, primatology and the relation between humans and animals. Among her previous books are Animals in Stone and Hoe dieren op eilanden evolueren. GEORGE LYRAS is curator of the Museum of Geology and Palaeontology of the University of Athens, Greece. His research focuses primarily on the evolution of carnivores and of insular mammals. He currently specializes in evolutionary processes of the mammalian skull under strong selective forces. JOHN DE VOS is curator of the Dubois Collection and the Collection of Pleistocene mammal fossils from the Netherlands and the North Sea at Naturalis, the National Museum of Natural History of the Netherlands. His expertise and fi eld of research include the taxonomic, systematic, geographic and stratigraphic research of the Pleistocene mammals of Southeast Asia in relation to fossil humans and fossil island faunas. MICHAEL DERMITZAKIS is emeritus professor in the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment at the University of Athens, Greece, and former vice-rector of the same university. He is a recognized expert in the fi eld of island biogeography of the Aegean Archipelago and the advocate of international research on the palaeoecology of Greek islands.

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