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OverviewSince the extinction of the dinosaurs, hoofed mammals have been the planet's dominant herbivores. Native to all continents except Australia and Antarctica, they include not only even-toed artiodactyls (pigs, hippos, camels, deer, antelopes, giraffes, sheep, goats and cattle) and odd-toed perissodactyls (horses and rhinos), but also tethytheres (elephants and their aquatic relatives, manatees and seas cows) and cetaceans (whales and dolphins), which descended from hoofed land mammals. Recent paleontological and biological discoveries have deepened our understanding of their evolution and in some cases have made previous theories obsolete. In this book, Donald R. Prothero and Robert M. Schoch present a new evolutionary history of these remarkable creatures, combining the latest scientific evidence with the most current information about their ecology and behaviour. Using an approach based on cladistics, the authors consider both living and extinct ungulates. Included in their discussion are the stories of rhinos, whose ancestors include both dinosaur-sized hornless species and hippo-like river waders; elephants, whose earliest ancestors had neither tusks nor trunks; and whales, whose descent from hoofed mesonychids has never properly been described for the lay audience. Prothero and Schoch also update the evolutionary history of the horse, correcting the frequent errors made in textbooks and popular works, and they make available to the general public new evidence about the evolution of camels, horned antelopes and cattle. In addition, they raise important conservation issues and relate anecdotes of significant fossil finds. Scientifically accurate and up to date, generously illustrated, and clearly written, ""Horns, Hooves, and Flippers"" is intended as a useful and resource for specialists in the fields of palaeontology, zoology, ecology, and evolutionary biology, as well as for general readers interested in learning more about the story of life on Earth. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Donald R. Prothero (Professor (retired)) , Robert M. Schoch (Associate Professor of Science and Mathematics, Boston University)Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press Imprint: Johns Hopkins University Press Dimensions: Width: 21.60cm , Height: 2.90cm , Length: 27.90cm Weight: 0.975kg ISBN: 9780801871351ISBN 10: 0801871352 Pages: 384 Publication Date: 06 May 2003 Recommended Age: From 17 Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , General , Professional & Vocational Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: To order  Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us. Table of ContentsReviewsI would recommend this book to anyone interested in the morphological perspective on the evolution of hoofed mammals and particularly to those wanting to learn more about the fossil record of individual clades. It is enjoyable and informative. -- Dr. Samantha Price, Aquatic Mammals Author InformationAuthor Website: www.donaldprothero.comDonald R. Prothero is a professor of geology at Occidental College. Robert M. Schoch is on the faculty of the College of General Studies at Boston University. Tab Content 6Author Website: www.donaldprothero.comCountries AvailableAll regions |
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