Author: Mark David Uhen
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Cetacea, Fossil
Languages : en
Pages : 774

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Book Description

Author: Felix G. Marx
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118561538
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 356

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Book Description
Cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) have fascinated and bewildered humans throughout history. Their mammalian affinities have been long recognized, but exactly which group of terrestrial mammals they descend from has, until recently, remained in the dark. Recent decades have produced a flurry of new fossil cetaceans, extending their fossil history to over 50 million years ago. Along with new insights from genetics and developmental studies, these discoveries have helped to clarify the place of cetaceans among mammals, and enriched our understanding of their unique adaptations for feeding, locomotion and sensory systems. Their continuously improving fossil record and successive transformation into highly specialized marine mammals have made cetaceans a textbook case of evolution - as iconic in its own way as the origin of birds from dinosaurs. This book aims to summarize our current understanding of cetacean evolution for the serious student and interested amateur using photographs, drawings, charts and illustrations.

Author: Debra Lee Miller
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1439842574
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 456

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Book Description
The order Cetacea comprises some amazing species, representing some of the most evolved creatures that inhabit this earth. Yet, they also represent a group of species for which much remains unknown. There are over 80 species of cetaceans composed of porpoises, dolphins and whales. This volume represents the latest of published and previously unpubl

Author: John G Fleagle
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387738967
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 462

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Book Description
For nearly a half century, Dr. Simons has dominated the study of primate evolution. This volume summarizes the current state of knowledge in many aspects of primate and human evolution that have been studied by Simons and his colleagues and place it in a broader paleontological and historical perspective. The book contains the results of new research as well as reviews of many of the critical issues in primate and human evolution during the last half of the twentieth century.

Author: William F. Perrin
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0080919936
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 1355

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Book Description
This thorough revision of the classic Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals brings this authoritative book right up-to-date. Articles describe every species in detail, based on the very latest taxonomy, and a host of biological, ecological and sociological aspects relating to marine mammals. The latest information on the biology, ecology, anatomy, behavior and interactions with man is provided by a cast of expert authors – all presented in such detail and clarity to support both marine mammal specialists and the serious naturalist. Fully referenced throughout and with a fresh selection of the best color photographs available, the long-awaited second edition remains at the forefront as the go-to reference on marine mammals. - More than 20% NEW MATERIAL includes articles on Climate Change, Pacific White-sided Dolphins, Sociobiology, Habitat Use, Feeding Morphology and more - Over 260 articles on the individual species with topics ranging from anatomy and behavior, to conservation, exploitation and the impact of global climate change on marine mammals - New color illustrations show every species and document topical articles FROM THE FIRST EDITION "This book is so good...a bargain, full of riches...packed with fascinating up to date information. I recommend it unreservedly it to individuals, students, and researchers, as well as libraries." --Richard M. Laws, MARINE MAMMALS SCIENCE "...establishes a solid and satisfying foundation for current study and future exploration" --Ronald J. Shusterman, SCIENCE

Author: Bernd Würsig
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128043814
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 1195

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Book Description
The Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, Third Edition covers the ecology, behavior, conservation, evolution, form and function of whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, manatees, dugongs, otters and polar bears. This edition provides new content on anthropogenic concerns, latest information on emerging threats such as ocean noise, and impacts of climate change. With authors and editors who are world experts, this new edition is a critical resource for all who are interested in marine mammals, especially upper level undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and managers, and is a top reference for those in related fields, from oceanographers to environmental scientists. - Significant content and topic updates, as well as the addition of new topics in such areas as anthropogenic disturbance - Visual maps of the oceans and seas mentioned in contributions, helping to place the geographical features described in the text with clear, consistent species illustrations - Written to help users learn new information or brush up on a topic quickly, with the references at the end of each entry to help guide readers into more specialist literature

Author: Kenneth P. Dial
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022626839X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 435

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Book Description
How did flying birds evolve from running dinosaurs, terrestrial trotting tetrapods evolve from swimming fish, and whales return to swim in the sea? These are some of the great transformations in the 500-million-year history of vertebrate life. And with the aid of new techniques and approaches across a range of fields—work spanning multiple levels of biological organization from DNA sequences to organs and the physiology and ecology of whole organisms—we are now beginning to unravel the confounding evolutionary mysteries contained in the structure, genes, and fossil record of every living species. This book gathers a diverse team of renowned scientists to capture the excitement of these new discoveries in a collection that is both accessible to students and an important contribution to the future of its field. Marshaling a range of disciplines—from paleobiology to phylogenetics, developmental biology, ecology, and evolutionary biology—the contributors attack particular transformations in the head and neck, trunk, appendages such as fins and limbs, and the whole body, as well as offer synthetic perspectives. Illustrated throughout, Great Transformations in Vertebrate Evolution not only reveals the true origins of whales with legs, fish with elbows, wrists, and necks, and feathered dinosaurs, but also the relevance to our lives today of these extraordinary narratives of change.

Author: Arthur J. Boucot
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 143985923X
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 941

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Book Description
In this complete and thorough update of Arthur Boucot's seminal work, Evolutionary Paleobiology of Behavior and Coevolution, Boucot is joined by George Poinar, who provides additional expertise and knowledge on protozoans and bacteria as applied to disease. Together, they make the Fossil Behavior Compendium wider in scope, covering all relevant ani

Author: Kevin de Queiroz
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 0429821212
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 1353

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Book Description
Phylonyms is an implementation of PhyloCode, which is a set of principles, rules, and recommendations governing phylogenetic nomenclature. Nearly 300 clades - lineages of organisms - are defined by reference to hypotheses of phylogenetic history rather than by taxonomic ranks and types. This volume will document the Real World uses of PhyloCode and will govern and apply to the names of clades, while species names will still be governed by traditional codes. Key Features Provides clear regulations for implementing new guidelines for naming lineages of organisms incorporates expressly evolutionary and phylogenetic principles Works with existing codes of nomenclature Eliminates the reliance on rank-based classification in favor of phylogenetic relationships Related Titles: Rieppel, O. Phylogenetic Systematics: Haeckel to Hennig (ISBN 978-1-4987-5488-0) Cantino, P. D. and de Queiroz, K. International Code of Phylogenetic Nomenclature (PhyloCode) (ISBN 978-1-138-33282-9).

Author: Annalisa Berta
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421423251
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 213

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Book Description
Setting the stage : rocks, fossils and evolution -- The oldest marine mammals : whales and sea cows -- Later diverging whales : Neoceti -- Aquatic carnivores : pinnipeds and a bear-like carnivoran -- Crown sirenians and their desmostylian relatives -- Aquatic sloths and recent occupants of the sea-sea otters and polar bears -- Diversity changes through time : the influence of climate change and humans