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Ardipithecus kadabba: Late Miocene Evidence from the Middle Awash, Ethiopia

Yohannes Haile-Selassie (ed.)

The second volume in a series dedicated to fossil discoveries made in the Afar region of Ethiopia, this work contains description of the geological context and paleoenvironment of the early hominid ... More

The second volume in a series dedicated to fossil discoveries made in the Afar region of Ethiopia, this work contains description of the geological context and paleoenvironment of the early hominid Ardipithecus kadabba. This research, carried out by an international team, describes Middle Awash late Miocene faunal assemblages recovered from sediments firmly dated to between 5.2 and 5.8 million years ago. Compared to other assemblages of similar age, the Middle Awash record is unparalleled in taxonomic diversity, composed of 2,760 specimens representing at least sixty five mammalian genera. This evaluation of the vertebrates from the end of the Miocene in Africa provides detailed morphological and taxonomic descriptions of dozens of taxa, including species new to science. It also incorporates results from analyses of paleoenvironment, paleobiogeography, biochronology, and faunal turnover around the Pliocene-Miocene boundary, opening a new window on the evolution of mammals, African fauna, and its environments.Less

Beyond Cladistics: The Branching of a Paradigm

David M. Williams and Sandra Knapp (eds)

Cladistics, or phylogenetic systematics — an approach to discovering, unraveling, and testing hypotheses of evolutionary history — took hold during a turbulent and acrimonious time in the history of ... More

Cladistics, or phylogenetic systematics — an approach to discovering, unraveling, and testing hypotheses of evolutionary history — took hold during a turbulent and acrimonious time in the history of systematics. During this period — the 1960s and 1970s — much of the foundation of modern systematic methodology was established as cladistic approaches became widely accepted. Virtually complete by the end of the 1980s, the wide perception has been that little has changed. This volume vividly illustrates that cladistic methodologies have continued to be developed, improved upon, and effectively used in ever widening analytically imaginative ways.Less

Biodiversity Response to Climate Change in the Middle Pleistocene: The Porcupine Cave Fauna from Colorado

Anthony Barnosky (ed.)

This book chronicles the discovery and analysis of animal fossils found in one of the most important paleontological sites in the world: Porcupine Cave, located at an elevation of 9,500 feet in the ... More

This book chronicles the discovery and analysis of animal fossils found in one of the most important paleontological sites in the world: Porcupine Cave, located at an elevation of 9,500 feet in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. With tens of thousands of identified specimens, this site has become the key source of information on the fauna of North America's higher elevations between approximately 1 million and 600,000 years ago, a period that saw the advance and retreat of glaciers numerous times. Until now, little has been understood about how this dramatic climate change affected life during the middle Pleistocene. In addition to presenting data from Porcupine Cave, this study also presents analysis on what the data from the site show about the evolutionary and ecological adjustments that occurred in this period, shedding light on how one of the world's most pressing environmental concerns—global climate change—can influence life on earth.Less

Biostratigraphy and Vertebrate Paleontology of the San Timoteo Badlands, Southern California

L. Barry Albright

This book describes forty-two fossil taxa recovered during a study of the San Timoteo Badlands that used magnetobiostratigraphy to develop a temporal framework for addressing the tectonic evolution ... More

This book describes forty-two fossil taxa recovered during a study of the San Timoteo Badlands that used magnetobiostratigraphy to develop a temporal framework for addressing the tectonic evolution of southern California over the last six million years. For the Pliocene, small mammals are an effective means of correlating a magnetostratigraphy to the Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale when radioisotopic dates are unobtainable.Less

Cenozoic Mammals of Africa

Lars Werdelin (ed.)

This volume is a comprehensive review of the African mammalian fossil record over the past 65 million years. The book includes current taxonomic and systematic revisions of all African mammal taxa, ... More

This volume is a comprehensive review of the African mammalian fossil record over the past 65 million years. The book includes current taxonomic and systematic revisions of all African mammal taxa, detailed compilations of fossil site occurrences, and a wealth of information regarding paleobiology, phylogeny, and biogeography. Primates, including hominins, are particularly well covered. The discussion addresses the systematics of endemic African mammals, factors relating to species richness, and a summary of isotopic information. The work also provides contextual information about Cenozoic African tectonics, chronostratigraphy of sites, paleobotany, and global and regional climate change. Updating our understanding of this important material with the wealth of research from the past three decades, this volume is an essential resource for anyone interested in the evolutionary history of Africa and the diversification of its mammals.Less

Comparative Biogeography: Discovering and Classifying Biogeographical Patterns of a Dynamic Earth

Lynne Parenti

To unravel the complex shared history of the Earth and its life forms, biogeographers analyze patterns of biodiversity, species distribution, and geological history. So far, the field of biogeography ... More

To unravel the complex shared history of the Earth and its life forms, biogeographers analyze patterns of biodiversity, species distribution, and geological history. So far, the field of biogeography has been fragmented into divergent systematic and evolutionary approaches, with no overarching or unifying research theme or method. In this text, the authors address this discord and outline comparative tools to unify biogeography. Rooted in phylogenetic systematics, this comparative biogeographic approach offers a comprehensive empirical framework for discovering and deciphering the patterns and processes of the distribution of life on Earth. The authors cover biogeography from its fundamental ideas to the most effective ways to implement them. Real-life examples illustrate concepts and problems, including the first comparative biogeographical analysis of the Indo-West Pacific, an introduction to biogeographical concepts rooted in the earth sciences, and the integration of phylogeny, evolution, and earth history.Less

The Dinosauria

David Weishampel (ed.)

This revised edition of this book continues in the same vein as the first but encompasses recent spectacular discoveries that have continued to revolutionize this field. A thorough scientific view of ... More

This revised edition of this book continues in the same vein as the first but encompasses recent spectacular discoveries that have continued to revolutionize this field. A thorough scientific view of current world research, the volume includes comprehensive coverage of dinosaur systematics, reproduction, and life history strategies, biogeography, taphonomy, paleoecology, thermoregulation, and extinction. It contains definitive descriptions and illustrations of these magnificent Mesozoic beasts. The first section of the book begins with the origin of the great clade of these fascinating reptiles, followed by separate coverage of each major dinosaur taxon, including the Mesozoic radiation of birds. The second part of the volume navigates through broad areas of interest. Here we find comprehensive documentation of dinosaur distribution through time and space, discussion of the interface between geology and biology, and the paleoecological inferences that can be made through this link.Less

Dinosaurs and Other Mesozoic Reptiles of California

Richard Hilton

One of the most geologically complex and diverse states California spent much of the age of dinosaurs under water. While most of the fossils found in the state are those of reptiles that lived in the ... More

One of the most geologically complex and diverse states California spent much of the age of dinosaurs under water. While most of the fossils found in the state are those of reptiles that lived in the sea (thalattosaurs, ichthyosaurs, mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and turtles), some are those of birds and pterosaurs that soared above it. Other fossils come from terrestrial animals that died and were washed into the ocean. These include turtles, crocodiles, lizards, and dinosaurs such as armored ankylosaurs, duck-billed hadrosaurs, and a variety of carnivorous dinosaurs. This book tells the unsung story of the dinosaurs and reptiles of land, sea, and sky that lived in California and Baja California during the Mesozoic era (245 million–65 million years ago), in addition to the history of their discovery. This book provides geological and environmental details, describes the significance of the major fossils, and chronicles the adventures involved in the discovery, preparation, and publishing of the finds. The book also includes accounts of the scientists, teachers, students, ranchers, and weekend fossil hunters who endured (and continue to endure) harsh weather, fires, wild animals, and the usual challenges of fieldwork to collect fossil remains and make major discoveries. These enthusiasts managed to safeguard an abundance of fossil resources, some of which would otherwise have been destroyed by quarrying, paving, and housing developments.Less

Embryos in Deep Time: The Rock Record of Biological Development

Marcelo Sánchez

How can we bring together the study of genes, embryos, and fossils? This is a critical synthesis of the study of individual development in fossils. It brings together an up-to-date review of concepts ... More

How can we bring together the study of genes, embryos, and fossils? This is a critical synthesis of the study of individual development in fossils. It brings together an up-to-date review of concepts from comparative anatomy, ecology, and developmental genetics, and examples of different kinds of animals from diverse geological epochs and geographic areas. Can fossil embryos demonstrate evolutionary changes in reproductive modes? How have changes in ocean chemistry in the past affected the development of marine organisms? What can the microstructure of fossil bone and teeth reveal about maturation time, longevity, and changes in growth phases? This book addresses these and other issues, and documents with numerous examples and illustrations how fossils provide evidence not only of adult anatomy, but also of the life history of individuals at different growth stages. The central topic of biology today—the transformations occurring during the life of an organism and the mechanisms behind them—is addressed in an integrative manner for extinct animals.Less

Experimental Evolution: Concepts, Methods, and Applications of Selection Experiments

Theodore (ed.)

Experimental approaches to evolution provide indisputable evidence of evolution by directly observing the process at work. Experimental evolution deliberately duplicates evolutionary ... More

Experimental approaches to evolution provide indisputable evidence of evolution by directly observing the process at work. Experimental evolution deliberately duplicates evolutionary processes—forcing life histories to evolve, producing adaptations to stressful environmental conditions, and generating lineage splitting to create incipient species. This book summarizes studies in experimental evolution, outlining current techniques and applications, and presenting the field's full range of research—from selection in the laboratory to the manipulation of populations in the wild. It provides work on such key biological problems as the evolution of Darwinian fitness, sexual reproduction, life history, athletic performance, and learning.Less

For the Rock Record: Geologists on Intelligent Design

Jill Schneiderman (ed.)

According to the idea of intelligent design, nature's complexity is the result of deliberate planning by a supernatural creative force. To date, most scientific arguments against this form of ... More

According to the idea of intelligent design, nature's complexity is the result of deliberate planning by a supernatural creative force. To date, most scientific arguments against this form of creationism have been made by evolutionary biologists. In this volume, a team of earth scientists reveals that the flaws of intelligent design are not limited to the biological sciences. Indeed, the geological sciences offer some of the best refutations of intelligent design arguments. This book is dedicated to the proposition that the idea of intelligent design should be of serious concern to everyone. The editors have gathered leading figures from the geological community with a wide range of viewpoints that go to the heart of the debate over what is and is not science. The purveyors of intelligent design theories and its kindred philosophies threaten the scientific literacy that our society needs by confusing faith and the practice of science. This collection offers a much-needed response.Less

Homo erectus: Pleistocene Evidence from the Middle Awash, Ethiopia

W. Henry Gilbert (ed.)

This book, the first in a series devoted to the paleoanthropological resources of the Middle Awash Valley of Ethiopia, studies Homo erectus, a close relative of Homo sapiens. It provides detailed ... More

This book, the first in a series devoted to the paleoanthropological resources of the Middle Awash Valley of Ethiopia, studies Homo erectus, a close relative of Homo sapiens. It provides detailed descriptions, photographs, and analysis of the fossil vertebrates—from elephants and hyenas to humans—from the Daka Member of the Bouri Formation of the Afar, a place renowned for an abundant and lengthy record of human ancestors. These fossils contribute to our understanding of human evolution, and the associated fauna provide new information about the distribution and variability of Pleistocene mammals in eastern Africa. The contributors are all active researchers who worked on the paleontology and geology of these deposits. Here they have combined their disparate efforts into a single volume, making the original research results accessible to both the specialist and the general reader. The volume synthesizes environmental backdrop and anatomical detail to open an unparalleled window on the African Pleistocene and its inhabitants.Less

How Vertebrates Left the Water

Michel Laurin

More than three hundred million years ago—a relatively recent date in the two billion years since life first appeared—vertebrate animals first ventured onto land. This illustrated book describes how ... More

More than three hundred million years ago—a relatively recent date in the two billion years since life first appeared—vertebrate animals first ventured onto land. This illustrated book describes how some finned vertebrates acquired limbs, giving rise to more than 25,000 extant tetrapod species. The author uses paleontological, geological, physiological, and comparative anatomical data to describe this monumental event. He summarizes key concepts of modern paleontological research, including biological nomenclature, paleontological and molecular dating, and the methods used to infer phylogeny and character evolution. Along with a discussion of the evolutionary pressures that may have led vertebrates onto dry land, the book also shows how extant vertebrates yield clues about the conquest of land and how scientists uncover evolutionary history.Less

Life's Origin: The Beginnings of Biological Evolution

J.William Schopf (ed.)

Always a controversial and compelling topic, the origin of life on Earth was considered taboo as an area of inquiry for science as recently as the 1950s. Since then, however, scientists working in ... More

Always a controversial and compelling topic, the origin of life on Earth was considered taboo as an area of inquiry for science as recently as the 1950s. Since then, however, scientists working in this area have made remarkable progress, and an overall picture of how life emerged is coming more clearly into focus. We now know, for example, that the story of life's origin begins not on Earth, but in the interiors of distant stars. This book brings a summary of current research and ideas on life's origin to a wide audience. The contributors, all of whom received the Oparin/Urey Gold Medal of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life, discuss their life's work: understanding the what, when, and how of the early evolution of life on Earth.Less

Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree: Ecology and Adaptive Radiation of Anoles

Jonathan Losos

Adaptive radiation—which results when a single ancestral species gives rise to many descendants, each adapted to a different part of the environment—is possibly the single most important source of ... More

Adaptive radiation—which results when a single ancestral species gives rise to many descendants, each adapted to a different part of the environment—is possibly the single most important source of biological diversity in the living world. One of the best-studied examples involves Caribbean Anolis lizards. With about 400 species, Anolis has played an important role in the development of ecological theory and has become a model system exemplifying the integration of ecological, evolutionary, and behavioral studies to understand evolutionary diversification. This major work, written by one of the best-known investigators of Anolis, reviews and synthesizes an immense literature. The author illustrates how different scientific approaches to the questions of adaptation and diversification can be integrated, and examines evolutionary and ecological questions of interest to a broad range of biologists.Less

Molecular Panbiogeography of the Tropics

Michael Heads

Molecular studies have revealed highly ordered geographic patterns in plant and animal groups, and this book discusses examples from the tropics. During evolution, phases of community immobilism that ... More

Molecular studies have revealed highly ordered geographic patterns in plant and animal groups, and this book discusses examples from the tropics. During evolution, phases of community immobilism that lead to allopatric differentiation alternate with phases of mobilism that lead to range expansion and overlap of taxa. Both phases are caused by geological and climatic factors rather than group-specific factors such as ecology or means of dispersal. In primates, the endemism of high-level taxa in tropical America (New World monkeys) and Madagascar (lemurs) is attributed to Gondwana breakup, while the extensive overlap of clades in South America, Africa, and Asia may have been caused by range expansion during Cretaceous marine transgressions. In the central Pacific, former high islands of the Cretaceous (now seamounts and atolls) may have been important source areas for the biotas of the current islands. The integration of earth history, biogeography, and ecology proposed here leads to an alternative view of evolution, in which groups are much older than suggested by the fossil record and fossil-calibrated molecular clocks. The book concludes with a critique of adaptation by selection, based on biogeography and recent work in genetics.Less

Natural Security: A Darwinian Approach to a Dangerous World

Raphael Sagarin and Jennifer Hyndman (eds)

Arms races among invertebrates, intelligence gathering by the immune system, and alarm calls by marmots are but a few of nature's security strategies that have been tested and modified over billions ... More

Arms races among invertebrates, intelligence gathering by the immune system, and alarm calls by marmots are but a few of nature's security strategies that have been tested and modified over billions of years. This book applies lessons from nature to our own toughest security problems—from global terrorism to the rise of infectious disease to natural disasters. The text considers how models and ideas from evolutionary biology can improve national security strategies ranging from risk assessment, security analysis, and public policy to long-term strategic goals.Less

Not by Design: Retiring Darwin's Watchmaker

John Reiss

More than two centuries ago, William Paley introduced his famous metaphor of the universe as a watch made by the Creator. For him, the exquisite structure of the universe necessitated a designer. ... More

More than two centuries ago, William Paley introduced his famous metaphor of the universe as a watch made by the Creator. For him, the exquisite structure of the universe necessitated a designer. Today, some 150 years since Darwin's On the Origin of Species was published, the argument of design is seeing a revival. This work tells how Darwin left the door open for this revival—and at the same time argues for a new conceptual framework that avoids the problematic teleology inherent in Darwin's formulation of natural selection. In a wide-ranging discussion of the historical and philosophical dimensions of evolutionary theory from the ancient Greeks to today, the author argues that we should look to the principle of the conditions for existence, first formulated before On the Origin of Species by the French paleontologist Georges Cuvier, to clarify the relation of adaptation to evolution. He suggests that Cuvier's principle can help resolve persistent issues in evolutionary biology, including the proper definition of natural selection, the distinction between natural selection and genetic drift, and the meaning of genetic load. Moreover, the author shows how this principle can help unite diverse areas of biology, ranging from quantitative genetics and the theory of the levels of selection to evo-devo, ecology, physiology, and conservation biology.Less

Promising Genomics: Iceland and deCODE Genetics in a World of Speculation

Michael Fortun

Roberto Reis (ed.)

Part detective story, part exposé, and part travelogue, this book investigates one of the signature biotechnology stories of our time and, in so doing, opens a window onto the high-speed, high-tech, ... More

Part detective story, part exposé, and part travelogue, this book investigates one of the signature biotechnology stories of our time and, in so doing, opens a window onto the high-speed, high-tech, and high-finance world of genome science. It investigates how deCODE Genetics, in Iceland, became one of the wealthiest, as well as one of the most scandalous, companies of its kind with its plan to use the genes and medical records of the entire Icelandic population for scientific research. Delving into the poetry of W. H. Auden, the novels of Halldór Laxness, and the perils of Keiko the killer whale, the book maps the contemporary genomics landscape at a time when we must begin to ask questions about what “life” is made of in the age of DNA, databases, and derivatives trading.Less

Return to the Sea: The Life and Evolutionary Times of Marine Mammals

Annalisa Berta

Return to the Sea portrays the life and evolutionary times of marine mammals from giant whales and sea cows that originated fifty-five million years ago and walked on land to deep-diving elephant ... More

Return to the Sea portrays the life and evolutionary times of marine mammals from giant whales and sea cows that originated fifty-five million years ago and walked on land to deep-diving elephant seals and clam-eating walruses of modern times. Some animals, like the hippo-sized herbivorous desmostylians and aquatic sloths, were evolutionary experiments that did not survive. This fascinating account of the origin of various marine mammal lineages, written for the nonspecialist, is set against a backdrop of geologic time, changing climates and geography. The thread of evolution runs through the book and helps us to understand the present-day diversity of marine mammals and their responses to environmental challenges. The story of the evolution of these fascinating animals, their life and habits, offers a valuable perspective and, in some cases, lessons for the future. Berta also informs readers about current controversies in the field of marine mammalogy, presenting a balanced view based on careful evaluation and interpretation of the evidence. She explores patterns of change taking place today—conservation issues such as changing food webs and predator-prey relationships, habitat degradation, global warming, and the effects of humans on marine mammal communities. The future of marine mammals depends on each of us, scientists as well as the informed public, working together to avoid crises before they develop or to appropriately manage those that arise.Less