Product Description

In the tradition of G. G. Simpson's classic work, Kenneth D. Rose's The Beginning of the Age of Mammals analyzes the events that occurred directly before and after the mysterious K-T boundary which so quickly thrust mammals from obscurity to planetary dominance.

Rose surveys the evolution of mammals, beginning with their origin from cynodont therapsids in the Mesozoic, contemporary with dinosaurs, through the early Cenozoic, with emphasis on the Paleocene and Eocene adaptive radiations of therian mammals. Focusing on the fossil record, he presents the anatomical evidence used to interpret behavior and phylogenetic relationships. The life's work of one of the most knowledgeable researchers in the field, this richly illustrated, magisterial book combines sound scientific principles and meticulous research and belongs on the shelf of every paleontologist and mammalogist.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #496608 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 448 pages

Review

"This beautiful and thorough book will be an essential tool for all those who work on fossil and extant mammals, and for both advanced undergraduate and graduate students. It is a 'must buy' for palaeontological libraries." -- Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska, Nature

"This volume will be extremely valuable, particularly for mammalogists used to dealing only with the time slice of the Recent... Highly recommended." -- Choice

"The first comprehensive synthesis of mammal evolution in more than 20 years. It is arguably the most significant contribution to the field since George Simpson's classic work Principles of Classification and a Classification of Mammals." -- Amy Chew, Quarterly Review of Biology

"Will almost certainly become a heavily used reference and mainstay in the classroom for students and teachers of mammalian evolution... Deserving of accolades as a particularly noteworthy achievement." -- Christopher C. Gilbert, Evolutionary Anthropology

"Remarkable book." -- Peter Langer, Mammalian Biology

"Authoritative, up-to-date, and full of references to corroborate synthetic overviews of major events in mammalian evolution. Ken Rose does his profession a service by providing a compact analysis of the history of the diverse Class Mammalia through the end of the Eocene Epoch and beyond." -- Lawrence J. Flynn, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

"A must reference for all mammalian and aspiring mammalian paleontologists." -- J.D. Archibald, Journal of Mammalian Evolution

About the Author

Kenneth D. Rose is a professor at the Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a research associate at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. He is co-editor of The Rise of Placental Mammals: Origins and Relationships of the Major Extant Clades, also published by Johns Hopkins.

Customer Reviews

Amazing book for anyone interested in mammalian paleontology
This is it, the only book you need on the evolution of mammals during the early Cenozoic, and their amazing diversification after the extinction of the dinosaurs. The down side of this book is that it does not continue into the later part of the Cenozoic, but sticks to Dr. Rose's expertise of Paleocene and Eocene mammals. The photographs and illustrations are from various scientific articles and publications, but are nicely brought together, including a number of colored photographs and reconstructions in the center of the book. The biggest drawback, is the high price of the book. Dinosaur books are priced a lot less, and I don't understand why publishers don't do likewise with books about fossil mammals. Hopefully, a cheaper soft cover will become available or you can try and get your local library to purchase the book for you. I would not spend the $120, if I was not really into fossils.

Age of Mammals
A high quality book for paleo-hobbyists. Large number of quality illustrations and a lot of general information.

The rise of mammals
Ken Rose's book is a truly magisterial contribution that should be on the bookshelf of every serious student of mammalian biology and evolution. Indeed, it provides a model for book-length treatments of the evolutionary history of other vertebrate groups. Rose provides a clearly written, richly illustrated overview of the early Cenozoic history of mammals, synthesizing a vast amount of technical literature on this fascinating subject and the results of his own research and thinking over more than three decades. An extensive bibliography provides an invaluable guide to the primary literature, which is widely scattered and published in many different languages.