After the Dinosaurs: The Age of Mammals (Life of the Past) | 
|  | | | Title: | After the Dinosaurs: The Age of Mammals (Life of the Past) | | Author: | Donald R. Prothero | | Publisher: | Indiana University Press | | Type: | Book / Hardcover | | Publication Date: | 21 June, 2006 | | ISBN / ISBN-13: | 0253347335 / 9780253347336 | | List Price: | $39.95 | | You Save: | $13.58 | | Amazon Price: | $26.37 | |
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Product Description
Perhaps nudged over the evolutionary cliff by a giant boloid striking the earth, the incredible and fascinating group of animals called dinosaurs became extinct some 65 million years ago (except for their feathered descendants). In their place evolved an enormous variety of land creatures, especially the mammals, which in their way were every bit as remarkable as their Mesozoic cousins. The Age of Mammals, the Cenozoic Era, has never had its Jurassic Park, but it was an amazing time in earth’s history, populated by a wonderful assortment of bizarre animals. The rapid evolution of thousands of species of mammals brought forth gigantic hornless rhinos, sabertooth cats, mastodonts and mammoths, and many other creatures—including our own ancestors. Their story is part of a larger story of a world emerging from the greenhouse conditions of the Mesozoic, warming up dramatically about 55 million years ago, and then cooling rapidly so that 33 million years ago the glacial ice returned. The earth’s vegetation went through equally dramatic changes, from tropical jungles in Montana and forests at the poles, to grasslands and savannas across the entire world. Life in the sea also underwent striking evolution reflecting global climate change, including the emergence of such creatures as giant sharks, seals, sea lions, dolphins, and whales. After the Dinosaurs is a book for everyone who has an abiding fascination with the remarkable life of the past.
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Customer Reviews:
• Unleashing A Great Diversity 23 September, 2008
For life on the land, it was simply a resetting of the clock. A great rock arrived on Earth to precipitate - or complete - a massive extinction. Successfully dominating the planet for over 120 million years, the hordes of saurians were expunged. The sea-side plains and woodlands they had inhabited were now empty. Not entirely devoid of life, however, for sharp-eyed creatures who had been around as long as those dinosaurs peered out from hiding places, observing the emptiness. They quickly began to occupy it for themselves. In so doing, they founded an immense diversity of lineages, one of which ultimately led to ourselves.
Donald Prothero, who has contributed much to our knowledge of fossils, the scientific process and mammalian evolution, offers here a work of great scope. Tracking the changes in life over 65 million years is no small task, and he copes with the challenge well. In this work, he lists the forms of mammal life, some of the sea life along the shore and in the deep, and the environment shifts in general. Those environment shifts were great prompts to changes in life and he explains as much as is known about what caused the Earth to warm from the end of the Cretaceous through the Eocene when temperatures went into decline.
Although North America receives what seems an inordinate amount of attention, that is due to geophysical conditions here through the Cenozoic and to the rich fossil trove it has produced. That doesn't prevent the author from addressing the rest of the planet, which he does in extensive detail. The interaction of life between Europe, Asia and North America is nearly continuous during the period. Africa remained close, but detached, as was the case with South America for many millennia. Australia was increasingly isolated over time, while India was making a mad dash to link with Asia. All these geologic shifts had major repercussions on climate, as well as plant and animal life. It is those great interactions which form the underlying theme of this book. Climate change institutes other change, much of it severe and long-lasting. Prothero's message is clear, if subtly presented: human induced climate change is already underway, and we'd best prepare to learn to cope with the changes that will follow.
As with all Prothero's books, this one is richly illustrated. It presents informative photographs of working digs and museum specimens, artwork of skeletal reconstructions filled in with flesh and fur. There are explanatory diagrams showing the relationships of various fossil species and the significant changes occurring over time. There are some jarring images, such as the sabre-toothed cats, who at first glance seem unlikely to survive with the extended dentition they carried about. Yet, they persisted successfully for nearly two million years. Huge, flightless predatory birds inhabited South America instead of the sabre-toothed cats. Prothero's diagram [p. 225] of these creatures' size compared with a human, should give anybody watching a passing robin a bit of pause. Today those creatures are docile seed or insect eaters, but not long ago they would have been pleased to feast on you.
Finally, of course, Prothero must bring in the most ecologically successful species of them all. The hominids and their many precursor species in Africa. Throughout this segment, he explains how climate was a prompt for many of our accomplishments as a new species. He puts the rise of proto-humans in context with events and conditions over the rest of the planet. The Ice Ages is given detailed attention with what is known of the Neanderthal subspecies living through the early stages. In all this is an excellent book for anybody who cares to learn the background of our lineage and that of our mammalian cousins. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
- Reviewed by customer ID: AJDYDG7YZY9QL
• An Essential Book On The Mammals Evolution 11 November, 2008
An ESSENTIAL book on the mammals evolution, it's so interesting for a general introduction of an explanation of mammals evolution.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A5397CJF0KK7Y
• Great Book... 30 January, 2008
The book traces history of life after the dinosaurs, with focus on the changing climate and environments, showing life changed in the sea, in the air and on the land. Sea life seem to explain a lot about what was happening both in the waters and on dry land. The only reason I took a star was that the author, in order to keep the pages down to 316 had to smooth out a lot of the history, taking away the details that many people may wish to know, like how the animals lived, loved and died. But if you are looking for a general time line of life just after the death of the dinosaurs and ending in the 21st Century that traces the development of mammals, this is the book for you, new or used.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A3NIQK6ZLYEP1L
• Cenozoic Climate And Land Configeration 01 November, 2007
An excellent exposition of the climatic and geophysical conditions that prevailed during the cenozoic. A bit thin on enumerating individual animal groups, but the author never intended to make an exhaustive listing of animal life.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A3T9NIPOQ8PWC3
• A Great Detailed Look At Evolution After The Dinosaurs 17 November, 2008
Not the easiest read but definately worth the effort if you have an interest in this subject matter. Theres no doubt that books that collate the broad spectrum of the information of this nature are hard to come by. So for me its a welcome publication although i'd like to see an improvements in the graphic design if any later editions are to be published..... Well done to the author
- Reviewed by customer ID: A3J7AWKLXNUANO
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