Forerunners of Mammals: Radiation  Histology  Biology (Life of the Past)
"Ever since Nick Hotton's book from the 1980s we have needed an update on the biology of therapsids, and it has been Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan and her students and associates who through their bone histological work have made the greatest progress in this field." —Martin Sander, Steinmann Institute, University of Bonn"[T]he authors of Forerunners of Mammals have assembled a tremendous amount of information in both paleontology and paleohistology, and the book deserves very serious consideration and appreciation." —Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology"Forerunners of Mammals is full of meticulous detail... [I]t also contains a number of excellently rendered illustrations of some of the animals covered in the book, and the final chapter is a discussion of the evolution of endothermy that anyone with a background in biology might find of interest.... Recommended." —ChoiceThe evolutionary lineage that eventually led to mammals split off from the rest of the tetrapods soon after vertebrates dragged themselves out of the water. This book uses a combination of in-depth literature reviews and original research to trace the rise of mammals from these earliest origins. Specifically, the authors use detailed analyses of the microstructure of fossilized bones to follow the transition from reptilian synapsids to the familiar warm-blooded creatures of today. The book relates fine osteological anatomy to the distribution, ecology, physiology, and behavior of mammalian ancestors. Forerunners of Mammals is full of meticulous detail... However, it also contains a number of excellently rendered illustrations of some of the animals covered in the book, and the final chapter is a discussion of the evolution of endothermy that anyone with a background in biology might find of interest. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. --ChoiceJ. L. Hunt, University of Arkansas--Monticello, July 2012"This volume represents a state-of-the-art contribution to our understanding of the paleobiologyof how mammals arose, and what factors contributed to their evolutionary radiation and eventualsuccess. It is highly recommended for anyone interested in these topics, and will be accessible toreaders with minimal background in bone histology and synapsid paleontology." —Quarterly Review of Biology"Forerunners of Mammals will take interested readers beyond the classic jaw-to-ear appreciation of therapsids, towards a deeper appreciation of the ancestry of mammals." —Journal of Mammalian Evolution