The Primate Fossil Record

by Walter Carl Hartwig (Editor)

Overview

The Primate Fossil Record is a profusely illustrated, up-to-date, and comprehensive treatment of primate paleontology that captures the complete history of the discovery and interpretation of primate fossils. Each chapter emphasizes three key components of the record of primate evolution: history of discovery, taxonomy of the fossils, and evolution of the adaptive radiations they represent. The volume objectively summarizes the many intellectual debates surrounding the fossil record and provides a foundation of reference information on the last two decades of astounding discoveries and worldwide field research for physical anthropologists, paleontologists, and evolutionary biologists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521081412
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	09/18/2008
Series:	Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology , #33
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	552
Product dimensions:	8.27(w) x 10.98(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

WALTER HARTWIG is Associate Professor of Anatomy at Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine in northern California. He has conducted paleontological field research in South America and Africa, and has authored over 40 scientific articles and book chapters on comparative anatomy, primate evolution and the history of sciences. Professor Hartwig is also founder and director of FOUNTAINHEAD, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving medical care, education and scientific research in underdeveloped countries.

Table of Contents

Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction to the primate fossil record Walter Carl Hartwig; 2. The origin of primates David Tab Rasmussen; Part I. The Earliest Primates and the Fossil Record of Prosimians: 3. The earliest fossil primates and the evolution of prosimians Herbert H. Covert; 4. Adapiformes: phylogeny and adaptation Daniel L. Gebo; 5. Tarsiiformes: evolutionary history and adaptation Gregg F. Gunnell and Kenneth D. Rose; 6. Fossil lorisoids Erica Phillips and Alan C. Walker; 7. Quaternary fossil lemurs Laurie R. Godfrey and William L. Jungers; Part II. The Origin and Diversification of Anthropoid Primates: 8. The origin and diversification of anthropoid primates - introduction Marian Dagosto; 9. Basal anthropoids K. Christopher Beard; 10. Platyrrhine paleontology and systematics: the paradigm shifts Alfred L. Rosenberger; 11. Early platyrrhines of southern South America John G. Fleagle and Marcelo F. Tejedor; 12. Miocene platyrrhines of the northern neotropics Walter Carl Hartwig and D. Jeffrey Meldrum; 13. Extinct Quaternary platyrrhines of the Greater Antilles and Brazil Ross D. E. MacPhee and Ines Horovitz; Part III. The Fossil Record of the Early Catarrhines and Old World Monkeys: 14. Early catarrhines of the African Eocene and Oligocene David Tab Rasmussen; 15. The Pliopithecoidea David Begun; 16. The Victoriapithecidae, Cercopithecoidea Brenda Benefit and Monte L. McCrossin; 17. Fossil Old World monkeys: the Late Neogene radiation Nina G. Jablonski; Part IV. The Fossil Record of Hominoid Primates: 18. Perspectives on the Miocene Hominoidea David R. Pilbeam; 19. Late Oligocene to Middle Miocene catarrhines from Afro-Arabia Terry Harrison; 20. European hominoids David Begun; 21. The hominoid radiation in Asia Jay Kelley; 22. Middle and Late Miocene African hominoids Steven C. Ward and Dana Duren; Part V. The Fossil Record of Human Ancestry: 23. Introduction to the fossil record of human ancestry Henry M. McHenry; 24. Earliest hominids Tim D. White; 25. Early genus Homo Holly Dunsworth and Alan C. Walker; 26. Migrations, radiations and continuity: patterns in the evolution of Middle and Late Pleistocene humans Fred Smith; References cited; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"The taxonomic and historical coverage of this landmark volume is remarkably inclusive, and the quality of the individual chapters and of the illustrations is high...this volume is destined to become an indispensable reference work for anyone interested in the mammalian fossil record, primate origins, or in human evolution...The book is a magnificent accomplishment which will set the standard in the field for years to come." Biodiversity

"The volume provides a valuable reference on finds in the last two decades and current interpretations and controversies...The Primate Fossil Record is a superb book and an extraordinary accomplishment by Hartwig. It will be an invaluable source for all vertebrate paleontologists who work in the Cenozoic and for biologists interested in the evolution of the Order Primates." Quarterly Review of Biology

"This valuable new volume challenges significant components of the normal view of primate history...The Primate Fossil Record could be the centerpiece of an excellent graduate seminar on the history and practice of systematics and paleontology...an excellent resource." Journal of Mammalogy

"...a welcome addition to anyone's shelf—especially university libraries. The book fulfills its job as a primary reference of fossil primates." Journal of Anthropological Research

"This volume, carefully edited and arranged by Walter Hartwig, is a necessary addition to what has become an almost exploding field of endeavor, the study of our won human and other primate evolutionary lines...a treasure-trove of up-to-date descriptive and interpretative summaries...all of the chapters are of a high quality, and will provide important up-to-date reviews of these fossil primates. The photographs are exceptionally good, and it is a pleasure to have this volume in my possession. This will be a must for any paleoanthropologist or paleontologist workng on fossil primates. The Editor and Cambridge deserve kudos for this product." Human Nature Review

"The Primate Fossil Record should prove useful and be a benchmark for subsequent primate evaluations." Canadian Palaeobiology

"This is the first book in more than 20 years to offer a complete and relatively detailed survey of the paleontology of primates, the zoological group including humans, apes, monkeys, lemurs, and our extinct relatives.... Hartwig has done an excellent job of organizing and editing a disparate set of surveys. The overall bibliography and author/taxon indexes add to the book's value. Recommended for general as well as anthropological, zoological, and natural history collections." Choice

"This is an admirable effort to provide a concentrated and uniform treatment of the fossil record of that mammalian order of primary interest to our ever-anthropocentric selves....This book...will serve as a starting point for professionals and advanced students for years to come." Reports

"a valuable resource for all physical anthropologists and primate paleontologists." Journal of Paleontology Russell L. Ciochon

" I can only sit back and marvel at the amount of effort it must have taken contributors to amass such comprehensive and detailed accounts of the fossil records of their particular taxonomic groups and time periods... although by no means an introductory text, the coverage of the volume, its relative detail and the quality of the contributions will make The Primate Fossil Record are essential reading for many years to come." Sarah Elton, Reviews in Anthropology

From the Publisher