Mammal Phylogeny: Mesozoic Differentiation, Multituberculates, Monotremes, Early Therians, and Marsupials

by Frederick S. Szalay (Editor), Michael J. Novacek (Editor), Malcolm C. McKenna (Editor)

Overview

The roots of this book and its sister volume, Mammal Phylogeny: Placenta/so go back to discussions and plans, shelved for a while, between F. S. Szalay and W. P. Luckett during the international and multidisciplinary symposium on rodent evolution sponsored by NATO, July 2-6, 1984, in Paris. That conference, orga­ nized by W. P. Luckett and J. -L. Hartenberger, the proceedings of which were published in 1985, proved an inspiring experience to all of the participants, as this was repeatedly expressed both during and after the meetings. In addition to issues relating to rodents, general theoretical topics pertaining to the evolutionary biology and systematics of other groups of mammals regularly surfaced during the presentations and discussions. M. J. Novacek, who was also a participant in the rodent symposium, shared with Luckett and Szalay the enthusiasm acquired there, and he also expressed strong interest for a meeting on mammal evolution with a general focus similar to that of therodent gathering. In 1988, Szalay and Luckett, after having planned in detail a program, direc­ tion, and core list of participants, were awarded a $30,000 grant by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation through the Research Foundation of the City University of New York. The grant was contingent upon obtaining additional funds sufficient to assure that the symposium would be held. Raising the remaining funds proved to be a problem.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781461573838
Publisher:	Springer New York
Publication date:	03/06/2013
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1993
Pages:	249
Product dimensions:	7.01(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.02(d)

Table of Contents

1 Introduction.- 2 Ontogeny, Genetic Control, and Phylogeny of Female Reproduction in Monotreme and Therian Mammals.- 3 Development and the Phylogenetic Features of the Middle Ear Region.- 4 Relationships of the Liassic Mammals Sinoconodon, Morganucodon oehleri, and Dinnetherium.- 5 Basicranial Evidence for Early Mammal Phylogeny.- 6 Cranial Morphology and Multituberculate Relationships.- 7 Reconsideration of Monotreme Relationships Based on the Skull and Dentition of the Miocene Obdurodon dicksoni.- 8 Ontogenetic Evidence for Cranial Homologies in Monotremes and Therians, with Special Reference to Ornithorhynchus.- 9 Pedal Evolution of Mammals in the Mesozoic: Tests for Taxic Relationships.- 10 Phylogenetic Systematics and the Early History of Mammals.- 11 Phylogeny of Multituberculata.- 12 Cranial Morphology of the Therian Common Ancestor, as Suggested by the Adaptations of Neonate Marsupials.- 13 An Ontogenetic Assessment of Dental Homologies in Therian Mammals.- 14 Theria of Metatherian-Eutherian Grade and the Origin of Marsupials.- 15 Metatherian Taxon Phylogeny: Evidence and Interpretation from the Cranioskeletal System.- Topic Index.- Taxon Index.

Editorial Reviews

Based on the Mammal Conference, held at the American Museum of Natural History, New York City, May-June 1990, this volume is a review of new research in the evolutionary morphology of hard and soft tissues, molecular phylogeny, and in virtually all currently active aspects of analysis which have as their focus the evolutionary history of the placental mammals. Leading international researchers review all the major ordinal groups of placentals either from sundry molecular perspectives or the morphological examination of fossil and living groups. For evolutionary biologists of a variety of subfields. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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