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Beasts of Eden: Walking Whales Dawn Horses and Other Enigmas of Mammal Evolution - David Rains Wallace

This groundbreaking book provides a comprehensive and engrossing account of the evolution of mammals, from their humble origins as small, shrew-like creatures to the diverse and magnificent array of species we see today. Drawing on the latest research in paleontology, genetics, and developmental biology, David Rains Wallace paints a vivid picture of the fascinating history of mammalian evolution.

Wallace begins by introducing the reader to the earliest known mammals, which lived during the Triassic Period, some 250 million years ago. These primitive creatures were small, shrew-like animals that scurried about in the undergrowth, feeding on insects and other small animals. Over time, mammals began to diversify, and by the end of the Cretaceous Period, there were a wide variety of mammalian species, including tree-dwelling primates, burrowing groundhogs, and swimming whales.

The Paleocene Epoch, which began 66 million years ago, saw the rise of the first modern mammals. These animals were characterized by their larger brains, more efficient teeth, and specialized adaptations for a variety of habitats. Wallace describes the evolution of the major mammalian groups, including primates, carnivores, ungulates, and rodents. He also discusses the evolution of human beings, from our earliest ancestors, the Australopithecines, to the modern Homo sapiens.

Beasts of Eden is a magisterial work that provides a comprehensive and accessible account of the evolution of mammals. Wallace's writing is clear and engaging, and he has a knack for making complex scientific concepts understandable to the lay reader. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of life on Earth.

Mammals first evolved at about the same time as dinosaurs, and their story is perhaps the more fascinating of the two-in part because it is also our own story. In this literate and entertaining book, eminent naturalist David Rains Wallace brings the saga of ancient mammals to a general audience for the first time. Using artist Rudolph Zallinger's majestic The Age of Mammals mural at the Peabody Museum as a frame for his narrative, Wallace deftly moves over varied terrain-drawing from history, science, evolutionary theory, and art history-to present a lively account of fossil discoveries and an overview of what those discoveries have revealed about early mammals and their evolution.

In these pages we encounter towering mammoths, tiny horses, giant-clawed ground sloths, whales with legs, uintatheres, zhelestids, and other exotic extinct creatures as well as the scientists who discovered and wondered about their remains. We meet such memorable figures as Georges Cuvier, Richard Owen, Edward D. Cope, George Gaylord Simpson, and Stephen Jay Gould and learn of their heated disputes, from Cuvier's and Owen's fights with early evolutionists to present controversies over the Late Cretaceous mass extinction. Wallace's own lifelong interest in evolution is reflected in the book's evocative and engaging style and in the personal experiences he expertly weaves into the tale, providing an altogether expansive perspective on what Darwin described as the "grandeur" of evolution. Author: Wallace, David Rains Publisher: University of California Press Illustration: n Language: ENG Title: Beasts of Eden: Walking Whales, Dawn Horses, and Other Enigmas of Mammal Evolution Pages: 00000 (Encrypted PDF) On Sale: 2004-05-15 SKU-13/ISBN: 9780520246843 Category: Science : Life Sciences - Evolution