The Emergence of Whales: Evolutionary Patterns in the Origin of Cetacea

ISBN-13: 9780306458538 / Angielski / Twarda / 1998 / 477 str.

J. G. Thewissen

Opis

Research in whale origins is now in an explosive phase, with a cascade of discoveries adding to our understanding of the evolutionary pattern and a suite of new techniques being applied to address new questions. The objective of this volume is to provide a snapshot of this explosion. The volume paints the scene with a broad brush. Taken together the chapters clearly indicate that cetacean origins is a field that is dynamic, multidisciplinary, and that the end of the explosive phase is not in sight.

Recenzje

`....it offers important anatomical vignettes such as those relating to hearing and swimming. All told, the contributors have created an extremely data-rich volume from which scholars will glean knowledge for years to come.'
Science, 283 (1999)
`Up to now, a `state of the art' summary ... had not been available. This book admirably fills that void and should be added to the library of any serious mammalogist and paleomammalogist.'
Journal of Mammalogy, 80:4 (1999)
`The Emergence of Whales ends with excellent summaries about our knowledge to date of early whale evolution. The book is a very ggod source of informatiom on the early whales and is necessary reading for anyome involved in whale paleobiology and evolution.'
American Scientist, 87 (1999)

Spis treści

Synopsis of the Earliest Cetaceans: Pakicetidae, Ambulocetidae, Remingtonocetidae, and Protocetidae; E.M. Williams. Middle to Late Eocene Basilosaurines and Dorudontines; M.D. Uhen. Molecular Evidence for the Phylogenetic Affinities of Cetacea; J. Gatesy. Are Cetaceans Highly Derived Artiodactyls? M.C. Miliknovitch, et al. Phylogenetic and Morphometric Reassessment of the Dental Evidence for a Mesonychian and Cetacean Clade; M.A. O¿Leary. Relationships of Cetacea to Terrestrial Ungulates and the Evolution of Cranial Vasculature in Cete; J.H. Geisler, Z. Luo. Middle Eocene Cetaceans from the Harudi and Subtahu Formatons of India; S. Bajpai, J.G.M. Thewissen. Postcranial Osteology of the North American Middle Eocene Protocetid georgiacetus; R.C. Hulbert, Jr. Homology and Transformation of Cetacean Ectotympanic Structures; Z. Luo. Biomechanical Perspective on the Origin of Cetacean Flukes; F.E. Fish. Implications of Vertebral Morphology for Locomoter Evolution in Early Cetacea; E.A. Buchholtz. Structural Adaptations of Early Archaeocete Long Bones; S.I. Madar. Evolution of Thermoregulatory Function in Cetacean Reproductive Systems; D.A. Pabst, et al. 3 Additional Chapters. Index.