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A journey through time from the aftermath of the extinction of the dinosaurs to the glacial climax of the Pleistocene epoch; from the rain forests of the Paleocene and the Eocene, with their lemur-like primates, to the harsh landscape of the Pleistocene steppes, home to the woolly mammoth. It is also a journey through space, following the migrations of mammal species that evolved on other continents, but eventually met to compete or coexist in the Europe of the Cenozoic era. Finally, it is a journey through evolution, a review of the changes and adaptations that have allowed mammals to flourish and become the dominant land vertebrates on Earth.
Preface
The Paleocene: The Dark Epoch
The Eocene: Reaching the Climax
The Oligocene: A Time of Change
The Early to Middle Miocene: When the Continents Collide
The Late Miocene: The Beginning of the Crisis
The Pliocene: The End of a World
The Pleistocene: The Age of Humankind
Index
Jordi Agustí is Director of the Institut de Paleontologia M. Crusafont in Sabadell (Barcelona, Spain). He is a prominent specialist in fossil mammalian faunas of Europe, having conducted a number of European projects as well as field campaigns in Spain, Georgia, and northern Africa.
Mauricio Antón is a paleontological artist based at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid. His work has appeared in National Geographic and Natural History. He has collaborated with the Discovery Channel and the BBC, most recently for the program Sabretooth and the series Walking with Prehistoric Beasts.
"Gets to grips with the stunning diversity and succession of wildlife that inhabited the great European game park [...] .The illustrations by Spanish artist Mauricio Antón are brilliant."
– New Scientist
An exceptionally valuable, scholarly, yet widely accessible broad outline of the dazzling evolutionary history of the mammalian faunas and selected lineages during the Age of Mammals, the Cenozoic [...] an important contribution for those paleontologists and zoologists who are not mammal specialists, yet have wide-ranging interests in macroevolution. Very highly recommended.
– Choice
"A rich paleontological panorama [...] What struck me most forceably about the work is the magnitude of chance experienced by the region over this period."
– Times Literary Supplement
"An excellent balance of coverage between different lineages – and impressive achievement in and of itself [...] This is a very successful study, which tackles a difficult task with admirable deftness."
– Journal of Mammology
"Full of interesting matter [...] a vital aid in assisting the nonexpert reader to see the big picture."
– Tim Flannery, Science
"A fine book for all who have an interest in mammals, whether extant species or fossil species. Nicely done."
– Northeastern Naturalist
"It is always a pleasure to review a book that is accurate, easy to read and beautifully illustrated."
– Peter Andrews, Journal of Mammalian Evolution
