End of the Megafauna: The Fate of the World's Hugest, Fiercest, and Strangest Animals - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook End of the Megafauna: The Fate of the World's Hugest, Fiercest, and Strangest Animals write by Ross D E MacPhee. This book was released on 2018-11-13. End of the Megafauna: The Fate of the World's Hugest, Fiercest, and Strangest Animals available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. The fascinating lives and puzzling demise of some of the largest animals on earth. Until a few thousand years ago, creatures that could have been from a sci-fi thriller—including gorilla-sized lemurs, 500-pound birds, and crocodiles that weighed a ton or more—roamed the earth. These great beasts, or “megafauna,” lived on every habitable continent and on many islands. With a handful of exceptions, all are now gone. What caused the disappearance of these prehistoric behemoths? No one event can be pinpointed as a specific cause, but several factors may have played a role. Paleomammalogist Ross D. E. MacPhee explores them all, examining the leading extinction theories, weighing the evidence, and presenting his own conclusions. He shows how theories of human overhunting and catastrophic climate change fail to account for critical features of these extinctions, and how new thinking is needed to elucidate these mysterious losses. Along the way, we learn how time is determined in earth history; how DNA is used to explain the genomics and phylogenetic history of megafauna—and how synthetic biology and genetic engineering may be able to reintroduce these giants of the past. Until then, gorgeous four-color illustrations by Peter Schouten re-create these megabeasts here in vivid detail.
Megafauna
Megafauna - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Megafauna write by Richard A. Fariña. This book was released on 2013-05-22. Megafauna available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. “An enjoyable read that provides a substantial amount of detail on the biology, ecology, and distribution of these fantastic animals . . . Highly recommended.” —Choice More than 10,000 years ago spectacularly large mammals roamed the pampas and jungles of South America. This book tells the story of these great beasts during and just after the Pleistocene, the geological epoch marked by the great ice ages. Megafauna describes the history and way of life of these animals, their comings and goings, and what befell them at the beginning of the modern era and the arrival of humans. It places these giants within the context of the other mammals then alive, describing their paleobiology—how they walked; how much they weighed; their diets, behavior, biomechanics; and the interactions among them and with their environment. It also tells the stories of the scientists who contributed to our discovery and knowledge of these transcendent creatures and the environment they inhabited. The episode known as the Great American Biotic Interchange, perhaps the most important of all natural history “experiments,” is also an important theme of the book, tracing the biotic events of both North and South America that led to the fauna and the ecosystems discussed in this book. “Collectively, this book brings attention to the discovery and natural history of ancient beasts in South America while providing a broader temporal and geographic background that allows readers to understand their evolution and potential immigration to South America.” —Quarterly Review of Biology “An excellent volume . . . This book is likely to facilitate progress in the understanding of fossil mammals from the Americas.” —Priscum
Ice Age Mammals of North America
Ice Age Mammals of North America - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Ice Age Mammals of North America write by Ian M. Lange. This book was released on 2017. Ice Age Mammals of North America available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Lange untangles the complex evolutionary lineages of mammal families, including the gomphotheres, elephant-like creatures that coexisted with humans at the end of the Pleistocene. You�ll learn about the geologic events that led to the ice ages, along with possible causes for the mass extinctions of so many species.
Twilight of the Mammoths
Twilight of the Mammoths - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Twilight of the Mammoths write by Paul S. Martin. This book was released on 2007-05-08. Twilight of the Mammoths available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. "Paul S. Martin's innovative ideas on late quaternary extinctions and wildlife restoration have fueled one of science's most stimulating recent debates. He expounds them vividly here, and defends them eloquently. A must-read."—David Rains Wallace, author of Beasts of Eden "This is a marvelous read, by a giant in American prehistory, about one of the greatest mysteries in the earth sciences."—Tim Flannery, author of The Eternal Frontier "Whether or not you agree with Paul Martin, he has shaped how we think about our Pleistocene ancestors and their role in transforming this planet."—Ross D. E. MacPhee, Curator of Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History
World's Deadliest Reptiles
World's Deadliest Reptiles - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook World's Deadliest Reptiles write by Tom Jackson. This book was released on 2018-08-01. World's Deadliest Reptiles available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Travel to Africa to meet the longest snake on the continent, the black mamba, which is also one of the fastest in the world. A dangerous cast of characters with comic-style illustrated spreads and dramatic photos will keep young readers turning the page to learn more about these deadly reptiles.
