The Princeton Field Guide to Prehistoric Mammals

Preface 6
1 The Age of Mammals 7
Dating Rocks 8
Clocks in Rocks 10
What's in a Name? 11
How Do We Classify Animals? 12
Bones vs Molecules 15
Bones and Teeth 15
2 The Origin and Early Evolution of Mammals 20
Synapsids (Protomammals or Stem Mammals) 20
Mammals in the Age of Dinosaurs 23
Morganucodonts 23
Docodonts 25
Monotremes (Platypus and Echidna) and Their Relatives 27
Multituberculates 30
Triconodonts 31
Theria 34
3 Marsupials: Pouched Mammals 37
Marsupial vs Placental 37
Marsupial Evolution 38
Ameridelphia 39
Australiadelphia 41
4 Placental Mammals (Eutheria) 47
The Interrelationships of Placentals 50
5 Xenarthra: Sloths, Anteaters, and Armadillos 51
Edentate vs Xenarthran 51
Order Cingulata (Armadillos) 53
Order Pilosa (Anteaters and Sloths) 55
6 Afrotheria: Elephants, Hyraxes, Sea Cows, Aardvarks, and Their Relatives 58
Tethytheres and Afrotheres 58
Order Proboscidea (Elephants, Mammoths, Mastodonts, and Their Relatives) 60
Order Sirenia (Manatees and Dugongs, or Sea Cows) 67
Order Embrithopoda (Arsinoitheres) 72
Order Desmostylia (Desmostylians) 73
Order Hyracoidea (Hyraxes) 75
Order Tubulidentata (Aardvarks) 77
Order Macroscelidia (Elephant Shrews) 78
Order Afrosoricida 79
7 Euarchontoglires: Euarchonta Primates, Tree Shrews, and Colugos 80
Archontans 80
Order Scandentia (Tree Shrews) 82
Order Dermoptera (Colugos, or Flying Lemurs) 82
Order Plesiadapiformes (Plesiadapids) 84
Order Primates (Euprimates) 86
8 Euarchontoglires: Glires Rodents and Lagomorphs 94
Chisel Teeth 94
Order Rodentia (Rodents) 95
Order Lagomorpha (Rabbits, Hares, and Pikas) 101
9 Laurasiatheria: Insectivores Order Eulipotyphla and Other Insectivorous Mammals 103
Order Eulipotyphla 103
Extinct Insectivorous Groups 107
10 Laurasiatheria: Chiroptera Bats 112
Bat Origins 114
11 Laurasiatheria: Pholidota Pangolins, or Scaly Anteaters 117
Order Pholidota (Pangolins) 118
Palaeanodonts 120
12 Laurasiatheria: Carnivora and Creodonta Predatory Mammals 122
Carnivores, Carnivorans, and Creodonts 122
Order Creodonta 124
Order Carnivora 127
13 Laurasiatheria: Ungulata Hoofed Mammals and Their Relatives 146
Condylarths 147
14 Laurasiatheria: Artiodactyla Even-Toed Hoofed Mammals: Pigs, Hippos, Whales, Camels, Ruminants, and Their Extinct Relatives 151
Artiodactyl Origins 153
Suoid Artiodactyls 154
Whippomorpha 160
Tylopods 169
Ruminantia 175
15 Laurasiatheria: Perissodactyla Odd-Toed Hoofed Mammals: Horses, Rhinos, Tapirs, and Their Extinct Relatives 186
Equoids 187
Tapiroids 191
Rhinocerotoids 196
Brontotheres, or Titanotheres 199
16 Laurasiatheria: Meridiungulata South American Hoofed Mammals 203
Order Notoungulata (Southern Ungulates) 205
Order Pyrotheria (Fire Beasts) 206
Order Astrapotheria (Lightning Beasts) 207
Order Litopterna (Litopterns, or Smooth Heels) 207
17 Uintatheres, Pantodonts, Taeniodonts, and Tillodonts 209
Order Dinocerata (Uintatheres) 209
Order Pantodonta (Pantodonts) 212
Order Taeniodonta (Taeniodonts) 214
Order Tillodontia (Tillodonts) 216
18 Mammalian Evolution and Extinction 218
Why Were Prehistoric Mammals So Big? 218
Where Have All the Megamammals Gone? 219
How Did Mammals Diversify after the Dinosaurs Vanished? 222
What about Mass Extinctions? 228
The Future of Mammals 229
Illustration Credits 231
Further Reading 232
Index (with Pronunciation Guide for Taxonomic Names) 234