Beasts of Eden: Walking Whales, Dawn Horses, and Other Enigmas of Mammal Evolution.DAVID David, in the Bible David, d. c.970 B.C., king of ancient Israel (c.1010–970 B.C.), successor of Saul. The Book of First Samuel introduces him as the youngest of eight sons who is anointed king by Samuel to replace Saul, who had been deemed a failure. RAINS WALLACE Mammals evolved at about the same time as dinosaurs did, but dinosaurs get all the attention, claims Wallace. Mammals have their own "Cinderella story" that is in some ways better than the dinosaurs' tale. For about 150 million years, beginning in the Triassic, mammals were small and largely inconspicuous in·con·spic·u·ous adj. Not readily noticeable. in  con·spic . It was after the
decline of the great Mesozoic dinosaurs that mammals had their
coming-out party. Mammals of great size developed, giving rise to
ungulates ungulates, ungulataanimals with hooves; cattle, sheep, goat, pig, horse and many wild and other domesticated species. , such as horses and deer, and strange, now-extinct creatures, such as mesonychids and uintatheres. However, the reason for this growth spurt growth spurt Pediatrics A period of rapid growth in middle adolescence; ♀ ↑ ±8 cm/yr ±age 12; ♂ ↑ ±10 cm/yr ± age 14; GS is orderly, affecting acral parts–ie, hands and feet grow before proximal regions, remains contentious in the paleontological pa·le·on·tol·o·gy n. The study of the forms of life existing in prehistoric or geologic times, as represented by the fossils of plants, animals, and other organisms. community. Wallace brings together the best theories here to tell the story of mammalian discovery and evolution, vivid reports of fossil finds bring some long-gone creatures back to life and aid the author in explaining how the evolutionary process has shaped the mammalian class. U CA Pr, 2004, 340 p., b&w illus., hardcover, $24.95. |
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