Dogs: Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History

Xiaoming Wang; Richard Tedford

Published by Columbia University Press 2008

Dogs

Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History

Xiaoming Wang and Richard Tedford
Illustrator: Mauricio Antón

https://doi.org/10.7312/wang13528

Overview
Contents

About this book

Xiaoming Wang and Richard H. Tedford combine their research with Mauricio Antón's impeccable reconstructions to present a remarkable portrait of canids over the past 40 million years. Wang and Tedford cull their history from the most recent scientific research conducted on the vast collections of the American Museum of Natural History and other leading institutions. With their rich fossil record, diverse adaptations to various environments, and different predatory specializations, canids are an ideal model organism for the mapping of predator behavior and morphological specializations. They also offer an excellent contrast to felids, which remain entrenched in extreme predatory specializations. The innovative illustrated approach of this book transforms the science of paleontology into a thrilling visual experience, and it forms the perfect accompaniment to an extremely important branch of animal and fossil study.

Xiaoming Wang and Richard H. Tedford have spent the past 20 years studying the evolutionary history of the family Canidae. Both are well known for having established the modern framework for the evolutionary relationship of canids. Combining their research with Mauricio Antón's impeccable reconstructions of both extinct and extant species, Wang and Tedford present a remarkably detailed and nuanced portrait of the origin and evolution of canids over the past 40 million years.

The authors cull their history from the most recent scientific research conducted on the vast collections of the American Museum of Natural History and other leading institutions. The fossil record of the Canidae, particularly those from their birth place in North America, are the strongest of their kind among known groups of carnivorans. Such a wonderfully detailed evolutionary history provides access to a natural history that is not possible with many other groups of carnivorans.

With their rich fossil record, diverse adaptations to various environments, and different predatory specializations, canids are an ideal model organism for the mapping of predator behavior and morphological specializations. They also offer an excellent contrast to felids, which remain entrenched in extreme predatory specializations. The innovative illustrated approach in this book is the perfect accompaniment to an extremely important branch of animal and fossil study. It transforms the science of paleontology into a thrilling visual experience and provides an unprecedented reference for anyone fascinated by dogs.

Author / Editor information

Xiaoming Wang is a curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and has been studying the evolutionary history of the family Canidae for the past twenty years. In collaboration with Richard H. Tedford, he has published three volumes on the fossil canids of North America.

Richard H. Tedford is curator emeritus in the Department of Vertebrate Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History.

Mauricio Antón is a paleontological artist based at the National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid. Among his books are, with Jordi Agustí, Mammoths, Sabertooths, and Hominids: 65 Million Years of Mammalian Evolution in Europe and, with Alan Turner, The Big Cats and Their Fossil Relatives: An Illustrated Guide to Their Evolution and Natural History and Evolving Eden: An Illustrated Guide to the Evolution of the African Large Mammal Fauna.

Reviews

Richard A. Kissel:
Nothing short of wonderful.

H.J. Kirchhoff:
A must-read for dog junkies.

Sets a new standard.... With Anton's imagery, Wang and Tedford's Dogs is nothing short of wonderful.

A definitive, readable treatment of the evolution of the canine clan.

An easy-to-read text, accompanied by Anton's marvelous illustrations... Recommended.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Preface Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	vii
Acknowledgments Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	ix
1. Methods of Study and the Place of Dogs in Nature Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
2. The Origin of Canids and Other Doglike Carnivorous Mammals Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	7
3. Diversity Who Is Who in the Dog Family Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	23
4. Anatomy and Function How the Parts Work How the Parts Work Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	69
5. Hunting and Social Activity Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	103
6. Changing Environments and Canid Evolution Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	117
7. Going Places Braving New Worlds Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	139
8. Domestic Dogs Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	153
appendix 1 Canid Species and Classification Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	169
appendix 2 Phylogenetic Tree of the Family Canidae Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	177
Glossary Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	181
further reading Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	187
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	209

Language: English
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Audience: Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Main content: 232
Illustrations
- Other: 97 illus.

eBook

Published: July 3, 2008
ISBN: 9780231509435