Prothero, D. & S. Foss. Eds. 2007. The Evolution of Artiodactyls. – Baltimore, The Johns Hopkins University Press

Abstract

Until the explosive results of the popularity of dinosaurs stimulated by fi lms like Jurassic Park, mammal palaeontology dominated vertebrate palaeontology meetings and publications. And yet, despite these former decades of dominance, the state of affairs, particularly the systematics and descriptive work on one of the most common large mammal groups in North America and Europe, the Artiodactyla, has been rife with gaps and conundrums. It is unfair to characterize the present state of most artiodactyl groups to some inadequacy of workers from past decades, as they were simply doing their best with the materials and methods of the times. But considering the diversity of artiodactyls worldwide and their rich fossil record, most artiodactyl workers today would probably agree that the number of specialists had declined for much of the 1980s and 1990s. This last decade has been a renaissance for the fi eld, in part spurred by the debate over the position of the Cetacea within the Artiodactyla itself. What this book represents is the culmination of the effort of these few people to comprehensively bring this large, diverse order back to their proper place with modern approaches and ideas. Considering their track record for bringing attention to artiodactyls, it is no surprise that Donald Prothero and Scott Foss are the two organizing the effort. Read more...