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Vertebrates --- Vertebrates, Fossil --- Vertébrés --- Vertébrés fossiles

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Fossil Mammals of Asia, edited by and with contributions from world-renowned scholars, is the first major work devoted to the late Cenozoic (Neogene) mammalian biostratigraphy and geochronology of Asia. This volume employs cutting-edge biostratigraphic and geochemical dating methods to map the emergence of mammals across the continent. Written by specialists working in a variety of Asian regions, it uses data from many basins with spectacular fossil records to establish a groundbreaking geochronological framework for the evolution of land mammals.Asia's violent tectonic history has resulted in some of the world's most varied topography, and its high mountain ranges and intense monsoon climates have spawned widely diverse environments over time. These geologic conditions profoundly influenced the evolution of Asian mammals and their migration into Europe, Africa, and North America. Focusing on amazing new fossil finds that have redefined Asia's role in mammalian evolution, this volume synthesizes information from a range of field studies on Asian mammals and biostratigraphy, helping to trace the histories and movements of extinct and extant mammals from various major groups and all northern continents, and providing geologists with a richer understanding of a variety of Asian terrains.

Mammals, Fossil --- Paleontology --- Geology, Stratigraphic --- Geology --- Neocene --- Neogene --- Fossilogy --- Fossilology --- Palaeontology --- Paleontology, Zoological --- Paleozoology --- Historical geology --- Zoology --- Fossils --- Prehistoric animals in motion pictures --- Amniotes, Fossil --- Vertebrates, Fossil

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The microscopic examination of fossilized bone tissue is a sophisticated and increasingly important analytical tool for understanding the life history of ancient organisms. This book provides an essential primer and manual for using fossil bone histology to investigate the biology of extinct tetrapods. Twelve experts summarize advances in the field over the past three decades, reviewing fundamental basics of bone microanatomy and physiology. Research specimen selection, thin-section preparation, and data analysis are addressed in detail. The authors also outline methods and issues in bone growth rate calculation and chronological age determination, as well as how to examine broader questions of behavior, ecology, and evolution by studying the microstructure of bone.

Vertebrates, Fossil --- Paleohistology. --- Bone histology, Fossil --- Fossil bone histology --- Palaeohistology --- Histology --- Paleontology --- Chordata, Fossil --- Microstructure. --- Microstructure --- allosaurus. --- ancient organisms. --- animals. --- archosaurs. --- behavior. --- biological anthropology. --- biology. --- birds. --- bone growth rate. --- bone histology. --- bone matrix. --- bone microanatomy. --- chronological age determination. --- data analysis. --- ecology. --- engaging. --- evolution. --- extinct tetrapods. --- fossil bone histology. --- fossilized bone tissue. --- fossilized. --- fossils. --- history. --- life sciences. --- microanatomy. --- microscopic examination. --- natural science. --- organisms. --- paleontology. --- phenomenon. --- physiology. --- popular science. --- science. --- skeletons. --- zoology.

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Although consensus exists among researchers that birds evolved from coelurosaurian theropods, paleontologists still debate the identification of the group of coelurosaurians that most closely approaches the common ancestor of birds. The last 20 years witnessed the discovery of a wide array of avian-like theropods that has considerably amplified the anatomical disparity among deinonychosaurians, some of which resemble Archaeopteryx more than Deinonychus. Among these newly discovered theropods that show remarkable bird-like characteristics are the four-winged theropods Microraptor and Anchiornis, and the unenlagiids Unenlagia, Buitreraptor, and Rahonavis. A bizarre group of minute-sized coelurosaurs, the Scansoriopterygidae, also exhibits some avian similarities that lead some authors to interpret them as more closely related to birds than other dinosaurs. With the aim to explore the phylogenetic relationships of these coelurosaurians and birds, we merged recently published integrative databases, resulting in significant changes in the topological distribution of taxa within Paraves. We present evidence that Dromaeosauridae, Microraptoria, Unenlagiidae, and Anchiornis + Xiaotingia form successive sister taxa of Aves, and that the Scansoriopterygidae are basal coelurosaurians not closely related to birds. The implications in the evolutionary sequence of anatomical characters leading to birds, including the origin of flight, are also considered in light of this new phylogenetic hypothesis.

Birds -- Evolution. --- Birds -- Flight. --- Birds -- Phylogeny. --- Birds, Fossil. --- Coeluridae -- Phylogeny. --- Microraptor. --- Paleontology. --- Birds --- Coeluridae --- Dromaeosauridae --- Microraptor --- Birds, Fossil --- Geology --- Earth & Environmental Sciences --- Paleontology --- Evolution --- Phylogeny --- Flight --- Dromaeosauridae. --- Evolution. --- Phylogeny. --- Flight. --- Aves --- Avian fauna --- Avifauna --- Wild birds --- Earth sciences. --- Evolutionary biology. --- Animal anatomy. --- Earth Sciences. --- Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography. --- Evolutionary Biology. --- Animal Anatomy / Morphology / Histology. --- Amniotes --- Vertebrates --- Ornithology --- Amniotes, Fossil --- Vertebrates, Fossil --- Saurischia --- Paleontology . --- Evolution (Biology). --- Morphology (Animals). --- Animal morphology --- Animals --- Body form in animals --- Zoology --- Morphology --- Animal evolution --- Biological evolution --- Darwinism --- Evolutionary biology --- Evolutionary science --- Origin of species --- Biology --- Biological fitness --- Homoplasy --- Natural selection --- Fossilogy --- Fossilology --- Palaeontology --- Paleontology, Zoological --- Paleozoology --- Historical geology --- Fossils --- Prehistoric animals in motion pictures --- Animal systematics. --- Animal taxonomy. --- Animal anatomy --- Physiology --- Animal classification --- Animal systematics --- Animal taxonomy --- Classification --- Systematic zoology --- Systematics (Zoology) --- Taxonomy, Animal --- Zoological classification --- Zoological systematics --- Zoological taxonomy --- Anatomy