The Evolutionary History of Elephants and Their Fossil Relatives: A Comprehensive Review

Delve into the fascinating world of proboscideans with this in-depth book by William J. Sanders, which uncovers the complex and diverse phylogenetic history of elephants and their fossil relatives. The origin of these majestic creatures is deeply rooted in Africa, dating back an astonishing 60 million years.

African Proboscideans: A Geological, Paleoecological, and Faunal Context

The majority of major evolutionary events that shaped the proboscideans occurred in Africa, and this book examines these events in the context of their geological, paleoecological, geographic, and faunal environments. From feeding adaptations to taxonomy and systematics, genetics, and site occurrences, this comprehensive review provides updated information summarized in tables, figures, and charts.

Unveiling the Significance of Elephants in Ecosystems

This book not only provides a systematic review of the African proboscidean fossil record but also highlights the crucial role of elephants in ecosystems and the importance of conservation. It synthesizes new data from genomic, isotopic, and microware analyses, documenting major faunal events, including those associated with hominin origins.

Key Features

• Comprehensive systematic review of the African proboscidean fossil record
• Summary of taxonomy, geochronology, biogeography, and morphology
• Documentation of major faunal events, including those associated with hominin origins
• Synthesized data from genomic, isotopic, and microware analyses
• Emphasis on the importance of elephant conservation in modern ecosystems

Publisher: CRC Press
Language: English
ISBN: 9781032474090, 9781482254778
Publication Date: August 25, 2023