End of the megafauna : the fate of the world's hugest, fiercest, and strangest animals
MacPhee, R. D. E2019
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"The fascinating lives and puzzling demise of some of the largest animals on earth. Until a few thousand years ago, creatures that could have been from a sci-fi thriller--including gorilla-sized lemurs, 800-pound birds, crocodiles that weighed a ton or more--roamed the earth. These great beasts, or "megafauna," lived on every habitable continent and on many islands. With a handful of exceptions, all are now gone. What caused the disappearance of these prehistoric behemoths? Paleomammologist Ross D. E. MacPhee explores that question, examining the leading extinction theories, weighing the evidence, and presenting his own conclusions. He shows how theories of human overhunting and catastrophic climate change fail to explain critical features of these extinctions, and how new thinking is needed to elucidate these mysterious losses. He comments on how past extinctions can shed light on future losses, and on the possibility of bringing back extinct species through genetic engineering. Gorgeous four-color illustrations by Peter Schouten bring these megabeasts back to life in vivid detail."--
Main title:
End of the megafauna : the fate of the world's hugest, fiercest, and strangest animals / Ross D.E. MacPhee ; with Illustrations by Peter Schouten.
Author:
Imprint:
New York : W.W. Norton & Company, 2019
Collation:
236 pages : illustrations (some colour) ; 27 cm.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 199-222) and index.
Contents:
1.Big -- 2."This Sudden Dying Out" -- 3.The World Before Us -- 4.The Hominin Diaspora -- 5.Explaining Near Time Extinctions: First Attempts -- 6.Paul Martin And The Planet Of Doom: Overkill Ascendant -- 7.Action And Reaction -- 8.Overkill Now -- 9.Where Are The Bodies, And Other Objections To Overkill -- 10.More Objections: Betrayal From Within? -- 11.Other Ideas: The Search Continues -- 12.Extinction Matters.
ISBN:
9780393249293
Dewey class:
591.41
Language:
English
BRN:
347183
More Information:
| Location | Collection | Call number | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton Library | Adult Non Fiction - Environment | 591.41 MACP | Available |