In the Shadow of the Dinosaurs: Early Mesozoic Tetrapods

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Title: In the Shadow of the Dinosaurs: Early Mesozoic Tetrapods

Editors: Nicholas C. Fraser, Hans-Dieter Sues

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Year: 1995

ISBN: 0521452422

Pages: 445

Format: PDF

Language: English

Size: 198 Mb

This book is the first attempt to collate all the information known to date on the small vertebrates, e.g. mammals, crocodiles, turtles, lizards, frogs, salamanders, etc., and features contributions by experts with international reputations in their fields. There are chapters on the taxonomy and phylogeny of the key vertebrate groups followed by a section dealing with the most significant fossiliferous assemblages worldwide. The final section looks at how faunal turnover at this time is measured and examines the possibility of mass extinctions.

In the Shadow of the Dinosaurs: Early Mesozoic Tetrapods is edited by Nicholas C. Fraser and Hans-Dieter Sues is a collection of abstracts written by thirty-five authors all prominent in their respective fields as a result of a workshop held in Front Royal, Virginia.

These feature contributions by experts with international reputations in thier fields has chapters on Taxonomy and phylogeny, Faunal assemblages and Faunal change. This book is divided into three parts housing their respective chapters.

Phylogeny entails the taxonomy and phylogeny of the principle vertebrate groups ( amphibians, lepidosaurs, crocodylomorphs, and mammals). A persistent problem in the identification of basal taxa of well-known groups is their recognitions in practice. This volumes focuses on several groups of tetrapods that have become much better known in recent years; there have been considerable advances in our understanding of their relationships as a result of both more rigorous phylogenetic analyses and the discovery and examination of new fossil material.

Faunal assemblages dealing with the most significant early Mesozoic tetrapods assemblages woldwide. These chapters examing the different Triassic and Jurassic assemblages are not intended as exhaustive reviews of all early Mesozoic tetrapod-bearing localities. Rather, they reflect areas where the greatest advances have been made in recent years.

Faunal change is the final section, looks at how faunal turnover at that time is measured and examines the possibility of mass extinctions. The considerable abundance of bones of small tetrapods at many localities gives them a great potential advantage as biostrtigraphic indicators over larger forms. It is therefore of interest that the abundance and widespread distribution of sphenodontian lepidosaur in strata of Late Triassic and Jurassic age have been recognized in the past few years.

The early Mesozoic era was a critical period in the evolution of life on land, when most of today's major groups of terrestrial vertebrats (mammals, turtles, lizards, frogs, salamanders), arose and the dinosaurs and pterosaurs rose to prominence. This is NOT a children's book. This book is written for the serious study of comparative anatomy between these species.