Evolution of Island Mammals Adaptation and Extinction of Placental Mammals on Islands

by van der Geer, Alexandra; Lyras, George; de Vos, John; Dermitzakis, Michael

• ISBN13: 9781405190091
• ISBN10: 1405190094
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-08-30
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Evolution on islands differs in a number of important ways from evolution on mainland areas. Over millions of years of isolation, exceptional and sometimes bizarre mammals evolved on islands, such as pig-sized elephants and hippos, giant rats and gorilla-sized lemurs that would have been formidable to their mainland ancestors.This timely and innovative book is the first to offer a much-needed synthesis of recent advances in the exciting field of the evolution and extinction of fossil insular placental mammals. It provides a comprehensive overview of current knowledge on fossil island mammals worldwide, ranging from the Oligocene to the onset of the Holocene.The book addresses evolutionary processes and key aspects of insular mammal biology, exemplified by a variety of fossil species. The authors discuss the human factor in past extinction events and loss of insular biodiversity.This accessible and richly illustrated textbook is written for graduate level students and professional researchers in evolutionary biology, palaeontology, biogeography, zoology, and ecology.

Author Biography

Alexandra van der Geer is an independent researcher, presently guest researcher at Naturalis, the National Museum of Natural History of the Netherlands and at the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment at the University of Athens, Greece. She publishes on various subjects, including insularity, primatology and the relation between humans and animals. Among her previous books are Animals in Stone and Hoe dieren op eilanden evolueren.

George Lyras is curator of the Museum of Geology and Palaeontology of the University of Athens, Greece. His research focuses primarily on the evolution of carnivores and of insular mammals. He currently specialises in evolutionary processes of the mammalian skull under strong selective forces.

John de Vos is curator of the Dubois Collection and the Collection of Pleistocene mammal fossils from the Netherlands and the North Sea at Naturalis, the National Museum of Natural History of the Netherlands. His expertise and field of research include the taxonomic, systematic, geographic and stratigraphic research of the Pleistocene mammals of Southeast Asia in relation to fossil humans and fossil island faunas.

Michael Dermitzakis is emeritus professor in the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment at the University of Athens, Greece, and former vice-rector of the same university. He is a recognized expert in the field of island biogeography of the Aegean Archipelago and the advocate of international research on the palaeo-ecology of Greek islands.

Table of Contents

Preface

Beyond the Mainland

Introduction

History of Island Studies

Factors that Influence Island Faunas

Types of Islands

Dispersals to Islands

The Candidate Species

Composition of Island Faunas

The Islands and Their Faunas

Cyprus

Geology and Palaeogeography

Historical Palaeontology

Biozones and Faunal Units

Crete

Geology and Palaeogeography

Historical Palaeontology

Biozones and Faunal Units

Gargano

Geology and Palaeogeography

Historical Palaeontology

Biozones and Faunal Units

Sicily

Geology and Palaeogeography

Historical Palaeontology

Biozones and Faunal Units

Malta

Geology and Palaeogeography

Historical Palaeontology

Biozones and Faunal Units

Sardinia and Corsica

Geology and Palaeogeography

Historical Palaeontology

Biozones and Faunal Units

The Balearic Islands

Geology and Palaeogeography

Historical Palaeontology

Biozones and Faunal Units

Madagascar

Geology and Palaeogeography

Historical Palaeontology

Biozones and Faunal Units

Java

Geology and Palaeogeography

Historical Palaeontology

Biozones and Faunal Units

Flores

Geology and Palaeogeography

Historical Palaeontology

Biozones and Faunal Units

Sulawesi

Geology and Palaeogeography

Historical Palaeontology

Biozones and Faunal Units

The Philippines

Geology and Palaeogeography

Historical Palaeontology

Biozones and Faunal Units

Japan

Geology and Palaeogeography

Historical Palaeontology

Biozones and Faunal Units

The Southern and Central Ryukyu Islands

Geology and Palaeogeography

Historical Palaeontology

Biozones and Faunal Units

The Californian Channel Islands

Geology and Palaeogeography

Historical Palaeontology

Biozones and Faunal Units

The West Indies

Geology and Palaeogeography

Historical Palaeontology

Biozones and Faunal Units

Species and Processes

Elephants, Mammoths, Stegodons and Mastodons

Distribution and Range

Dispersals

Taxonomic Confusions

Common Morphological Traits

Other Common Trends

Rabbits, Hares and Pikas

Distribution and Range

Common Morphological Traits

Other Common Trends

Dispersal of Lagomorphs

Rats, Dormice, Hamsters, Caviomorphs and other Rodents

Distribution and Range

Common Morphological Traits

Remark on Taphonomy

Insectivores and Bats

Distribution and Range

Common Morphological Traits

Cervids and Bovids

Distribution and Range

Common Morphological Traits

Taxonomic Confusions

Hippopotamuses and Pigs

Distribution and Range

Common Morphological Traits

Taxonomic Confusions

Carnivores

Distribution and Range

Common Morphological Traits

Taxonomic Confusions

Patterns and Trends

Dwarfism and Gigantism

Increased Size Variation

Shorter Limbs and Stiff Joints

Increased Grinding Force

Neurological Changes

Changes in Metabolism

Evolutionary Processes in Island Environments

Types of Speciation on Islands

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors

Extinction of Insular Endemics

Natural Disasters

Disappearance of the Island

Competition by New Species

Effects of Exotic Predators

Transmission of Diseases

Habitat Loss

Hunting to Extinction

References

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.