Evolution of Island Mammals

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.

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

PrefacePart I Beyond the Mainland1 Introduction2 History of Island Studies3 Factors that Influence Island Faunas4 Cyprus5 Crete6 Gargano7 Sicily8 Malta9 Sardinia and Corsica10 The Balearic Islands11 Madagascar12 Java13 Flores14 Sulawesi15 The Philippines16 Japan17 The Southern and Central Ryukyu Islands18 The Californian Channel Islands19 The West IndiesPart III Species and Processes20 Elephants, Mammoths, Stegodons and Mastodons21 Rabbits, Hares and Pikas22 Rats, Dormice, Hamsters, Caviomorphs and other Rodents23 Insectivores and Bats24 Cervids and Bovids25 Hippopotamuses and Pigs26 Carnivores27 Patterns and Trends28 Evolutionary Processes in Island Environments29 Extinction of Insular EndemicsReferencesIndex