Discusses the principles of the evolution of trophic and reproductive strategies: faunal interchange and the drift of continental land masses; the influence of body size on life-history strategies; the genetic basis of behavioral adaptation and the evolution of social behavior ... appendixes include extensive data on reproductive rate, litter size, interbirth interval, longevity, brain size, and metabolic rate for a wide variety of species.
"This is a phenomenal book! In my opinion it could well be among the most important volumes in mammalian biology ever published. Eisenberg's tome is an outstanding synthesis of, and source-book for, diverse fields including behaviour, ecology, morphology and taxonomy. These and other disciplines are neatly tied together in an evolutionary-biological packet, in which prime importance is given to the way in which `adaptative syndromes' have evolved. No single review could do justice: read it!"
- Marc Beloff, Animal Behaviour