The Primate Fossil Record

About this book

Comprehensive treatment of primate paleontology capturing the complete history of the discovery and interpretation of primate fossils. The chapters range from primate origins to the advent of anatomically modern humans. Each emphasizes three key components of the record of primate evolution: history of discovery, taxonomy of the fossils, and evolution of the adaptive radiations they represent.

Contents

Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction to the primate fossil record Walter Carl Hartwig; 2. The origin of primates David Tab Rasmussen; Part I. The Earliest Primates and the Fossil Record of Prosimians: 3. The earliest fossil primates and the evolution of prosimians Herbert H. Covert; 4. Adapiformes: phylogeny and adaptation Daniel L. Gebo; 5. Tarsiiformes: evolutionary history and adaptation Gregg F. Gunnell and Kenneth D. Rose; 6. Fossil lorisoids Erica Phillips and Alan C. Walker; 7. Quaternary fossil lemurs Laurie R. Godfrey and William L. Jungers; Part II. The Origin and Diversification of Anthropoid Primates: 8. The origin and diversification of anthropoid primates - introduction Marian Dagosto; 9. Basal anthropoids K. Christopher Beard; 10. Platyrrhine paleontology and systematics: the paradigm shifts Alfred L. Rosenberger; 11. Early platyrrhines of southern South America John G. Fleagle and Marcelo F. Tejedor; 12. Miocene platyrrhines of the northern neotropics Walter Carl Hartwig and D. Jeffrey Meldrum; 13. Extinct Quaternary platyrrhines of the Greater Antilles and Brazil Ross D. E. MacPhee and Ines Horovitz; Part III. The Fossil Record of the Early Catarrhines and Old World Monkeys: 14. Early catarrhines of the African Eocene and Oligocene David Tab Rasmussen; 15. The Pliopithecoidea David Begun; 16. The Victoriapithecidae, Cercopithecoidea Brenda Benefit and Monte L. McCrossin; 17. Fossil Old World monkeys: the Late Neogene radiation Nina G. Jablonski; Part IV. The Fossil Record of Hominoid Primates: 18. Perspectives on the Miocene Hominoidea David R. Pilbeam; 19. Late Oligocene to Middle Miocene catarrhines from Afro-Arabia Terry Harrison; 20. European hominoids David Begun; 21. The hominoid radiation in Asia Jay Kelley; 22. Middle and Late Miocene African hominoids Steven C. Ward and Dana Duren; Part V. The Fossil Record of Human Ancestry: 23. Introduction to the fossil record of human ancestry Henry M. McHenry; 24. Earliest hominids Tim D. White; 25. Early genus Homo Holly Dunsworth and Alan C. Walker; 26. Migrations, radiations and continuity: patterns in the evolution of Middle and Late Pleistocene humans Fred Smith; References cited; Index.

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Biography

WALTER HARTWIG is Associate Professor of Anatomy at Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine in northern California. He has conducted paleontological field research in South America and Africa, and has authored over 40 scientific articles and book chapters on comparative anatomy, primate evolution and the history of sciences. Professor Hartwig is also founder and director of FOUNTAINHEAD, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving medical care, education and scientific research in underdeveloped countries.