Carnivoran Evolution New Views on Phylogeny, Form and Function

About this book

This book focuses on current advances in our understanding of carnivoran phylogeny, ecomorphology and macroevolutionary patterns. It highlights a collection of cutting-edge methodologies currently used in studies of Carnivora which help to address fundamental issues in evolutionary biology and palaeontology.

Contents

1. Introduction to carnivora Anjali Goswami; 2. Phylogeny of the carnivora and carnivoramorpha, and the use of the fossil record to enhance understanding of evolutionary transformations John J. Flynn, John A. Finarelli and Michelle Spaulding; 3. Phylogeny of the viverridae and 'viverrid-like' feliforms Geraldine Veron; 4. Molecular and morphological evidence for ailuridae and a review of its genera Michael Morlo and Stephane Peigne; 5. The influence of character correlations on phylogenetic analyses: a case study of the carnivoran cranium Anjali Goswami and P. David Polly; 6. What's the difference?: a multiphasic allometric analysis of fossil and living lions Matthew H. Benoit; 7. Evolution in carnivora: identifying a morphological bias Jill A. Holliday; 8. The biogeography of carnivore ecomorphology Lars Werdelin and Gina D. Wesley-Hunt; 9. Comparative ecomorphology and biogeography of herpestidae and viverridae (carnivora) in Africa and Asia Gina D. Wesley-Hunt, Reihaneh Dehghani and Lars Werdelin; 10. Ecomorphological analysis of carnivore guilds in the Eocene through Miocene of Laurasia Michael Morlo, Gregg F. Gunnell and Doris Nagel; 11. Ecomorphology of North American Eocene carnivores: evidence for competition between carnivorans and creodonts Anthony R. Friscia and Blaire Van Valkenburgh; 12. Morphometric analysis of cranial morphology in pinnipeds (mammalia, carnivora): convergence, ecology, ontogeny, and dimorphism Katrina E. Jones and Anjali Goswami; 13. Tiptoeing through the trophics: geographic variation in carnivoran locomotor ecomorphology in relation to environment P. David Polly; 14. Interpreting sabretooth cat (carnivora; felidae; machairodontinae) postcranial morphology in light of scaling patterns in felids Margaret E. Lewis and Michael R. Lague; 15. Cranial mechanics of mammalian carnivores: recent advances using a finite element approach Stephen Wroe.

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Biography

Anjali Goswami is a lecturer in palaeobiology in the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment and the Department of Earth Sciences at University College London. Anthony Friscia's research covers small carnivores, both extant and extinct. He is particularly interested in questions about ecomorphology and community structure.