Fossil Vertebrates of Greece, Volume 1 Basal Vertebrates, Amphibians, Reptiles, Afrotherians, Glires, and Primates

About this book

This 2-volume set provides a state-of-the-art study of the fossil record and taxonomy of the main vertebrate groups from Greece. Greece stands between 3 continents and its vertebrate fossil record is of great importance for paleontological and evolutionary studies in Europe, Asia and Africa. Fossils from classic, world-famous localities (e.g., Pikermi, Samos) form an essential part of the collections of the most important museums in the world and have been studied by numerous scientists. Recent paleontological research led to the discovery and study of numerous new sites. The volumes contain a taxonomic review of all named and identified taxa, their taxonomic history and current status, as well as historical, phylogenetic and biogeographic information.

Volume 1 contains a synopsis of the fossil record and taxonomy of important groups of vertebrates represented in the fossil record of Greece. Fossil Vertebrates of Greece deals with some of the early splitting clades, including the basal and enigmatic conodonts and basal tetrapods like fishes, amphibians, and reptiles like lizards, snakes, crocodiles, turtles and tortoises. The second part of the volume deals with basal mammalian clades, some of which are quite characteristic for the fossil record of the country: aardwarks, hyraxes, proboscideans, elephants and mammoths, sea cows, rodents, and lagomorphs. Fossil Vertebrates of Greece ends with special chapters on the primate fossil record of the country, including some of our most recent and distant relatives.

Contents

1. Introduction to the study of Greek Fossil Vertebrates
2. Introduction to the geology of Greece with emphasis on the Neogene
3. The fossil record of conodonts in Greece
4. The fossil record of ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) in Greece
5. The fossil otolith record of fishes (Vertebrata: Teleostei) in Greece
6. The fossil record of lizards and snakes (Reptilia: Squamata) in Greece
7. The fossil record of amphibians (Amphibia: Urodela and Anura) in Greece
8. The fossil record of crocodylians (Reptilia: Crocodylia) in Greece
9. The fossil record of turtles and tortoises (Reptilia: Testudines) in Greece
10. The fossil record of aardwarks (Mammalia: Tubulidentata: Orycteropodidae) in Greece
11. The fossil record of hyraxes (Mammalia: Pliohyracidae) in Greece
12. The fossil record of the Neogene Proboscidea (Mammalia) in Greece
13. The fossil record of contintental elephants and mammoths (Mammalia: Proboscidea: Elephantidae) in Greece
14. The fossil record of sea cows (Mammalia: Sirenia) in Greece
15. The fossil record of rodents (Mammalia: Rodentia) in Greece
16. The fossil record of hares, rabbits and pikas (Mammalia: Lagomorpha) in Greece
17. The fossil record of the Old World monkeys (Mammalia: Primates: Cercopithecidae) in Greece
18. The fossil record of the Miocene hominoids (Mammalia: Primates: Hominoidea) in Greece
19. The hominin fossil record from Greece

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Biography

Dr Evangelos Vlachos is a researcher at CONICET and Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio in Argentina.