The Rise of Mammals in Africa

Coming Soon

By: Emmanuel Gheerbrant(Author), Charlène Letenneur(Illustrator), Alexandre Lethiers(Illustrator)

296 pages, 16 colour & 56 b/w illustrations

Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

Click to have a closer look

ISBN: 9781421452395 Hardback 13 Jan 2026 Available for pre-order
£62.00
#267049

Price: £62.00

About this book Contents Customer reviews Biography

Images Additional images

About this book

A beautifully illustrated account of the evolutionary journey of mammals in Africa.

For more than 80 million years, "Island Africa" was a vast, isolated landmass south of the ancient Tethys Sea. Despite this isolation, waves of pioneering mammals crossed the sea, sparking remarkable evolutionary success stories that include the ancestors of elephants, primates, aardvarks, and more. Follow the extraordinary evolutionary journey of African mammals in this definitive account of how Africa's unique isolation shaped the development of some of Earth's most iconic species.

Emmanuel Gheerbrant, a world-renowned expert in mammal evolution, weaves together palaeontological discoveries and cutting-edge molecular research to illuminate this fascinating history. Through a comprehensive exploration of fossil evidence and stunning original artwork, this book reveals the origins and adaptations of extraordinary creatures, from the extinct Arsinoitherium and Moeritherium to today's elephants and lemurs. Gheerbrant explores the environmental and climatic forces that shaped these mammals, the impact of Africa's collision with Eurasia, and the enduring legacy of its evolutionary innovations on today's global biodiversity.

Meticulously researched and beautifully illustrated, The Rise of Mammals in Africa provides an unparalleled window into a critical chapter of natural history. Whether you're a palaeontologist, evolutionary biologist, or a curious reader captivated by Africa's natural wonders, this book is a gorgeously illustrated resource for understanding the origins of life as we know it.

Summary
Preface
Acknowledgments

1. The living African mammal fauna
2. Origin and first diversification of placental mammals in the world and in Africa
3. The African theatre of origins
4. Mammalian paleontology in Island Africa
5. Mammal succession and evolution in Island Africa
6. Evolution and relationships of the major endemic groups in Island Africa
7. An overview of mammal evolution in Island Africa
8. Epilogue: What next for the quest on African origins?

Bibliography
Appendices
Glossary
Index of taxa reported in the text

Customer Reviews

Review this book

Biography

Emmanuel Gheerbrant is a vertebrate paleontologist and a researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the French National Museum of Natural History (MNHN).

Coming Soon

By: Emmanuel Gheerbrant(Author), Charlène Letenneur(Illustrator), Alexandre Lethiers(Illustrator)

296 pages, 16 colour & 56 b/w illustrations

Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

Media reviews

"Many appreciate that humanity arose in Africa, but few grasp the profound depth of our primate ancestry on that continent. In this long-overdue synthesis, Gheerbrant reconstructs the ancient mammalian communities that shaped our evolution, bringing to life the strange worlds in which our distant ancestors adapted and endured."
– Erik R. Seiffert, University of Southern California

"Africa is home to an astonishing variety of mammals today, and its fossil record reveals that it has always played a critical role in their evolution. With this book, Emmanuel Gheerbrant shares his vast knowledge of African mammal evolution, accumulated through decades of fieldwork and research."
– Chris Beard, author of The Hunt for the Dawn Monkey: Unearthing the Origins of Monkeys, Apes, and Humans

"Africa today is large and home to many iconic mammals. Less well known are mammals that evolved on Island Africa during the first 43 million years of Cenozoic time. Author Emmanuel Gheerbrant has spent his career studying these and The Rise of Mammals in Africa is a long-awaited overview and synthesis."
– Philip Gingerich, University of Michigan

"Africa is the birthplace of humanity. But long before that it was the birthplace of many other strange beasts. In The Rise of Mammals in Africa, Emmanuel Gheerbrant profiles these animals, from dassies to elephants, showing that Africa was a key continent in the evolution of mammals."
– Lars Werdelin, Swedish Museum of Natural History

Current promotions