Dogs: Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History
by Xiaoming Wang, Richard H. Tedford
List Price:
Our Price: $18.51
You Save: $11.44 (38%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $14.75 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Richard H. Tedford, Xiaoming WangIllustrator: Mauricio Anton
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-06-06
ISBN: 0231135289
Number of pages: 232
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Book Reviews of Dogs: Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History
Book Review: A Thorough Look at Canid Evolution
Summary: 4 Stars
I had mixed feelings buying the book. I love dogs and admire their wild relatives, sure, but they somehow did not seem that interesting, at least compared to the other big carnivore family, the cats.
Well I was wrong. Prehistoric dogs, wolves, foxes and other canids without modern descendants are every bit as exciting as the most spectacular felids. And that point was clearly driven through, compliments of the authors and Mr. Anton's illustrations.
The book has a very good structure, beginning with the origins of the various canid groups, presenting a handful of key species for every branch of the family tree. Then comes the anatomy section, usually difficult for amateurs. Not this time. Every part of the dog body is clearly presented (Mr. Anton again) and analyzed, with the technical vocabulary kept to the barest minimum and all key scientific terms explained. And finally, we come to the really juicy stuff: Hypotheses about primitive canids ecology and general behavior, based on observations of their various modern descendants and data form other scientific disciplines. The authors trace the family's evolutionary fortunes through space (dispersal all over the world) and time (changing environments with new challenges) and conclude with a very interesting analysis on dogs' domestication and common life with man.
The text manages to balance wealth of content with brevity and charm. The latest receives a more than generous boost from Mr. Anton's simply gorgeous work. The black and white sketches are very good, particularly the anatomical ones, but the artist's talent really shines at the color plates - alas only eight of them.
The book is a very good option for anyone interested in prehistoric mammals and / or dogs in particular. And if one is prepared to go further, the appendices and bibliography are there to help.
Home & Garden Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Dogs
The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Dogs and Cats: Over 1,000 Solutions to Your Pet's Problems - From Top Vets, Trainers, Breeders, and Other Animal Expertsby Prevention Magazine Editors
Bantam; Published: 1997-08-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.44
Price in other shops:
The First Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats (Prevention Pets)by Amy D. Shojai
Rodale Books; Published: 2001-03-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.71
Price in other shops:
What's Wrong with My Dog?: A Pet Owner's Guide to 150 Symptoms - and What to Do about Themby Jake Tedaldi
Fair Winds Press; Published: 2007-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.54
Price in other shops:
The Veterinarians' Guide to Your Dog's Symptoms (Veterinarians Guide)by Michael S. Garvey D.V.M., Anne E. Hohenhaus D.V.M., John E. Pinckney D.V.M., Katherine A. Houpt D.V.M., Elizabeth Randolph
Villard; Published: 1999-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.45
Price in other shops:
ASPCA Complete Dog Care Manualby Bruce Fogle
DK ADULT; Published: 1993-03-15; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $10.44
Price in other shops:
Small Dogs, Big Hearts: A Guide to Caring for Your Little Dog , Revised Editionby Darlene Arden
Howell Book House; Published: 2006-06-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.92
Price in other shops:
The Dog Bible: Everything Your Dog Wants You to Knowby Tracie Hotchner
Gotham; Published: 2005-11-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.00
Price in other shops:
Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide Interpreting the Native Language of the Domestic Dogby Brenda Aloff
Dogwise Publishing; Published: 2005-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $25.08
Price in other shops:
Dogs: 101 Adorable BreedsAndrews McMeel Publishing; Published: 2008-04-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $15.62
Price in other shops:
The Dog Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Troubleshooting Tips, and Advice on Lifetime Maintenanceby David Brunner, Sam Stall, Jude Buffum
Quirk Books; Published: 2004-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.57
Price in other shops:
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Biophiliaby Edward O. Wilson
Harvard University Press; Published: 1984-01-13; Paperback; Book
Best price: $17.36
Price in other shops:
Evolving Eden: An Illustrated Guide to the Evolution of the African Large Mammal Faunaby Alan Turner, Mauricio Anton
Columbia University Press; Published: 2007-08-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.02
Price in other shops:
Dog Behaviour, Evolution, and Cognition (Oxford Biology)by ?d?m Mikl?si
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2009-02-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $48.70
Price in other shops:
A Sea without Fish: Life in the Ordovician Sea of the Cincinnati Region (Life of the Past)by Richard Arnold Davis, David L. Meyer
Indiana University Press; Published: 2009-02-11; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $28.19
Price in other shops:
National Geographic Prehistoric Mammalsby Alan Turner
National Geographic Children's Books; Published: 2004-10-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $18.44
Price in other shops:
Mammoths, Sabertooths, and Hominids: 65 Million Years of Mammalian Evolution in Europeby Jordi Agust??, Mauricio Anton
Columbia University Press; Published: 2005-10-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $24.20
Price in other shops:
After the Dinosaurs: The Age of Mammals (Life of the Past)by Donald R. Prothero
Indiana University Press; Published: 2006-06-22; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $24.79
Price in other shops:
The Evolution of ArtiodactylsThe Johns Hopkins University Press; Published: 2007-10-23; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $60.24
Price in other shops:
Feathered Dinosaurs: The Origin of Birdsby John Long
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2008-09-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $22.37
Price in other shops:
The Big Cats and Their Fossil Relativesby Mauricio Anton, Alan Turner
Columbia University Press; Published: 2000-06-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $20.22
Price in other shops: