Prehistoric Australasia

Visions of Evolution and Extinction

Michael Archer,Suzanne J. Hand,John Long,Trevor H. Worthy,Peter Schouten

• Editorial: CSIRO PUBLISHING
• Año: 2023
• ISBN:
  9780643108073
• Categoría: Ciencias biológicas
• Categoría: Evolución

For most of the past 300 million years, the world's continents were interlinked as the supercontinents Pangaea and then Gondwana. Around 50 million years ago, Australia tore itself free from Antarctica to become the huge, splendidly isolated island it is today. Over time, its creatures began to evolve in ways not seen anywhere else on Earth, with tree-climbing crocodiles, gigantic venomous lizards, walking omnivorous bats and flesh-eating kangaroos roaming the continent.

Prehistoric Australasia: Visions of Evolution and Extinction presents some of the most extraordinary creatures the world has ever seen – all unique to Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand and their surrounding islands.

Over 100 meticulously painted panoramas by palaeoartist Peter Schouten are accompanied by descriptions of the unique environments and features of these animals, written by four of Australia's foremost palaeontologists. This book explores the nature and timing of extinction events in the Southern Hemisphere, considers whether some of these losses might be able to be reversed, and how we can use the fossil record to help save today's critically endangered species. Through stunning artwork and fascinating text, Prehistoric Australasia brings this globally unique transformation over time to glorious, colourful life.

Winner, The Royal Zoological Society of NSW 2023 Whitley Medal

Índice

• Cover
• Front endpaper
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• Pilbara, Western Australia
• Ediacaran Hills, South Australia
• Emu Bay, South Australia
• Stairway Sandstone, Northern Territory
• Baragwanathia flora, Victoria
• Evolution of early vertebrates
• Burrinjuck, New South Wales
• Georgina Basin, Queensland
• Gogo, Scene 1, Western Australia
• Gogo, Scene 2, Western Australia
• Canowindra, Scene 1, New South Wales
• Canowindra, Scene 2, New South Wales
• Mansfield, Victoria
• Ducabrook Formation, Queensland
• Blackwater Shale, Queensland
• Blina Shale, Western Australia
• Knocklofty Formation, Tasmania
• Arcadia Formation, Scene 1, Queensland
• Arcadia Formation, Scene 2, Queensland
• Hanson Formation, Antarctica
• Talbragar, New South Wales
• Evolution of the tetrapod forelimb
• Broome Sandstone, Western Australia
• Strzelecki, Victoria
• Bulldog Shale, South Australia
• Otway, Scene 1, Victoria
• Otway, Scene 2, Victoria
• Toolebuc Formation, Scene 1, Queensland
• Toolebuc Formation, Scene 2, Queensland
• Toolebuc Formation, Scene 3, Queensland
• Winton Formation, Scene 1, Queensland
• Winton Formation, Scene 2, Queensland
• Winton Formation, Scene 3, Queensland
• Lightning Ridge, New South Wales
• Mackunda Formation, Queensland
• Mangahouanga, New Zealand
• Waipara River, New Zealand
• Haumuri Bluff, New Zealand
• Tingamarra, Scene 1, Queensland
• Tingamarra, Scene 2, Queensland
• Tingamarra, Scene 3, Queensland
• Duntroon, New Zealand
• Jan Juc Formation, Victoria
• Ditjimanka Local Fauna, Scene 1, South Australia
• Ditjimanka Local Fauna, Scene 2, South Australia
• Riversleigh, Scene 1, Queensland
• Pinpa Local Fauna, South Australia
• Ericmas Local Fauna, South Australia
• Riversleigh, Scene 2, Queensland
• Riversleigh, Scene 3, Queensland
• Riversleigh, Scene 4, Queensland
• Wynyard Local Fauna, Tasmania
• Kutjamarpu Local Fauna, South Australia
• Riversleigh, Scene 5, Queensland
• Riversleigh, Scene 6, Queensland
• Riversleigh, Scene 7, Queensland
• Riversleigh, Scene 8, Queensland
• St Bathans, Scene 1, New Zealand
• St Bathans, Scene 2, New Zealand
• St Bathans, Scene 3, New Zealand
• Riversleigh, Scene 9, Queensland
• Riversleigh, Scene 10, Queensland
• Bullock Creek, Northern Territory
• Riversleigh, Scene 11, Queensland
• Alcoota, Scene 1, Northern Territory
• Alcoota, Scene 2, Northern Territory
• Beaumaris, Victoria
• Awe, Papua New Guinea
• Chinchilla, Queensland
• Kanunka, Scene 1, South Australia
• Kanunka, Scene 2, South Australia
• Bunyip Cave, Victoria
• Eastern Darling Downs, Scene 1, Queensland
• Eastern Darling Downs, Scene 2, Queensland
• Wellington Caves, Scene 1, New South Wales
• Wellington Caves, Scene 2, New South Wales
• Wellington Caves, Scene 3, New South Wales
• The giant lizard Megalania, eastern Australia
• Thylacoleo Caves, Western Australia
• Naracoorte Caves, Scene 1, South Australia
• Naracoorte Caves, Scene 2, South Australia
• Texas Caves, Scene 1, Queensland
• Texas Caves, Scene 2, Queensland
• Lord Howe Island meiolaniid turtle
• Mammoth Cave, Western Australia
• Mowbray, Victoria
• Callabonna, South Australia
• Wyandotte Station, Queensland
• Pureni, Papua New Guinea
• Riversleigh, Scene 12, Queensland
• Kelangurr Cave, Irian Jaya
• Nombe Rock Shelter, Papua New Guinea
• South Island moa, New Zealand
• South Island adzebill, New Zealand
• Volivoli Cave, Fiji
• Tongoleleka, Tonga
• Chatham Islands, New Zealand
• North Island, Scene 1, New Zealand
• North Island, Scene 2, New Zealand
• New Caledonia’s giant megapode
• Canterbury Plains, New Zealand
• New Zealand giant eagle
• Pindai Cave, New Caledonia
• South Island goose, New Zealand
• Acknowledgements
• References
• Index
• Back endpaper
• Back cover