The story of how Africa's mammals have helped shape the continent's
landscapes over time to support an amazing diversity of life
Africa is home to an amazing array of animals, including the world's
most diverse assortment of large mammals. These include the world's
largest terrestrial mammal, the African elephant, which still roams
great swathes of the continent alongside a host of other well-known
large mammals with hooves such as hippopotamuses, giraffes,
rhinoceroses, and zebras. African Ark: Mammals, Landscape and the
Ecology of a Continent tells the story of where these mammals have come
from and how they have interacted to create the richly varied landscape
that makes up Africa as we know it today. It gives an equal airing to
small mammals, such as rodents and bats, which are often overlooked by
both naturalists and zoologists in favor of their larger cousins.
African Ark not only describes the diversity of African mammals and
the habitats in which they live; it also explains the processes by which
species and population groups are formed and how these fluctuate over
time. A book on mammals would not be complete without attention placed
on the impact of megafauna on the environment and the important roles
they play in shaping the landscape. In this way, mammals such as
elephants and rhinoceros support countless plant communities and the
habitats of many smaller animals.
The book brings in a human perspective as well as a conservation angle
in its assessment of the interaction of African mammals with the people
who live alongside them. African Ark is at once scientifically
rigorous and accessible for the layperson and student alike, while
drawing on the contributions of numerous zoologists, ecologists and
conservationists dedicated to the understanding of Africa and its
wildlife.
