In the tradition of G. G. Simpson's classic work, Kenneth D. Rose's The
Beginning of the Age of Mammals analyzes the events that occurred
directly before and after the mysterious K-T boundary which so quickly
thrust mammals from obscurity to planetary dominance.
Rose surveys the evolution of mammals, beginning with their origin from
cynodont therapsids in the Mesozoic, contemporary with dinosaurs,
through the early Cenozoic, with emphasis on the Paleocene and Eocene
adaptive radiations of therian mammals. Focusing on the fossil record,
he presents the anatomical evidence used to interpret behavior and
phylogenetic relationships. The life's work of one of the most
knowledgeable researchers in the field, this richly illustrated,
magisterial book combines sound scientific principles and meticulous
research and belongs on the shelf of every paleontologist and
mammalogist.