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Beasts Before Us: The Untold Story of Mammal Origins and Evolution
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74
/100
I Index Overall Rating
Readers
51/100Critics
96/100Scholars
Author:
Elsa Panciroli, April Neander
Publisher:
Bloomsbury Sigma
Date:
September 7, 2021
Paleontologist Elsa Panciroli charts the emergence of the mammal lineage, Synapsida, beginning at their murky split from the reptiles in the Carboniferous period, over three-hundred million years ago, criss-crossing the globe to explore the sites where discoveries are being made and meet the people who make them.
What The Reviewers Say
... [a] smart, passionate and seditious book aimed at erasing [Richard] Owen’s lingering influence and showing us the wonders he missed when he dissed small mammals.
Under Ms. Panciroli’s adroit tutelage, the Carboniferous and Permian (pre-dinosaur) periods are brought to life, teeming with strange creatures.
... a fascinating survey of recent discoveries in evolution.
