SKU: 60492416301

Mammals: A Very Short Introduction

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Mammals: A Very Short IntroductionFrom a modest beginning in the form of a little shrew like, nocturnal, insect eating ancestor that lived 200 million years ago, mammals evolved into the huge variety of different kinds of animals we see today. Many species are still small, and follow the lifestyle of the ancestor, but others have adapted to become large grazers and browsers, like the antelopes, cattle, rhinos, and elephants, or the lions, hyaenas, and wolves that prey upon them. Yet

From a modest beginning in the form of a little shrew-like, nocturnal, insect eating ancestor that lived 200 million years ago, mammals evolved into the huge variety of different kinds of animals we see today. Many species are still small, and follow the lifestyle of the ancestor, but others have adapted to become large grazers and browsers, like the antelopes, cattle, rhinos, and elephants, or the lions, hyaenas, and wolves that prey upon them. Yet others evolved to be specialist termite eaters able to dig into the hardest mounds, or tunnel creating burrowers, and a few took to the skies as gliders and the bats. Many live partly in the water, such as otters, beavers, and hippos, while whales and dugongs remain permanently in the seas, incapable of ever emerging onto land.

In this Very Short Introduction Tom Kemp explains how it is a tenfold increase in metabolic rate - endothermy or "warm-bloodedness" - that lies behind the high levels of activity, and the relatively huge brain associated with complex, adaptable behaviour that epitomizes mammals. He describes the remarkable fossil record, revealing how and when the mammals gained their characteristics, and the tortuous course of their subsequent evolution, during which many bizarre forms such as sabre-toothed cats, and 30-tonne, 6-m high browsers arose and disappeared. Describing the wonderful adaptations that mammals evolved to suit their varied modes of life, he also looks at those of the mainly arboreal primates that culminated ultimately in Homo sapiens.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.


Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 09/27/2017
ISBN: 9780198766940
Pages: 144
Weight: 0.35lbs
Size: 6.80h x 4.20w x 0.40d
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SKU: 60492416301

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Denise R. Brassie
Lowell, US
★★★★★ 5
Life-changing
Format: Hardcover
This book my eyes to so many patterns that I've had since I was a child. I'm now much later in my life and wish I had had a book like this when I was in my 20s and 30s, and not my 70s. Nevertheless the information is always helpful and helped open my eyes to so many things. Nothing else that helps me move forward. I love all of Joyce's books and follow her Ministry. She is a no-nonsense straight to the punch speaker. She talks about very uncomfortable things. Which we still need to hear either way. So I recommend this book Kylie for anyone who's gone through rejection from friends, parents, friends, jobs, rejection from spouses. Joyce is a no-nonsense straight to the heart person. Sometimes we tiptoe around these issues, what's the point of that. I highly recommend this book
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Letra Randle
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A Mom
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 5
Amazing book
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One of her best books---and I've read a lot of them. Ginger Stache's contributions were outstanding, too. This book provides so much insight and gives me great peace just from reading it. My main takeaway is that often, you are not the direct target of rejection. It frequently has more to do with the individual doing the rejecting than with the rejected. Also, it can just be God's way of protecting us from a relationship that will ultimately harm us. Highly recommend this book.
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marie gibson
Natrona Heights, US
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Good author and book
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Christmas gifts for friends. We love Joyce Meyers
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Chelsea, US
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Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2026

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