New book out: Beasts Before Us: The Untold Story of Mammal Origins and Evolution

[ceratopsian]

Has anyone read this book yet: Beasts Before Us: The Untold Story of Mammal Origins and Evolution, by Elsa Panciroli?  Published in the UK on 10 June.

The blurb (from Amazon):
"For most of us, the story of mammal evolution starts after the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs, but over the last 20 years scientists have uncovered new fossils and used new technologies that have upended this story.

In Beasts Before Us, palaeontologist 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. They made the world theirs long before the rise of dinosaurs. Travelling forward into the Permian and then Triassic periods, we learn how our ancient mammal ancestors evolved from large hairy beasts with accelerating metabolisms to exploit miniaturisation, which was key to unlocking the traits that define mammals as we now know them.

Elsa criss-crosses the globe to explore the sites where discoveries are being made and meet the people who make them. In Scotland, she traverses the desert dunes of prehistoric Moray, where quarry workers unearthed the footprints of Permian creatures from before the time of dinosaurs. In South Africa, she introduces us to animals, once called 'mammal-like reptiles', that gave scientists the first hints that our furry kin evolved from a lineage of egg-laying burrowers. In China, new, complete fossilised skeletons reveal mammals that were gliders, shovel-pawed Jurassic moles, and flat-tailed swimmers.

This book radically reframes the narrative of our mammalian ancestors and provides a counterpoint to the stereotypes of mighty dinosaur overlords and cowering little mammals. It turns out the earliest mammals weren't just precursors, they were pioneers."

And about the author (from Amazon):
Biography
"Dr Elsa Panciroli is a scientist and writer from Scotland. Her research focuses on the anatomy and evolution of extinct animals, particularly of mammals: the furred, milk-producing group to which we belong. Born and brought up in the Highlands, Elsa completed her undergraduate degree in Environmental Science at the University of the Highlands and Islands, her masters degree at the University of Bristol, and her doctorate in palaeontology at the University of Edinburgh. She is currently a researcher at the University of Oxford Museum of Natural History, and is an associate researcher at National Museums Scotland.

Elsa is a prolific science communicator, contributing regularly to The Guardian, Palaeontology Online and Biological Sciences Review. She delivers public talks on palaeontology and the origin of mammals to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. She is a graduate of the BBC's Expert Women training programme, and can frequently be heard on radio and podcast programmes such as Crowdscience, The John Beatty Show, and Our Lives.

Alongside her scientific research, Elsa is a natural story-teller, and has been penning short stories and poetry since childhood. She feels an intimate tie to the Scottish landscape, contributing to and editing Conversations in Stone, a prose and poetry collection inspired by geology. She is also a Trustee for the Scottish Geology Trust.

Elsa's new book, Beasts Before Us, charts the evolution of mammals as you've never heard it before. If you think you already know where our furry ancestors came from, you may be surprised!"

Published by Bloomsbury Sigma, ISBN 978-1472983824

[Gothmog the Baryonyx]

Ooh that looks interesting,I will have to give that a try. Thanks for sharing

[ceratopsian]

Yes, I thought it sounded well worth a look, as it's not so easy to find non-technical information about the emergence of mammals.  I ended up buying a copy.

Ooh that looks interesting,I will have to give that a try. Thanks for sharing

[Libraraptor]

I will definitely have a look at this one.

[Halichoeres]

I've just ordered my copy as well.