early mammals & NAPC (fwd)

["Darren Naish" <dwn194@soton.ac.uk>]

> First, I've been watching a very interesting show on PBS, "The Velvet
> Claw," about the rise of predatory mammals. Can anyone here recommend
> some books along this line? My knowledge of mammal evolution is as
> fragmentary as the skeleton of mononykus. I realize this is off-topic,
> but I figured someone out there would know.      (Blaise Considine)

There is a book of the series, called 'The Velvet Claw'. By David McDonald. It's
great  - while some parts of the non-carnivoran text are a bit simplified
(especially regarding Cretaceous dinosaurs and phorusrhacoids), the stuff on
evolution of extant lineages is great, and a great job is done at tying
reproductive strategies and feeding habits in with macro-evolution.

On the visual side, the series and book are the only attempts I've yet seen at
restoring percrocuteroids and mid-Cainozoic cat-like dogs (whose name I've
forgotten).

(Incidentally, note that the ornithomimid in the animation sequence of part 1
['The Carnassial Connection'] had teeth. Whoops.)

DARREN NAISH