Corridors to Extinction and the Australian Megafauna
Auteur : Webb Steve
Extinctions have always occurred and always will, so what is so surprising about the megafauna extinctions? They were caused by humans and were the first of many extinctions that eventually led to the extinction of the Moa, Steller's Sea Cow, the Dodo, Great Auk and countless other species great and small, all attributed to human agency. Therefore, the megafauna were humans? first great impact on the planet. There is now an increasing realization that the 'blitzkrieg' view of these extinctions may have been wrong. A growing body of evidence and long-term field work is beginning to show that at least Australia's megafauna did not succumb to human agency, not because humans probably did not hunt the odd animal but because the an infinitely more logical reason lies in the climatic conditions of the Quaternary Ice Ages and the affect they had on continental geography, environment, climate and, most importantly, the biogeography of the megafauna. This book presents the evidence of this theory, demonstrating the biogeographic approach to Australia?s megafauna extinction.
Chapter 1. Extinction
Chapter 2. Extinction Drivers
Chapter 3. After the Dinosaurs
Chapter 4. Dreamtime to Desert
Chapter 5. The Australian Tertiary and the first marsupial extinctions
Chapter 6. Australia and the Ice Ages
Chapter 7. Who and Where: the Australian Megafauna and their distribution
Chapter 8. Australia's Megafauna Extinction Drivers
Chapter 9. Megafauna in the Southern Lake Eyre Basin: a case study
Chapter 10. Megafauna and Humans in Australia and Southeast Asia
Students, researchers, and professionals interested in extinction study and environmental science.
- Written clearly to benefit a diverse level of readers, from those with a passing interest to professionals in the field.
- Examines future climate change and its effects on the planet by looking at examples buried in the past
- Presents new evidence from extensive field research
Date de parution : 03-2013
Ouvrage de 328 p.
15x22.8 cm
Thèmes de Corridors to Extinction and the Australian Megafauna :
Mots-clés :
Adaptation; Ancient Australia; Aquatic megafauna; Australian palaeontology; Background extinction; Biogeographic extinction drivers; Biogeography; Blitzkrieg; Climatic change; Colonisation; Continental distribution; Continental shelves; Corridors; Demography; Early megafauna; Ediacara fauna; Environmental change; Extinction drivers; Extinction processes; Faunal collapse; Feeders; Fire; Glacial cycling; Gondwana; Human migration; Humans; Hunting; Ice Ages; Interglacials; Java; Katipiri; Lake Eyre; Marsupial evolution; Mass extinction; Megafauna; Megalake; Neogene; Oldest Australian marsupials; Oldest marsupials; Palaeogene; Patches; Quaternary; Riversleigh; Savannah; Southeast Asia; Species distribution; Terrestrial megafauna; Tertiary extinctions; Tethering; The big five; Trophic levels; World cooling