Evolutionary History of the Marsupials and an Analysis of Osteological Characters

The aim of this book is to examine a variety of problems in the understanding of the evolutionary history of the marsupials. In his exposition, the author covers developmental and reproductive biology, the cranio-skeletal system (including dentition, skull and postcranial morphology) and the ecologically related aspects of skeletal morphology. In reviewing the evidence from bones, he presents much new information on both living and fossil groups of marsupials. All groups of marsupials are treated in detail, and in the final chapter their history in space and time and their palaeobiogeography are considered.

Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Phylogenetics of characters and groups, and the classification of taxa; 3. Problems in understanding metatherian evolution; 4. Form-function, and ecological and behavioural morphology in Metatheria; 5. Background to the analysis of metatherian cruropedal evidence; 6. Mesozoic and Cenozoic: fossil tarsals of ameridelphians unassociated with teeth; 7. Cruropedal attributes of living and fossil families of metatherians; 8. Taxa and phylogeny of Metatheria; 9. Paleobiogeography and metatherian evolution; References; Index.