Mammals of the South-West Pacific & Moluccan Islands

Mammals of the South-West Pacific & Moluccan Islands
Author: Tim Fridtjof Flannery
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Total Pages: 240
Release: 1995
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9780801431500

Tim Flannery draws together the results of his five-year field survey and literature review on the mammals of an area extending from the islands just east of Sulawesi in the Moluccas, to the Cook Islands in the central South Pacific, north to Micronesia, and south to New Zealand, but excluding New Guinea. He identifies, classifies, and describes every living native mammalian species of the region as well as introduced and prehistorically extinct species.

Mammals of the South-west Pacific

Mammals of the South-west Pacific
Author: Tyrone Lavery
Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING
Total Pages: 358
Release: 2023-06
Genre: History
ISBN: 1486312632

Islands are special because they promote unique forms of life, and large proportions of the species they hold are found nowhere else on Earth. The mammals of the South-west Pacific are no exception, with many distributed only across single islands or archipelagos. Mammals of the South-west Pacific details the natural history for more than 180 species of marsupials, bats and rodents from 24 Pacific nations and territories. Species profiles are accompanied by distribution maps, illustrations and photographs – many being the first images ever captured for the species. By combining available knowledge with unpublished data collected over years of field work, Mammals of the South-west Pacific forms a definitive guide to the mammals from this region.

Genes, Language, & Culture History in the Southwest Pacific

Genes, Language, & Culture History in the Southwest Pacific
Author: Jonathan S. Friedlaender
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 261
Release: 2007-04-19
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 019804108X

The broad arc of islands north of Australia that extends from Indonesia east towards the central Pacific is home to a set of human populations whose concentration of diversity is unequaled elsewhere. Approximately 20% of the worlds languages are spoken here, and the biological and genetic heterogeneity among the groups is extraordinary. Anthropologist W.W. Howells once declared diversity in the region so Protean as to defy analysis. However, this book can now claim considerable success in describing and understanding the origins of the genetic and linguistic variation there. In order to cut through this biological knot, the authors have applied a comprehensive battery of genetic analyses to an intensively sampled set of populations, and have subjected these and complementary linguistic data to a variety of phylogenetic analyses. This has revealed a number of heretofore unknown ancient Pleistocene genetic variants that are only found in these island populations, and has also identified the genetic footprints of more recent migrants from Southeast Asia who were the ancestors of the Polynesians. The book lays out the very complex structure of the variation within and among the islands in this relatively small region, and a number of explanatory models are tested to see which best account for the observed pattern of genetic variation here. The results suggest that a number of commonly used models of evolutionary divergence are overly simple in their assumptions, and that often human diversity has accumulated in very complex ways.

The Archaeology of the Aru Islands, Eastern Indonesia

The Archaeology of the Aru Islands, Eastern Indonesia
Author: Sue O'Connor
Publisher: ANU E Press
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2007-02-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1921313048

This volume describes the results of the first archaeological survey and excavations carried out in the fascinating and remote Aru Islands, Eastern Indonesia between 1995 and 1997. The naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, who stopped here in search of the Birds of Paradise on his voyage through the Indo-Malay Archipelago in the 1850s, was the first to draw attention to the group. The results reveal a complex and fascinating history covering the last 30,000 years from its early settlement by hunter-gatherers, the late Holocene arrival of ceramic producing agriculturalists, later associations with the Bird of Paradise trade and the colonial expansion of the Dutch trading empires. The excavations and finds from two large Pleistocene caves, Liang Lemdubu and Nabulei Lisa, are reported in detail documenting the changing environmental and cultural history of the islands from when they were connected to Greater Australia and used by hunter/gatherers to their formation as islands and use by agriculturalists. The results of the excavation of the late Neolithic - Metal Age midden at Wangil are discussed, as is the mysterious pre-Colonial fort at Ujir and the 350-year old ruins of forts and a church associated with the Dutch garrisons.

Faunal and Floral Migration and Evolution in SE Asia-Australasia

Faunal and Floral Migration and Evolution in SE Asia-Australasia
Author: Ian Metcalfe
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 426
Release: 2001-06-01
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9789058093493

This multidisciplinary book focuses on the relationships and interactions between palaeobiogeography, biogeography, dispersal, vicariance, migrations and evolution of organisms in the SE Asia-Australasian region. The book investigates biogeographic links between SE Asia and Australasia which go back more than 500 million years. It also focuses on the links between geological evolution and biological migrations and evolution in the region. It was in the SE Asian region that Alfred Russell Wallace established his biogeographic line, now known as Wallace's Line, which was the beginning of biogeography. Wallace also independently developed his theory of evolution based on his work in this area.;The book brings together, for the first time, geologists, palaeontologists, zoologists, botanists, entomologists, evolutionary biologists and archaeologists, in the one volume, to relate the region's geological past to its present biological peculiarities. The book is organized into six sections. Section 1 Paleobiogeographic Background provides overviews of the geological and tectonic evolution of SE Asia-Australasia, and changing patterns of land and sea for the last 540 million years. Section 2 Palaeozoic and Mesozoic Geology and Biogeography discusses Palaeozoic and Mesozoic biogeography of conodonts, brachiopods, plants, dinosaurs and radiolarians and the recognition of ancient biogeographic boundaries or Wallace Lines in the region. Section 3 Wallace's Line focuses on the biogeographic boundary established by Wallace, including the history of its establishment, its significance to biogeography in general and its applicability in the context of modern biogeography.;Section 4 Plant biogeography and evolution includes discussion on primitive angiosperms, the diaspora of the southern rushes, and environmental, climatic and evolutionary implications of plants and palynomorphs in the region. The biogeography and migration of insects, butterflies, birds, rodents and other non-primate mammals is discussed in section 5, Non Primates. The final section 6 Primates focuses on the biogeographic radiation, migration and evolution of primates and includes papers on the occurrence and migration of early hominids and the requirements for human colonization of Australia.

Evolution of Island Mammals

Evolution of Island Mammals
Author: Alexandra van der Geer
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 512
Release: 2011-02-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1444391283

Evolution on islands differs in a number of important ways from evolution on mainland areas. Over millions of years of isolation, exceptional and sometimes bizarre mammals evolved on islands, such as pig-sized elephants and hippos, giant rats and gorilla-sized lemurs that would have been formidable to their mainland ancestors. This timely and innovative book is the first to offer a much-needed synthesis of recent advances in the exciting field of the evolution and extinction of fossil insular placental mammals. It provides a comprehensive overview of current knowledge on fossil island mammals worldwide, ranging from the Oligocene to the onset of the Holocene. The book addresses evolutionary processes and key aspects of insular mammal biology, exemplified by a variety of fossil species. The authors discuss the human factor in past extinction events and loss of insular biodiversity. This accessible and richly illustrated textbook is written for graduate level students and professional researchers in evolutionary biology, palaeontology, biogeography, zoology, and ecology.

South Asian Mammals

South Asian Mammals
Author: Chelmala Srinivasulu
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 480
Release: 2012-05-19
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1461434491

Until now, information on mammals in South Asia has never been brought together on a single platform providing all‐inclusive knowledge on the subject. This book is the most up‐to‐date comprehensive resource on the mammalian diversity of South Asia. It offers information on the diversity, distribution and status of 504 species of terrestrial and aquatic mammals found in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This work is unique being the first of its kind that deals with diversity and distribution at the subspecies level. The book is divided in to three chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the subject and takes off from the recent works on mammals at the global level, provides an historical perspective on mammal studies in South Asia and concludes with a note on recent phylogenetic changes at supraordinal levels. Chapter 2 summarizes the information on the diversity of South Asian Mammals, provides analysis by country of mammalian diversity (supported by data in tabular form) dealing with species richness, endemism and possibly occurring species, separate analysis for each country with details on endemic and threatened species, extinct mammals, domestic mammals, and finally the IUCN status of mammals with special emphasis on threatened mammals. Chapter 3 is a comprehensive checklist that provides information on each species, including its scientific name, type details, standardized English name, synonyms, subspecies, distribution and comments on taxonomic status. Country‐wise listings and analysis of species richness with emphasis on subspecies distribution Most of the analysis is supported by data in tabular forms for better understanding Notes on extinct and domesticated mammals as well as their IUCN Red List Status with criteria for such status A very comprehensive bibliography that would help readers track down specific literature ​

The Pacific Islands

The Pacific Islands
Author: Moshe Rapaport
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Total Pages: 474
Release: 2013-05-31
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0824865847

The Pacific is the last major world region to be discovered by humans. Although small in total land area, its numerous islands and archipelagoes with their startlingly diverse habitats and biotas, extend across a third of the globe. This revised edition of a popular text explores the diverse landforms, climates, and ecosystems of the Pacific island region. Multiple chapters, written by leading specialists, cover the environment, history, culture, population, and economy. The work includes new or completely revised chapters on gender, music, logging, development, education, urbanization, health, ocean resources, and tourism. Throughout two key issues are addressed: the exceptional environmental challenges and the demographic/economic/political challenges facing the region. Although modern technology and media and waves of continental tourists are fast eroding island cultures, the continuing resilience of Pacific island populations is apparent. This is the only contemporary text on the Pacific Islands that covers both environment and sociocultural issues and will thus be indispensable for any serious student of the region. Unlike other reviews, it treats the entirety of Oceania (with the exception of Australia) and is well illustrated with numerous photos and maps, including a regional atlas. Contributors: David Abbott, Dennis A. Ahlburg, Glenn Banks, John Barker, Geoffrey Bertram, David A. Chappell, William C. Clarke, John Connell, Ron Crocombe, Julie Cupples, Derrick Depledge, Colin Filer, Gerard J. Fryer, Patricia Fryer, Brenden S. Holland, E. Alison Kay, David M. Kennedy, Lamont Lindstrom, Rick Lumpkin, Harley I. Manner, Selina Tusitala Marsh, Nancy McDowell, Hamish A. McGowan, Frank McShane, Simon Milne, R. John Morrison, Dieter Mueller-Dombois, Stephen G. Nelson, Patrick D. Nunn, Michael R. Ogden, Andrew Pawley, Jean-Louis Rallu, Vina Ram-Bidesi, Moshe Rapaport, Annette Sachs Robertson, Richard Scaglion, Donovan Storey, Andrew P. Sturman, Lynne D. Talley, James P. Terry, Randolph R. Thaman, Frank R. Thomas, Caroline Vercoe, Terence Wesley-Smith, Paul Wolffram.

Mammals of the South-West Pacific and Moluccan Islands

Mammals of the South-West Pacific and Moluccan Islands
Author: Tim Fridtjof Flannery
Publisher:
Total Pages: 464
Release: 1995
Genre: Mammals
ISBN: 9780730104179

Tim Flannery draws together the results of his five-year field survey and literature review on the mammals of an area extending from the islands just east of Sulawesi in the Moluccas, to the Cook Islands in the central South Pacific, north to Micronesia, and south to New Zealand, but excluding New Guinea. He identifies, classifies, and describes every living native mammalian species of the region as well as introduced and prehistorically extinct species.

The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals

The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals
Author: Bo Beolens
Publisher: JHU Press
Total Pages: 592
Release: 2009-11-18
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 0801895332

Learn the origins of over 2,000 mammal species names with this informative reference guide. Just who was the Przewalski after whom Przewalski's horse was named? Or Husson, the eponym for the rat Hydromys hussoni? Or the Geoffroy whose name is forever linked to Geoffroy's cat? This unique reference provides a brief look at the real lives behind the scientific and vernacular mammal names one encounters in field guides, textbooks, journal articles, and other scholarly works. Arranged to mirror standard dictionaries, the more than 1,300 entries included here explain the origins of over 2,000 mammal species names. Each bio-sketch lists the scientific and common-language names of all species named after the person, outlines the individual’s major contributions to mammalogy and other branches of zoology, and includes brief information about his or her mammalian namesake’s distribution. The two appendixes list scientific and common names for ease of reference, and, where appropriate, individual entries include mammals commonly—but mistakenly—believed to be named after people. The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals is a highly readable and informative guide to the people whose names are immortalized in mammal nomenclature. “A small treasure trove of information about the people whose names are immortalized in mammalian nomenclature. Given that we mammalogists are prone to ancestor worship, I expect it to be a best-seller.” —Don E. Wilson, Journal of Mammalian Evolution “This is a great reference for the mammalogy professional or student, or the curious naturalist.” —Wildlife Activist “This is a splendid book which fills a real gap in zoological literature.” —Nicholas Gould, International Zoo News