tailieunhanh - HOMINOID EVOLUTION AND CLIMATIC CHANGE IN EUROPE VOLUME 1 The Evolution of Neogene Terrestrial Ecosystems in Europe

The late Neogene (the period between − 14 and − Ma) is one of the most interesting phases in understand the present conWguration of terrestrial ecosystems. It was during this time that the change took place from the middle Miocene dominant subtropical forests that stretched across southern Europe and western Asia to a more open but still wooded biotope that now prevails in warm–temperate areas. This change in vegetation, which strongly aVected the composition of mammalian faunas, seems to be linked to the rapid spread of grasses around 8–10 Ma ago | HOMINOID EVOLUTION ANO CLIMATIC CHANGE IN EUROPE VOLUME 1 The Evolution of Neogene Terrestrial Ecosystems in Europe Edited by Jorge Agusti Lorenzo Rook and Peter Andrews Cambridge more information - 9780521640978 Europe has changed greatly in terms of climate and environment in the past 20 million years. Once there were sub-tropical forests but by the end of the Miocene 5 million years ago these had all gone. This unique book provides evidence for the past climatic history of Europe and the Mediterranean in relation to hominoid evolution. Many different lines of evidence are brought together including studies specifically on past climates and the application of climate modelling the reconstruction of past geographical events and the effects they had on European environments and the plants and animals living in them. Together they form a coherent and consistent image of environmental and climatic change in Europe from 18 to million years ago for all those interested in mammalian and human evolution. JORGE AGUSTI is Director of the Institute of Paleontology M. Crusafont in Sabadell Spain. He specialises in the evolution of the Neogene and Quaternary small mammalian faunas in relation to environmental changes. LORENZO ROOK is a researcher in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Florence working on fossil primates and carnivora and on Neogene Quaternary biochronology. PETER ANDREWS is a research scientist at the Natural History Museum in London where he works on fossil primates taphonomic and palaeoecological issues relating to the early stages of human .