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This volume 2 and its companion volume 1 present the results of new investigations into the geology, paleontology and paleoecology of the early hominin site of Laetoli in northern Tanzania. The site is one of the most important paleontological and paleoanthropological sites in Africa, worldrenowned for the discovery of fossils of the early hominin Australopithecus afarensis, as well as remarkable trails of its footprints. The first volume provides new evidence on the geology, geochronology, ecology, ecomorphology and taphonomy of the site. The second volume describes newly discovered fossil hominins from Laetoli, belonging to Australopithecus afarensis and Paranthropus aethiopicus, and presents detailed information on the systematics and paleobiology of the diverse associated fauna. Together, these contributions provide one of the most comprehensive accounts of a fossil hominin site, and they offer important new insights into the early stages of human evolution and its context.
IAS Special Publication 35, Fluvial Sedimentology VII, comprises ofa series of peer-reviewed papers that were initially presented atthe 7th International Conference on Fluvial Sedimentology, held inLincoln, Nebraska on August 6-10, 2001. The 29 papers in this volume reflect the topical and geographicdiversity of exciting research conducted by fluvialsedimentologists at the beginning of the 21st century. Themesrepresented in this volume include (a) flow, sediment transport,and bedform dynamics, (b) characteristics of modern fluviallandforms, environments and systems, (c) physical analogue andnumerical modeling of fluvial systems, (d) the responses ofQuaternary fluvial systems to climate change, active tectonics,and/or sea-level change, and (e) characteristics of pre-Quaternaryfluvial deposits and evolution of pre-Quaternary fluvial systems.
The second volume in a series dedicated to fossil discoveries made in the Afar region of Ethiopia, this work contains the definitive description of the geological context and paleoenvironment of the early hominid Ardipithecus kadabba. This research by an international team describes Middle Awash late Miocene faunal assemblages recovered from sediments firmly dated to between 5.2 and 5.8 million years ago. Compared to other assemblages of similar age, the Middle Awash record is unparalleled in taxonomic diversity, composed of 2,760 specimens representing at least sixty five mammalian genera. This comprehensive evaluation of the vertebrates from the end of the Miocene in Africa provides detailed morphological and taxonomic descriptions of dozens of taxa, including species new to science. It also incorporates results from analyses of paleoenvironment, paleobiogeography, biochronology, and faunal turnover around the Pliocene-Miocene boundary, opening a new window on the evolution of mammals, African fauna, and its environments.
Mammals of Africa (MoA) is a series of six volumes which describes, in detail, every currently recognized species of African land mammal. This is the first time that such extensive coverage has ever been attempted, and the volumes incorporate the very latest information and detailed discussion of the morphology, distribution, biology and evolution (including reference to fossil and molecular data) of Africa's mammals. With more than 1,160 species and 16-18 orders, Africa has the greatest diversity and abundance of mammals in the world. The reasons for this and the mechanisms behind their evolution are given special attention in the series. Each volume follows the same format, with detailed profiles of every species and higher taxa. The series includes hundreds of colour illustrations and pencil drawings by Jonathan Kingdon highlighting the morphology and behaviour of the species concerned, as well as line drawings of skulls and jaws by Jonathan Kingdon and Meredith Happold. Every species also includes a detailed distribution map. Edited by Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Tom Butynski, Mike Hoffmann, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina, and written by more than 350 authors, all experts in their fields, Mammals of Africa is as comprehensive a compendium of current knowledge as is possible. Extensive references alert readers to more detailed information. This first volume in the series comprises eight introductory chapters covering topics such as evolution, geography and geology, biotic zones, classification, behaviour and morphology. The rest of the book is devoted to the Afrotheria, a grouping that comprises six orders and 49 species; these are the hyraxes, elephants, manatees, otter-shrews, golden-moles, sengis (elephant-shrews) and Aardvark.
This book presents a new account of Euphorbia in southern Africa. Euphorbia is the second largest genus of plants in the world. Southern Africa enjoys a high diversity in Euphorbia and 170 species occur here naturally. Of these 170 species, 128 or 74% are endemic. Where most species of Euphorbia in the northern hemisphere are herbs or shrubs, most of those in southern African are succulent. These succulents range from small, almost geophytic forms where the tuber is larger than the above-ground parts to huge trees 6 to 15 m or more in height. Many of them are spiny. There are also small numbers of herbaceous species in southern Africa and many of these are also dealt with here. The last account of the succulent species for southern Africa was published in 1941 and much new data has accumulated since then. Our understanding of the relationships of the species in Euphorbia has also been greatly enhanced by recent analyses of DNA-data, which led to new and unexpected results. From this new information an entirely new classification was developed, in which Euphorbiawas divided into four subgenera. This provides the taxonomic framework for the presentation of our species here. Around ten new species have been described and these are presented in detail for the first time. This monograph is made up of two volumes. Volume 1 contains an extensive introductory chapter with an overview of the genus in the region, emphasizing many of its important and distinctive features. This is followed by Chapter 2, which deals with subgenus Athymalus. Of the four subgenera, this one is by far the most diverse in southern Africa, with 80 species. Volume 2 contains Chapters 3 (subg. Chamaesyce, 34 species), 4 (subg. Esula, 11 species) and 5 (subg. Euphorbia, 45 species), as well as an additional Chapter 6 covering the remarkable diversity of subg. Euphorbia in Moçambique. Each of Chapters 2 to 5 includes a key to all the species, followed by an account of each of them. This account includes synonymy, a description, data on distribution and habitat, line-drawings of floral features and other diagnostic details, notes on how the species is distinguished from its closest relatives and a brief history of its discovery. Several colour photographs are included for each species, illustrating its habitat, vegetative habit and flowering features, demonstrating key points distinguishing it from others and often showing its variability. Euphorbia is an important component of the vegetation in many of the drier parts of southern Africa. This book is based on a thorough evaluation of the vast herbarium record for southern African members of Euphorbia, on the extensive field-work conducted in the region and the wide taxonomic experience of the author. It is believed that both the professional botanist and the layman will find much that is new and informative in this monograph.