- Email: [email protected]
Postcranial anatomy and habits of Asian multituberculate mammals
EARTH-SCIENCE
ELSEVIER
Earth-Science Reviews 39 (1995) 267-280
Book Reviews
Palaeontology
Z. Kielan-Jaworowska
and P.P. Gambaryan, 1994.
Postcranial Anatomy and Habits of Asian Multituberculate Mammals. Scandinavian University
Press, Oslo, Norway. Paperback, 82-00-37650-8.
92 pp. ISBN
Postcranial Anatomy and Habits of Asian Multituberculate Mammakr by Z. Kielan-Jaworowaska
and P.P. Gambaryan is an ambitious three-fold study that deserves high praise for its thoroughness and detail, and for its excellent illustrations. The first of the primary aims was to document, for the first time, the most complete postcranial remains of taxa previously named by the senior author (Kielan-Jaworowska, 1970, 19741, Kkyptobataar dashzevegi, Nemegtbataar gobiensis and Chulsanbataar vulgaris. This is beautifully done using excellent photographs of these mouse-sized remains, many of which are shown in stereo. Most features are distinctly, yet unobtrusively labeled by overlain numbers, which makes them informative without being distractive, and they are tastefully arrayed. I do wish that the authors had presented their beautiful stereos of the articulated skeleton of Chulsanbataar (fig. 18) at a larger scale than x 1. Something close to ~2 could easily have been accommodated, and that would have done justice to those fine stereo photos. The second aim of the work concerns muscle reconstructions. Here too we see careful atten-
tion to detail, with muscle scars mapped so that origin and insertion fields are well defined. When it was necessary to speculate about a scar or feature, that was clearly stated to be the case, thereby leaving no doubt as to the basis for an assumption. As is always the case with muscle reconstructions, scars cannot tell one all of the details of the extent of the tissue between origin and insertion, but I do not find any reconstruction to be unreasonable, and it is clear that comparisons with rodents and other small mammals (Antechinus, Marmosa, Lepus and Elephantulus) have been used as interpretative guides in the work. I find the section on Functional anatomy to be most intriguing. While it is clearly more speculative in nature than anything before it, the comparative anatomic basis for the conclusion that the Asian multituberculates studied were all terrestrial runners seems most reasonable. I find the diagrams illustrating movements of hind limb and pelvis in Nemegtbataar to be most welcome and illuminating. The short section on Plesiomorphies, Syn- and Aut-apomorphies should give cladists numerous opportunities for fun and games. The third stated aim of the work, a speculation into the habits and life-styles of the multituberculates (and finally to the factors relating to their extinction) is covered in a very short (3 page) section that is well reasoned, comprehensive and concise. It is concluded that the studied forms (unlike some North American multituberculates) were not arboreal, but while different anatomi-
tally from any living rodents, they were probably most like Merimes in their life-styles. The evidence argues for a nocturnal way of life, based upon orbit size and the assumed Meriones-like way of life. From considerations of competitive inferiority and reproductive mode (viviparpous with a very small neonate) it is concluded that the very narrow pelvis with its long immobile fused pubic-ischial keel (unique to at least these multis) precluded them from the great reproductive advantage of a prolonged gestation open to eutherians. For this reviewer, the work is seen as a welcome advance in our understanding of the nature of these three Asiatic forms of multituberculates in particular and beyond this to the group generally. In short it is a job well done, a work loaded with information and insightful evaluation. W.D. Turnbull, Chicago, 111. SSDI 0012-8252(95)00027-S
Palynology C. Tissot, H. Chikhi and T.S. Nayar, 1994. Pollen of Wet Evergreen Forests of the Western Ghats, India. Institut Frangais de Pondichery, All India Press, Pondichery. ISSN 0971-3107. This book is a magnificent continuation of a series published by different French pollen-morphologists on pollen of several areas of the Old World, e.g. Pollens des Savannes d’Afrique Orientale, by Bonnefille and Riollet, Pollen d’Afrique tropicale, APLF (CNRS, Travaux 161, Mangroves d’Afrique et d’Asie, by Blasco et al. (Travaux CNRS 39). These three books are indispensable volumes for palynologists studying pollen grains from African et Asian deposits. It is clear that the present authors had these publications in mind when they started this book. The book represents only a small part of the vast Indian flora, but the quality of the pictures is so high that it is really a pleasure to study them. It is a pity that relatively few taxa (pollen of 162 species, among which were 77 endemics) have been studied; one should
have wished that the whole pollen flora of India was treated in this manner. The authors defend this publication by suggesting that in the Ghats species occur which might be of interest for research workers who use palynology to understand the present stage of dynamic ecosystems and need to know the evolution of the flora in the recent past; the change of floristic composition through time. They expect that not only ecologists, archaeologists and ethnobotanists, but also biologists studying bee botany and pollination procedures will welcome this atlas. However, it is clear that the book is of interest to all palynologists, because it gives a lot of general information on a number of interesting plant families. This information can be used not only in India, but also in other tropical areas. The descriptions are restricted to the minimum and give, apart from the size, only scarce information; they could have been omitted. The identification table is not given in a traditional key but gives, apart from pollen classes, some other differential characters, just enough to identify the few species of the Ghats studied. Of course, this key cannot be used in a broader sense, e.g. to identify pollen of other parts of India. Although the text and keys are the weakest part of the book, this picture atlas is so important that the book is highly recommended to all palynologists. W. Punt, Utrecht SSDI 0012.8252(95)00028-3
N.T. Moar, 1993. Pollen Grains of New Zealand Dicotyledonous Plants. Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln, 200 pp. Price: US$60.00. ISBN 0-48704500-x. This modern account on the pollen grains of dicotyledonous plants of New Zealand is a welcome publication for all palynologists in New Zealand working in sediments containing pollen. Since the determination keys published by Lucy Cranwell in 1942 and 1952 no comprehensive
ELSEVIER
Earth-Science Reviews 39 (1995) 267-280
Book Reviews
Palaeontology
Z. Kielan-Jaworowska
and P.P. Gambaryan, 1994.
Postcranial Anatomy and Habits of Asian Multituberculate Mammals. Scandinavian University
Press, Oslo, Norway. Paperback, 82-00-37650-8.
92 pp. ISBN
Postcranial Anatomy and Habits of Asian Multituberculate Mammakr by Z. Kielan-Jaworowaska
and P.P. Gambaryan is an ambitious three-fold study that deserves high praise for its thoroughness and detail, and for its excellent illustrations. The first of the primary aims was to document, for the first time, the most complete postcranial remains of taxa previously named by the senior author (Kielan-Jaworowska, 1970, 19741, Kkyptobataar dashzevegi, Nemegtbataar gobiensis and Chulsanbataar vulgaris. This is beautifully done using excellent photographs of these mouse-sized remains, many of which are shown in stereo. Most features are distinctly, yet unobtrusively labeled by overlain numbers, which makes them informative without being distractive, and they are tastefully arrayed. I do wish that the authors had presented their beautiful stereos of the articulated skeleton of Chulsanbataar (fig. 18) at a larger scale than x 1. Something close to ~2 could easily have been accommodated, and that would have done justice to those fine stereo photos. The second aim of the work concerns muscle reconstructions. Here too we see careful atten-
tion to detail, with muscle scars mapped so that origin and insertion fields are well defined. When it was necessary to speculate about a scar or feature, that was clearly stated to be the case, thereby leaving no doubt as to the basis for an assumption. As is always the case with muscle reconstructions, scars cannot tell one all of the details of the extent of the tissue between origin and insertion, but I do not find any reconstruction to be unreasonable, and it is clear that comparisons with rodents and other small mammals (Antechinus, Marmosa, Lepus and Elephantulus) have been used as interpretative guides in the work. I find the section on Functional anatomy to be most intriguing. While it is clearly more speculative in nature than anything before it, the comparative anatomic basis for the conclusion that the Asian multituberculates studied were all terrestrial runners seems most reasonable. I find the diagrams illustrating movements of hind limb and pelvis in Nemegtbataar to be most welcome and illuminating. The short section on Plesiomorphies, Syn- and Aut-apomorphies should give cladists numerous opportunities for fun and games. The third stated aim of the work, a speculation into the habits and life-styles of the multituberculates (and finally to the factors relating to their extinction) is covered in a very short (3 page) section that is well reasoned, comprehensive and concise. It is concluded that the studied forms (unlike some North American multituberculates) were not arboreal, but while different anatomi-
tally from any living rodents, they were probably most like Merimes in their life-styles. The evidence argues for a nocturnal way of life, based upon orbit size and the assumed Meriones-like way of life. From considerations of competitive inferiority and reproductive mode (viviparpous with a very small neonate) it is concluded that the very narrow pelvis with its long immobile fused pubic-ischial keel (unique to at least these multis) precluded them from the great reproductive advantage of a prolonged gestation open to eutherians. For this reviewer, the work is seen as a welcome advance in our understanding of the nature of these three Asiatic forms of multituberculates in particular and beyond this to the group generally. In short it is a job well done, a work loaded with information and insightful evaluation. W.D. Turnbull, Chicago, 111. SSDI 0012-8252(95)00027-S
Palynology C. Tissot, H. Chikhi and T.S. Nayar, 1994. Pollen of Wet Evergreen Forests of the Western Ghats, India. Institut Frangais de Pondichery, All India Press, Pondichery. ISSN 0971-3107. This book is a magnificent continuation of a series published by different French pollen-morphologists on pollen of several areas of the Old World, e.g. Pollens des Savannes d’Afrique Orientale, by Bonnefille and Riollet, Pollen d’Afrique tropicale, APLF (CNRS, Travaux 161, Mangroves d’Afrique et d’Asie, by Blasco et al. (Travaux CNRS 39). These three books are indispensable volumes for palynologists studying pollen grains from African et Asian deposits. It is clear that the present authors had these publications in mind when they started this book. The book represents only a small part of the vast Indian flora, but the quality of the pictures is so high that it is really a pleasure to study them. It is a pity that relatively few taxa (pollen of 162 species, among which were 77 endemics) have been studied; one should
have wished that the whole pollen flora of India was treated in this manner. The authors defend this publication by suggesting that in the Ghats species occur which might be of interest for research workers who use palynology to understand the present stage of dynamic ecosystems and need to know the evolution of the flora in the recent past; the change of floristic composition through time. They expect that not only ecologists, archaeologists and ethnobotanists, but also biologists studying bee botany and pollination procedures will welcome this atlas. However, it is clear that the book is of interest to all palynologists, because it gives a lot of general information on a number of interesting plant families. This information can be used not only in India, but also in other tropical areas. The descriptions are restricted to the minimum and give, apart from the size, only scarce information; they could have been omitted. The identification table is not given in a traditional key but gives, apart from pollen classes, some other differential characters, just enough to identify the few species of the Ghats studied. Of course, this key cannot be used in a broader sense, e.g. to identify pollen of other parts of India. Although the text and keys are the weakest part of the book, this picture atlas is so important that the book is highly recommended to all palynologists. W. Punt, Utrecht SSDI 0012.8252(95)00028-3
N.T. Moar, 1993. Pollen Grains of New Zealand Dicotyledonous Plants. Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln, 200 pp. Price: US$60.00. ISBN 0-48704500-x. This modern account on the pollen grains of dicotyledonous plants of New Zealand is a welcome publication for all palynologists in New Zealand working in sediments containing pollen. Since the determination keys published by Lucy Cranwell in 1942 and 1952 no comprehensive