Springer Mammalian Evolutionary Morphology: A Tribute to Frederick S. Szalay (Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology)

This book celebrates the contributions of Dr. Frederick S. Szalay to the field of Mammalian Evolutionary Morphology. Professor Szalay is a strong advocate for biologically and evolutionarily meaningful character analysis. He has published about 200 articles, six monographs, and six books on this subject. This book features subjects such as the evolution and adaptation of mammals and provides up-to-date articles on the evolutionary morphology of a wide range of mammalian groups. Review From the reviews: "This festschrift is a wonderful tribute to the legacy Szalay, it should certainly find a place on the bookshelf of every student of mammalian evolution". Erik R. Seiffert, Journal of Human Evolution 59; 704-709, 2010 "This volume will have a place on my bookshelf because the chapters are all solid contributions. Many of them could have been stand-alone papers in other venues. Dagosto and Sargis categorized the topics where Szalay made his biggest contributions, then sought out papers from researchers currently working on those topics. In this regard, the festschrift for Szalay has become a book that does more than celebrate his accomplishments; it compiles research that would certainly stimulate his interest. The volume is made stronger by its idiosyncrasies, arguably a reflection of the live and the career to whom it is dedicated. This makes this volume, in my mind, an exceptional tribute to the contribution of true giants in their respective fields. The impact of Szalay is undeniable. The impact and longevity of this volume will follow suit." Christopher P. Heesy, Department of Anatomy, Midwestern University, Evolutionary Anthropology 18: 157-158, 2009 "This volume … is an extremely professional and well-produced book presenting up-to-date and cutting-edge research. … The book is divided into two sections. … Mammalian Evolutionary Morphology is a highly recommended advanced volume that will prove to be a relevant resource for professionals and postgraduate students in many evolutionary and palaeontological disciplines." Kris Kovarovic, PaleoAnthropology Society, 2009 "In their preface, editors Sargis and Dagosto provide a fascinating overview of Fred’s life and career, as well as a systematic analysis of his contributions to our science. This topical organization provides a kind of scaffold for the entire volume, as the editors tell us how each of the individual chapters fits into or contributes to these different themes. But the real accomplishment of the editors and the authors is that together, they have created a book that celebrates the scientific work of Fred Szalay by re-engaging with questions, issues, and problematic taxa that he himself worked on years or decades ago." R.L. Anemone, Journal of Mammalian Evolution, March 2010 "The book itself contains 18 chapters … and spans the mammalian taxonomic and temporal spectrum from Early Cretaceous metatherians to extant primates. … the book chapters are … crisp, clear drawings, and photographic images. … there is an enormous amount of new data within its pages that will be essential for professionals and students in those fields. … this book stands as a great testament to both the man and his influential work." Gregg F. Gunnel, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2009 "This book is a fine tribute to the work of Frederick Szalay, whose many seminal contributions to the field of mammalian evolutionary morphology span a wide range of issues. … Individual articles are well referenced and suitably illustrated with pertinent photographs, line drawings, tables, charts, and graphs. In addition to a general subject index, a taxonomic index is provided for ease in finding material on select taxa. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level graduate students, researchers, and professionals in evolutionary morphology, paleontology, and comparative anatomy." D. A. Brass, CHOICEce, Vol. 46 (4), December, 2008 "This volume … is an extremely professional and well-pr