This book summarizes the evolution of carnivorous mammals in the Cenozoic of South
America. It presents paleontological information on the two main mammalian carnivorous …

Specimens and associated data in natural history collections (NHCs) foster substantial
scientific progress. In this paper, we explore recent contributions of NHCs to the study of …

The evolution of mammalian vision is difficult to study because the actual receptor organs—
the eyes—are not preserved in the fossil record. Orbital orientation and size are the …

The fossil metatherian assemblage from La Venta (Middle Miocene, Colombia) is one of the
most diverse in South America, and it is critical to understand the Neogene radiation of this …

The sabretooth cat Smilodon populator was the largest felid in South America. It appears in
the fossil record in the Early Pleistocene, as an immigrant from North America, and becomes …

Background Saber-toothed mammals, now all extinct, were cats or “cat-like” forms with
enlarged, blade-like upper canines, proposed as specialists in taking large prey. During the …

Members of the mammalian family Felidae (extant and extinct cats) are grossly
phenotypically similar, but display a 300-fold range in body size, from less than 1 kg to more …

Even after 200 years of study, some details of the cranial anatomy of ichthyosaurs, one of the
most successful groups of marine vertebrates in the Mesozoic, are still unclear. New …

The canine of saber‐toothed predators represents one of the most specialized dental
structures known. Hypotheses about the function of hypertrophied canines range from …

Most living carnivorous marsupials lead a secretive and solitary existence. From tiny insect
eaters to the formidable Tasmanian Devil, Secret Lives of Carnivorous Marsupials offers rare …