{"product_id":"end-of-the-megafauna-the-fate-of-the-worlds-hugest-fiercest-and-strangest-animals-hardcover","title":"End of the Megafauna: The Fate of the World's Hugest, Fiercest, and Strangest Animals - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eRoss D. E. MacPhee\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003ePeter Schouten\u003c\/b\u003e (Illustrator)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUntil a few thousand years ago, creatures that could have been from a sci-fi thriller--including gorilla-sized lemurs, 500-pound birds, and crocodiles that weighed a ton or more--roamed the earth. These great beasts, or \"megafauna,\" lived on every habitable continent and on many islands. With a handful of exceptions, all are now gone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat caused the disappearance of these prehistoric behemoths? No one event can be pinpointed as a specific cause, but several factors may have played a role. Paleomammalogist Ross D. E. MacPhee explores them all, examining the leading extinction theories, weighing the evidence, and presenting his own conclusions. He shows how theories of human overhunting and catastrophic climate change fail to account for critical features of these extinctions, and how new thinking is needed to elucidate these mysterious losses.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlong the way, we learn how time is determined in earth history; how DNA is used to explain the genomics and phylogenetic history of megafauna--and how synthetic biology and genetic engineering may be able to reintroduce these giants of the past. Until then, gorgeous four-color illustrations by Peter Schouten re-create these megabeasts here in vivid detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 256\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.9 x 10.2 x 8.2 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 13, 2018\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51755703828768,"sku":"9780393249293","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/9c5eb5a7b08ae271a3d61cc0f1eb3ba4.webp?v=1780066368","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/end-of-the-megafauna-the-fate-of-the-worlds-hugest-fiercest-and-strangest-animals-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}