The Big Cats and Their Fossil Relatives: An Illustrated Guide to Their Evolution and Natural History

This is a great book on the evolution of the big cats, in fact I think its probably the only book outside of research journals or more technical material. Its wonderfully illustrated with very detailed pencil drawings of skulls, skeletons, musculature, and 'life reconstructions' of exctinct big cats. Also includes color plates with scenes depicting the cats and their habitats. The text is well organized and accesible to the informed layperson and is detailed enough to satisfy those with a deeper understanding of the subject matter. The illustrations really makes the book stand out: they are detailed and well drawn, and really bring the subject matter to life, as if you were able to examine the museum collection yourself, and then go on a prehistoric safari. An excellent choice for those interested in cat biology, natural history, or paleontology.

I strongly recommend this book for any student of mammology or paleontology.The text is very informative and easy reading. The illustrations are so good and elaborate that I suggest art students working in pencil buy this volume. Unlike some books showing only static lateral views, the illustrator has shown these creatures going about their daily lives. Hunting methods are dealt with in great detail. For book collectors looking for something different, this is it! For biology students and profs, what are you waiting for!??

One of few books to discuss fossil mammals in relation to their modern-day counterparts, and the only one I've found that discusses functional anatomy. Easy to read for the beginner, with beautiful illustrations. I began knowing almost nothing about the large cats, and ended knowing not only about the family tree, but also the history of the evolution of morphology. I've now read it three times, and am planning on going through it again.

Inthe current dino-mania, fossil mammals are overshadowed. Too bad;there are many curious and wonderful creatures in the mammalianlineage. Yet, few well-illustrated popular books on the subjectexist. Bjorn Kurten's _Before the Indians_ had blurry charcoaldrawings. The late George Gaylord Simpson was an authority onprehistoric South American mammals, but little more than a doodlerwith a brush. And Colin Tudge's wonderful _The Time Before History_had no pictures at all. So this book is most welcome. MauricioAnton is a gifted artist. Cats and catlike creatures such asnimravids, homotheriums, saber-tooths, dirk-tooths, all seem to liveagain in these color and b/w pictures. The only beastie which isunconvincingly rendered is the poorly-known _Thylacoleo_, themarsupial lion. Through the reproductions and discussions of theseand other animals, one gets a lesson in how different animals adoptsimilar body plans, based on their ecological niche. Large toppredators are robust, while middle niche hunters are moregracile. Thus, we are told, _Thylacoleo_, the largest nimravids, andthe largest saber-tooths resemble lions, while smaller predatorsresemble cheetahs and leopards. All in all, a must for big cat- andpaleontology- lovers, the latter who may be getting tired ofdinosaurs!

I never expected the book would be such an impressive accumulation of information and pictures. Everything about this book was done with such detail that nothing I've see so far compares to it. The pictures depict not just the details of each prehistoric cat (and the marsupial convergent evolution 'versions') but presents them in scale to the present and extinct cats to give us an clear idea of the size of these animals. Both author and artist have to do a sequel now that a new sabertooth species was just found in Florida.