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OverviewFull Product DetailsAuthor: Norman Owen-Smith (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg)Publisher: Cambridge University Press Imprint: Cambridge University Press Edition: New edition Dimensions: Width: 17.00cm , Height: 1.90cm , Length: 24.40cm Weight: 0.740kg ISBN: 9781108959667ISBN 10: 1108959660 Pages: 376 Publication Date: 07 October 2021 Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , General , Professional & Vocational Format: Paperback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Available To Order ![]() We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately. Table of ContentsPreface; Foreword; List of abbreviations; Part I. The physical cradle: Land forms, geology, climate, hydrology and soils: 1. High Africa: Eroding surfaces; 2. Climate: Rainfall seasonality; 3. Water in rivers, lakes and wetlands; 4. Bedrock geology: Volcanic influences; 5. Soils: Foundations of fertility; Part II. The savanna garden: Grassy vegetation and plant dynamics: 6. Forms of savannah; 7. How savanna trees and grasses grow and compete; 8. Plant demography and dynamics: Fire traps; 9. Paleo-savannas: Expanding grasslands; Part III. The big mammal menagerie: Herbivores, carnivores and their ecosystem impacts: 10. Niche distinctions: resources versus risks; 11. Big fierce carnivores: Hunting versus scavenging; 12. Herbivore abundance: Bottom-up and top-down; 13. How large herbivores transform savanna ecosystems; 14. Paleo-faunas: Rise and fall of the biggest grazers; Part IV. Evolutionary transitions: From primate ancestors to modern humans: 15. Primate predecessors: From trees to ground; 16. Primate ecology: From forests into savannas; 17. How an ape became a hunter; 18. Cultural evolution: From tools to art and genes; 19. Reticulate evolution through turbulent times; 20. Prospects for a lonely planet; Index.Reviews... the book is exceptionally well written, and very recommendable as a foundational introduction to modern Africa savanna ecology for a readership ranging from undergraduates to professional researchers in paleoanthropology.' Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo, Evolutionary Anthropology 'In Only in Africa Owen-Smith presents us with copious evidence of the complexity of interactions within and between species of plants, herbivores, and carnivores, coherently linking the trophic levels. He also makes a compelling case that the early stages of human evolution could only have happened in Africa. For those willing to accept that their knowledge of relevant contemporary African ecosystems and their critical role in human evolution could do with some updating and refreshing, Norman Owen-Smith's new book provides just the help they need. Its importance for paleoanthropology cannot be exaggerated.' Bernard Wood, Journal of Human Evolution 'a cross-disciplinary textbook that provides a natural historian's overview of the ecology of Africa, with a gradually sharpening focus on the primates that originated there and evolved into modern humans … Owen-Smith provides a refreshing look at a continent in its entirety and all the life it has generated, facilitating a perspective quite different from the usual focus on only one particular aspect of that life … Highly recommended.' L. Swedell, Choice Connect ... the book is exceptionally well written, and very recommendable as a foundational introduction to modern Africa savanna ecology for a readership ranging from undergraduates to professional researchers in paleoanthropology.' Manuel Dominguez-Rodrigo, Evolutionary Anthropology 'In Only in Africa Owen-Smith presents us with copious evidence of the complexity of interactions within and between species of plants, herbivores, and carnivores, coherently linking the trophic levels. He also makes a compelling case that the early stages of human evolution could only have happened in Africa. For those willing to accept that their knowledge of relevant contemporary African ecosystems and their critical role in human evolution could do with some updating and refreshing, Norman Owen-Smith's new book provides just the help they need. Its importance for paleoanthropology cannot be exaggerated.' Bernard Wood, Journal of Human Evolution 'a cross-disciplinary textbook that provides a natural historian's overview of the ecology of Africa, with a gradually sharpening focus on the primates that originated there and evolved into modern humans ... Owen-Smith provides a refreshing look at a continent in its entirety and all the life it has generated, facilitating a perspective quite different from the usual focus on only one particular aspect of that life ... Highly recommended.' L. Swedell, Choice Connect Author InformationNorman Owen-Smith headed the Centre for African Ecology at the University of the Witwatersrand before his retirement as Emeritus Professor there. He is an A-rated scientist and Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa. He received Gold Medals from the Zoological Society of Southern Africa and the South African Association for the Advancement of Science, Wildlife Excellence Award from the Southern African Wildlife Management Association, Honorary Life Membership in the Ecological Society of America, and was awarded a Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship in 2005. He has written or edited six books, including Megaherbivores: The Influence of Very Large Body Size on Ecology (Cambridge, 1988) and Adaptive Herbivore Ecology: From Resources to Populations in Variable Environments (Cambridge, 2002). Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |