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Dogs: Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History . By

Xiaoming Wang and Richard H. Tedford ; illustrated by
Mauricio Antón

Article  in  The Quarterly Review of Biology · September 2009

DOI: 10.1086/644718

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SEPTEMBER 2009 NEW BIOLOGIGAL BOOKS 315

similar voltime. This publication will certainly be a ters, feeding, activity and behavior, home ranges,
useful resource for those interested in the evolu- reproduction, growth and development, molting,
tion of animal foraging and traits associated with population structure, populadon dynamics, ene-
different foraging strategies, but it will also appeal mies, competitors, diseases and parasites, and
to other herpetologists, behavioral ecologists, and practical significance. The authors described three
evolutionary ecologists. What is obvious from this new subspecies for Ochotona hyperborea and one
diverse volume is that, despite its considerable new subspecies for Ochotona daurica.
length, there is still a tremendous amount of re- An added strength of the book is the inclusion
search still to be done for a better understanding of research from the former Soviet Union, which
of how foraging strategies are shaped and how too often remains inaccessible to the ptiblic. Much
acquiring food can shape other aspects of the phe- of the data on natural history of lagomorphs are
notype, published in Rtissian, and now this information is
JERRY F , HUSAK, Biology, University of South Da- available for a wide range of scientists. The quality
kota, Vermillion, South Dakota and quantity of illustrations provide readers with
an excellent visual understanding of the species
under description,
LAGOMORPHS, Mammals of Russia and Adjacent Re-
gions. E, A, LYAPUNOVA, Koltzov Institute of Developmen-
tal Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow,
By V. E. Sokolov, E. Yu. Ivanitskaya, V. V. Gnizdev,
Russia
and V. G. Heptner; scientific editors: Robert S. Hoff-
mann and Andrew T. Smith. Enfield (New Hampshire):
Science Publishers. $119,50, ix + 400 p,; ill,; no in- DOGS: THEIR FOSSIL RELATIVES AND EVOLUTION-
dex, ISBN: 978-1-57808-522-4, [Originally pub- ARY HISTORY,
lished as Mlekopitaiushchie Rossii i Sopredel'nykh Fle- By Xiaoming Wang and Richard H. Tedford; illus-
gionov: ¿aitseobraznye, Nauka Publishers, Moscow, trated by Mauricio Antón. New York: Columbia Uni-
Russia, 1994,] 2009, versity Press. $29,50, xi -¥ 219 p, + 8 pi,; ill,;
Lagomorpha is an order of large-eared, terrestrial index, ISBN: 978-0-231-13528-3 (he); 978-0-231-
mammals that comprises the family Leporidae 50943-5 (eb), 2008,
(rabbits and hares) and monotypical family Ocho- Dogs have long held a lofty position in our homes,
tonidae (pikas), Lagomorphs have a broad distri- yet are often feared and vilified in the wild. This
bution (natural range excludes only Australia, book provides an engaging account of the evolu-
New Zealand, oceanic islands, southern South tion of a family whose members have been both
America, and part of the Amazon River Basin) and our competitors and companions. The authors,
a variety of habitats (rocks and boulder fields, leading authorities on canid evolution, draw on
meadows, steppes, shrubs, arctic tundra, savannas, their own paleontological research and that of
deserts, forests, and agricultural pastures), Recent researchers in a variety of fields to examine a
species of Leporidae and Ochotonidae show re- grotip whose fossil record is largely unknown to
markable homogeny in general morphology, so the public.
that the number of recognized species and the Rather than organizing the book by time period
phylogenetic relationships among pikas, hares, or taxonomic group, the authors devote each
and rabbits are not stable throughout. chapter to a different concept (e,g,, systematics,
The book Lagomorphs is a continuation of the taxonomy, diversity, behavior and ecology, dis-
series of monographs on different orders of mam- persal and biogeography, functional morphology,
mals inhabiting Russia and adjacent regions and impact of environmental change). As a result,
founded by V, G, Heptner, This volume is devoted the volume provides a holistic picture of canid
to taxonomy and biology of pikas, hares, and rab- evoltition, while offering an excellent introduction
bits and includes brief descriptions of the order to specific extant and extinct canid taxa. Even
and families, detailed morphological characteris- noncanids with canid-like adaptations are intro-
tics of genera and species, and keys for the iden- duced.
tification of the families, genera, and species. Ev- Although the majority of the book covers wild
ery species sketch consists of synonyms, diagnosis, canids, one chapter is devoted to surveying major
description of species (including brief characteris- issues in the study of canid domestication. Domes-
tics of the karyotype), taxonómica! position, geo- tic dogs are also integrated into other chapters.
graphical distribution with detailed map, and geo- The engaging discussion of whether domestic
graphical variation. For narrow-ranged species, all dogs are a separate species from wolves (pp, 65-
known records are given on the maps. Data on the 67) would provide an excellent basis for an under-
biology are provided according to the standard for graduate discussion of taxonomic issues.
this series plan: habitats, population density, shel- Exquisite illustrations by Mauricio Antón bring
316 THE QUARTERLY REVIEW OE BIOLOGY VOLUME 84

the animals discussed in the text to life. A pub- rather than uniqtieness of dolphins. This might
lished paleontologist in his own right, Antón is relate to the huge amount of time they have each
known for his meticulous attention to anatomical spent in the field. Both Dudzinski and Frohoff
detail when reconstructing the appearance of ex- undertake their observational studies swimming in
tinct taxa. the water with the animals. This allows them to
Written for both specialists and nonspecialists, identify individuals and some of our greatest in-
the main text is augmented by a detailed glossary sights into evolutionary mechanisms have come
and recommendations for further reading. Classi- from the study of individual differences. At the
fications of extant and extinct canid species, as same time, swimming with dolphins is controver-
well as a phylogenetic tree are provided in the sial and illegal in some countries, including the
appendixes. Although specialists will discover U.S. The authors offer a considered approach to
something new in this book, anyone interested in this topic by showing great sympathy for their sub-
dogs, fossils, evolution, or domestication should jects, while not shying away from the benefits peo-
find a place for this voltime on their bookshelf. ple and, thus, conservation gain from personally
MARGARET LEWIS, Biology, Richard Stockton Gol- interacting with wild dolphins.
lege of New Jersey, Pomona, New Jersey R O B HARCOURT, Graduate School of the Environ-
ment, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South
Wales, Australia
DOLPHIN MYSTERIES: UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF
COMMUNICATION.
By Kathleen M. Dudzinski and Toni Frohoff; illus-WATCHING CIANTS: THE SECRET LIVES OF
trated by John Norton; photography by John Anderson. WHALES.
New Haven (Gonnecticut): Yale University Press. By Elin Kelsey; with photographs by Doc White and
$30.00. XXV -1- 224 p. -h 16 pi.; ill.; index. ISBN: additional photographs by Erançois Gohier. Berkeley
978-0-300-12112-4. 2008. (Galifomia): University of Galifomia Press. $24.95.
The authors of this volume have dedicated their xiv -I- 201 p. -I- 16 pi.; ill.; index. ISBN: 978-0-
professional lives to understanding dolphin behav- 520-24976-9. 2009.
ior in the wild and in captivity. In this short and The author has written a short, informative, and
entertaining book, they present their (at times entertaining book that eloquently covers the state
divergent) views on how observing and interacting of play in whale science and, by extension, marine
with dolphins have provided insights into animal conservation. Kelsey writes from the perspective of
behavior. Dudzinski and Frohoff are both dedi- a mother of two small children, and one with the
cated field scientists with an obvious love for their good fortune to be writing from La Paz, Mexico,
study animals, and they give a broad overview of on the shores of one of the most productive seas in
current research undertaken on dolphins. The the world and home to some of the highest diver-
first person perspective provides readers with an sity of whales anywhere. She focuses much of the
understanding of the difficulties of working with book on the cetaceans and waters of the Gulf of
highly mobile marine mammals that display com- California and its surrounds. She provides a pleth-
plex behavior, while not shying away from the fact ora of interesting but little known aspects of whale
that we are still only scratching the surface of our lives, using local examples and those from farther
understanding. afield.
Dolphins display higher order social interac- What makes the volume enlightening, yet more
tions, and it has taken years of dedicated observa- than just another book pleading for marine con-
tion by many research teams to tease out the level servation of iconic species, is that Kelsey has clearly
of complexity. There has also been a dramatic spent a lot of time interviewing a number of prom-
change in our perception of dolphins since the inent whale researchers. She has given these peo-
idealistic writings ofJohn Lilly and others of his ilk ple free play to convey their passion, frustrations,
back in the 1960s, and Dudzinski and Frohoff pro- and understanding for the animals and their en-
vide an excellent account of the history of this vironment. Contradictory views prevail and the dif-
early interest and how it came about. Along with ferent approaches of individual scientists are both
advances in the study of dolphin behavior, there illuminating for those who perceive science as a
have been many studies of anatomy, and the au- bland, continuous advance of knowledge, as well
thors provide an up-to-date account of sound pro- as entertaining for those who know these people
duction and exchange that will be readily under- and their views. Ultimately, this volume provides
stood by nonspecialists. Their discussion of many snippets from contemporary whale science
dolphin behavior is comprehensive, albeit some- and an understanding of the difficulties involved
what dolphin-centric, and some of their claims in conducting science on these elusive creatures.
reveal a lack of knowledge about other organisms The author allows our colleagues to make two
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