Anatomy and Evolution of the Giraffe: Parts Unknown
This book covers three interrelated topics in the field of archaeology. First, it presents the story of the paleontological excavations on Samos, the birth place of Pythagoras, which is famous for its rich Miocene mammalian fossils and faunas. It covers in detail the history and the ancient myths that explain the fossils. These myths clearly show how the Greeks interpreted the fossils. It also shows documents and images of the Barnum Brown Samos expeditions which took place in 1924. The second section covers in detail and compares the osteology of three species: the giraffe, the okapi and the extinct giraffid Samotherium. The third section of the book explains the depositional history of the eastern basin of Samos, including maps which document the location of the famous bone quarries and the radiometric ages of various horizons.
Nikos Solounias is a professor of anatomy and embryology at the New York Institute of Technology’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, USA, and a research associate in palaeontology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. He has published 142 scientific peer-reviewed articles, including studies on the Miocene Samos fauna, various hyena fossils, the development of tooth microwear using the light microscope, the development of tooth mesowear, the dietary evolution of horses through the Cainozoic, and the dietary evolution of the Miocene herbivores. Solounias’ research focuses on anatomy, embryology and ruminant evolution, especially in the Giraffidae family.
“An amazing journey through the mysteries of giraffid evolution from the world’s number one expert. Professor Solounias has dedicated his life to the study of this iconic mammal and its extinct relatives, and, in this book, he goes through some of its most puzzling enigmas: from its long neck to its vocalization in the form of infrasounds. It is highly recommended reading.”
María Ríos
Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
"Nobody else could have written this book, as it is filled with astute, creative, and brilliant observations that could only come from a lifetime of study."
Brian Beatty Associate Professor, New York Institute of Technology
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