The Rise and Reign of the Mammals
 | |
| Author | Steve Brusatte |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Todd Marshall, Sarah Shelley |
| Subject | Evolution of mammals |
| Publisher | Mariner Books |
| Publication date | 2022 |
The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us is a 2022 book on the evolution of mammals by paleontologist Steve Brusatte. The book received positive reviews, with reviewers praising his storytelling.
Background
The author, Steve Brusatte, is a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh.[1] His first popular science book for adults, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, was published in 2018.[1][2] He began his career as a dinosaur paleontologist, but since then, he had shifted his research focus to mammals, wondering "what happened next" after the dinosaurs.[2][3]
The Rise and Reign of the Mammals was published June 7th, 2022 by Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.[4][5] Illustrations were provided by Todd Marshall and Brusatte's former PhD student Sarah Shelley.[4]
Contents
Beginning with the split between the ancestors of mammals and reptiles in the Carboniferous era, the books traces the evolution of mammals chronologically to the present day.[6] It begins with the last common ancestor of mammals and reptiles and covers the evolution of mammals within a physically smaller niche compared to the larger dinosaurs. He then covers how mammal lineage survived the asteroid impact that wiped out non-avian dinosaurs, and their evolution into the larger niches previously occupied by dinosaurs.[3] This eventually brings us to the modern day and the evolution of humans, though where the book touches on the human lineage, it focuses primarily on non-human primates, and Homo sapiens is given "about the same attention as horses and whales and elephants."[4] Brusatte concludes the book with a discussion on the potential for human or mammalian extinction, comparing the potential end of mammalian dominance to the extinction of the dinosaurs that allowed mammals to flourish.[7]
As in The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, Brusatte intersperses descriptions of modern and historical paleontological work and his own experience with studying mammals with descriptions of mammalian evolution.[8]
Reception
Reviewers praise Brusatte's storytelling and big-picture overview of mammalian evolution.[6][9] Julia Clarke, a paleontologist at the University of Texas in Austin, praises the book for including a diverse array of female palentologists, in contrast to The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs. She criticizes the book for an instance of misleading phrasing, but overall calls it a "compelling and energetic guide" to mammals.[10]
References
- 1 2 "Steve Brusatte". University of Edinburgh Research Explorer. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- 1 2 Geggel, Laura (2022-06-08). "How little, furry mammals that scurried under dinosaurs' feet came to rule the world". livescience.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- 1 2 Davis, Nicola (2022-06-11). "'Dinosaurs are not us': book reveals how mammals came to rule the world". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-07-02.
- 1 2 3 Brusatte, Steve (2022-06-07). The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-295152-6.
- ↑ "The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A must for any list of the best popular science books of the year". Kirkus Reviews. May 13, 2022.
- 1 2 Gramling, Carolyn (2022-06-07). "How mammals took over the world". ScienceNews. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
- ↑ "The fall of Tyrannosaurus rex and the rise of mammals on Earth". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2026-07-02.
- ↑ Wolff, Karl. "The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us". www.nyjournalofbooks.com. Archived from the original on 2025-03-26. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
- ↑ Marshall, Michael. "The Rise and Reign of the Mammals review: how mammals found their way". New Scientist. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
- ↑ Clarke, Julia (November 18, 2022). "Humanity's kith and kin: Humans make up just 7 million years of rich mammalian history". go.gale.com. Retrieved 2025-02-04.