#the rise and reign of the mammals

[bornitereads]

The Rise and Reign of the Mammals - Steve Brusatte

Read: Feb 2024

Brusatte has previously wrote a book in this same vein about dinosaurs. Which is where I first encountered his writing. I liked the dinosaur one, so when I saw this new one about mammals, I immediately bought it. I like paleomammaology, in that I like learning about all the funky dudes that came before us. I do not like studying mammal teeth, which comprises a large part of the field of study. Brusatte goes over the teeth thing in this book, which is fine and necessary, but it did give me flashbacks to my uni course about it.

The book gives a long picture from the very first mammal ancestors till now. I learned a lot from it, even though I've studied paleontology. There's always more to learn. Which is a joy for me.

Info: Mariner Books; 2022

[kamreadsandrecs]

Title: The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History: From the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us Author: Steve Brusatte Genre/s: nonfiction, paleontology Content/Trigger Warning/s: none Summary (from publisher's website): We humans are the inheritors of a dynasty that has reigned over the planet for nearly 66 million years, through fiery cataclysm and ice ages: the mammals. Our lineage includes saber-toothed tigers, woolly mammoths, armadillos the size of a car, cave bears three times the weight of a grizzly, clever scurriers that outlasted Tyrannosaurus rex, and even other types of humans, like Neanderthals. Indeed humankind and many of the beloved fellow mammals we share the planet with today—lions, whales, dogs—represent only the few survivors of a sprawling and astonishing family tree that has been pruned by time and mass extinctions. How did we get here?

In his acclaimed bestseller The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs—hailed as “the ultimate dinosaur biography” by Scientific American—American paleontologist Steve Brusatte enchanted readers with his definitive history of the dinosaurs. Now, picking up the narrative in the ashes of the extinction event that doomed T-rex and its kind, Brusatte explores the remarkable story of the family of animals that inherited the Earth—mammals— and brilliantly reveals that their story is every bit as fascinating and complex as that of the dinosaurs.

Beginning with the earliest days of our lineage some 325 million years ago, Brusatte charts how mammals survived the asteroid that claimed the dinosaurs and made the world their own, becoming the astonishingly diverse range of animals that dominate today’s Earth. Brusatte also brings alive the lost worlds mammals inhabited through time, from ice ages to volcanic catastrophes. Entwined in this story is the detective work he and other scientists have done to piece together our understanding using fossil clues and cutting-edge technology.

A sterling example of scientific storytelling by one of our finest young researchers, The Rise and Reign of the Mammals illustrates how this incredible history laid the foundation for today’s world, for us, and our future.

Buy Here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-rise-and-reign-of-the-mammals-a-new-history-from-the-shadow-of-the-dinosaurs-to-us-steve-brusatte/18064544 Spoiler-Free Review: This is a nice parallel to Brusatte's first book, Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs. I like how they followed almost similar narrative arcs, while also having similar tones of voice and writing style. I don’t think I’ve ever picked up nonfiction books by the same author that felt so naturally connected as these two do, and it was kind of pleasant to get to experience that here. The same enthusiasm that Brusatte brought to his first book, along with the same respect for his predecessors, colleagues, and students in the field. Those two aspects are the best part of this book - along, of course, with the scientific rigor that Brusatte brings to the table while simultaneously making everything remarkably readable for the layperson.

I will say though, that despite this feeling like a natural sequel to Rise and Fall, it doesn't have the same tone. Rise and Fall talks about dinosaurs and how they aren’t really dead: they’ve just evolved into birds, and so in a way, dinosaurs are still with us. This is a fantastic and wondrous line of thought, because isn’t it incredible to think that dinosaurs - which most people think of as long-dead animals (and most of them are) - to still be here with us, and moreover, to be creatures we encounter everyday, and even eat?

This book, however, doesn't have that same triumphal feel-- Actually, that's incorrect; it DOES have that feeling, especially during the first three-fourths of it, but as it progresses it becomes less triumphant and more solemn. Mammals were able to overcome the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs, and they were able to survive the many climate change disasters that came after - but can they survive the current human-made climate crisis? Can we, for that matter? The title Rise and Reign of the Mammals is definitely apt, because mammals did manage to rise and reign over the Earth - us humans in particular. But every rise comes with a fall: just look at the dinosaurs. This book does a good job of reminding the reader just what’s going to cause that fall, and how it might look like based on previously-explained extinction events. It's not all gloom-and-doom, of course: Brusatte is quick to remind the reader that, unlike previous climate change-caused extinction events, humans are actually in a position to do something about the current one, not least because we're the ones responsible for it. But even if we do manage that change, there is no denying that we've destroyed many species on the way to accomplishing it, and many more will probably die off along the way before this climate change crisis is finally manageable. As I said, a rather somber ending, but an important one. Rating: five platypus eggs

[beauzos]

do you ever read a nonfiction book n youre like. wow. i fucking love learning. knowledge is truly a blessing

[3arms]

[i-draws-dinosaurs]

Hey so the Dinosaur Autism has reawakened and I really really want to learn properly about dinosaurs. Is there a good book that's like an intro to the field? (I'm thinking of Stuff Matters, which is a really good intro to my field of materials science. It explains really important concepts in layman's terms, and covers simple things like concrete as well as cool novel materials like aerogel. I think every field should have a Stuff Matters.)

I don't want to just google "how to learn about dinosaurs" or whatever because that will be very overwhelming, so I thought I'd ask for some good starting points

I will always give a strong recommendation to Dinosaurs: How They Lived and Evolved by Darren Naish and Paul Barrett! It's the most up to date and comprehensive popular science book about dinosaurs out there right now, and the writing level is pitched towards the scientifically-interested layperson. It also has a lot of beautiful art by a variety of palaeoartists that portray modern thoughts on dinosaur appearance! There's the original 2016 edition and a revised and updated 2018 second edition, both of which give an excellent overview of dinosaur science although obviously the 2018 edition is a bit more up to date!

Another one is The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte. I haven't personally read this one, but I have read his subsequent book The Rise and Reign of the Mammals and I was very pleased with the way he introduces scientific concepts the reader may not be familiar with. He provides a great deal of information about the animals themselves, but also talks a lot about the practical science of palaeontology in the field and the lab, which is honestly something that deserves more coverage! So based on my knowledge of his other work and positive reviews I've seen for his dinosaurs volume, I think this one is also well worth a read!

If anyone else has any good recommendations feel free to drop em in the notes!

[endlingmusings]

[ A jar in the shape of an ibex, retaining one natural horn, found in the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun. Photographed by Robert Harding. ]

"Millennia ago, northern Africa was much wetter and cooler. Monsoons struck periodically, and the Sahara was covered with lakes and vegetation. This greener version of Egypt was home to a mix of wildlife more like the one now found in East Africa, with 37 species of large mammals including lions, wildebeest, warthogs and spotted hyenas. The region began to dry out about 5,000 years ago, a time that coincides with the fall of the Uruk Kingdom in Mesopotamia (located in present-day Iraq) and the rise of the pharaohs in Egypt. The Egyptian people at this time switched from a mobile, pastoral life to one of agriculture and subsistence hunting. The new research shows that several species of antelope, along with giraffes and rhinoceroses, disappeared around the same time—extinctions that could be due to overhunting of herbivores. Shortly afterward, the long-maned lion vanished. Egypt became even drier around 4,200 years ago, during a time known as the “First Intermediate Period” or the “dark period.” The region depended on yearly flooding of the Nile to inundate the land and leave behind nutrient-laden silt to feed agricultural fields. But during the dark period, this flooding became inconsistent, crop yields dropped and famine ensued. War and chaos reigned, and eventually the Old Kingdom—and with it, the “Age of the Pyramids”—ended. This is when the roan antelope and African wild dog disappeared from the records. A third aridification event occurred about 3,000 years ago, again bringing drought and an end to the New Kingdom, a time that included Tutankhamun and 12 kings named Ramses. Egypt’s short-maned lions, revered as sacred and even occasionally mummified, vanished around this time. Then about 150 years ago, as Egypt’s growing population became more industrialized, more species disappeared, including leopards and wild boar. Today, only 8 of the original 37 large-bodied mammals remain."

- Excerpt from "Egypt’s Mammal Extinctions Tracked Through 6,000 Years of Art" by Sarah Zielinski.

[stinkybrowndogs]

On the last audiobook on my current to read list, and i am looking for more recs!

Here is what ive read and enjoyed this last several months:

Fiction

- Adrian Tchaikovsky's Children of Time series and dogs of war

- project hail mary and the martian by andy weir (finally read them... space books of all time)

- a short walk through a wide world by douglas westerbeke

- recurssion and dark matter by blake crouch (situations so fucked up its entertaining)

- the very secret society of irregular witches by sangu mandanna (very sweet similar vibes to house on the cerulean sea)

- martha wells murderbot series

- the pull of the stars by emma donoghue

- station Eleven by emily st john mandel (altered my brain chemestry)

- remarkably bright creatures by shelby van pelt (i loved this one. It was so sweet and funky)

- basically all of T.J. Klune and T. Kingfishers works

- becky chambers monk and robot series

Nonfiction

-just mercy by brian stevenson

- empire of pain by patrick radden keefe

- every tools a hammer by adam savage (highly reccomend for practical creative advice)

- jesus and john wayne by kristen kobes du mez

- braiding sweetgrass by robin wall kimmerer

- hood feminism by mikki kendall

- im glad my mom died by jeanette mcCurdy

Theres more im happy to share but these were my faves and any book suggestions are welcome!

I have a few that i cant get as audiobooks from libby, so they r on my waitlist for when i have $

My current wishlist:

-breathing fire by jaime lowe

- the rise and fall of dinosaurs by steve brusatte (also the rise and reign of mammals)

- the quiet damage by jesselyn cook

- everyone in this room will someday be dead by emily austin

- paleofantasy by marlene zuk

- finna by nino cipri

- star splitter by matthew j kirby

Anyway. Books.

[aradiamaxxing]

Why Aliens Abduct Cows

Mammals are rare among the stars. It was a meteorite that hit Earth 65 million years ago, wiping out the reign of reptiles, that allowed mammals to flourish here. And that eventually lead to the rise of human civilization. Most planets didn't have that luxury. They are ruled by some manner of amphibious or reptilian species. And there are plenty of bugs too.

This has made milk somewhat of an interstellar delicacy. Not the kind made from plants, but true honest milk animals use to nurse their young. When alien life first discovered Earth, they were amazed at how casually we consumed this scarce treasure. This white gold.

The first abductions were discreet. It was bad form to steal from lesser civilizations. Poachers would drive by, snag their own personal milk factories, and jet off before anyone noticed.

But no secret is kept forever. And the universe was desperate. They craved milk more than anything. Eventually the mask slipped. A species of bee-like arthropods, renowned for their industrial efficiency, was given official jurisdiction over Earth. All this had happened before humanity ever knew of life beyond the blue marble.

Earth's new owners saw fit to announce their presence by abducting animals en masse. They studied Earth's life, seeing which animals were capable of producing milk and discarding the rest. Soon they were bottling and selling milk of every variety. Cow, goat, cat, ferret, anything you could imagine.

Of course, humans are mammals too. This fact was not lost on the thirsty masses. They had wiped out all of the planet's defenses as soon as they arrived, and had no reservations about scooping humanity up along with their animal companions. Billions of women were pumped daily. Given hormones to increase their breast size and production rate. Broken and brainwashed until few could even remember their own names. Some of the men were turned into breeders. Some saw work as farmhands. Most became food.

It didn't matter that humans were intelligent. It didn't matter that they had a civilization, a culture. Their only impact on the universe would be the milk they provided. They were no different from the animals pumped alongside them.

[lemongogo]

Quick question, what are some books that you have enjoyed?

ehehe maybe this answer will be super boring 2 u but i lovee scientific nonfiction .. esp if its to do w cell or cancer biology

^ siddhartha mukherjee is my fav at the moment . maybe forever idk .. “emperor of all maladies: a biography of cancer” or “the gene: an intimate history” are BOTH SOOO GOOD !!!SO INTERESTING & CAPTIVATINGG !! “the song of the cell” is also very enjoyable, but i think the first two definitely appealed to me more 🤔.by a small margin ,mind u

“the open heart club” by gabriel brownstein is a part memoir , part historical summation of the rise of cardiology / cardiac surgery . iirc i think this book is what convinced me that i only want to read nonfiction GAHAHA loved it from what i remember. “a good time to be born, how science & public health gave children a future” by perri klass 🤔?maybe

tryinf to think.. i fell out of reading for a while before i came across ohc so i dont have a lot that come to mind . ive been working to get back into it though.. currently listening to “the world according to phsyics” by jim al-khalili and “the universe” by andrew cohen and theyre great but im also on the search 4 something more .. something like history/development of x theory, event, or discipline ykwim.. i def want to read “the genome defense” by jorge contreras (smt smt med legal look into civil rights & human genetics law), “the rise and reign of mammals” steve brusatte , urhmmm, yah.

[thisisntabatmobile]

Happy first day of Winter ❄️ while we’re struggling with the snow on this shortest day of the year, the darkness of the night will be light soon enough! I figured I also drew enough dinosaurs, so mammals (partially inspired by Dr. Steve Brusatte’s book the Rise and Reign of Mammals) deserve their due too

[allosuchus]

These are all the books that are palaeontology based that I have, laid out in the order I got them. Not all of these are scientifically up to date because they are older but some of them are very new.

I haven’t finished The Dinosaur Hunters yet, but once I am I will start on The Rise and Reign of Mammals. If it’s anything like it’s predecessor, I’ll have to read it three times for it to stick in my brain (it’s a bit thicker too so maybe four times.)

[beauzos]

i bought a paleontology book about the rise of mammals and i definitely wanna start it soon but today i decided to read If Not, Winter instead. but after that i might pick up Rise and Reign of the Mammals.

[mongrelmutt]

My books read list for 2023! For the first time I met my goal of at least one book a week!! 😁

1. "A Conspiracy of Kings" -- Megan Whalen Turner

2. "Thick as Thieves" -- Megan Whalen Turner

3. "Return of the Thief" -- Megan Whalen Turner

4. "Vatican II" -- John O'Malley

5. "The Catholic Church: A Short History" -- Hans Küng, translated by John Bowden

6. "Confessions" and "Letter to Coroticus" -- St. Patrick

7. "Through the Brazilian Wilderness" -- Theodore Roosevelt

8. "The Wind in the Willows" -- Kenneth Grahame

9. "Period: The Real Story of Menstruation" -- Kate Clancy

10. "Star Wars: Padawan" -- Kiersten White

11. "Star Wars: Master and Apprentice" -- Claudia Gray

12. "Deep Down Dark" -- Héctor Tobar

13. "The Lost World" -- Michael Crichton

14. "Provida Mater Ecclesia: Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius XII Concerning Secular Institutes" (English translation) -- Pope Pius XII

15. "Frankenstein" -- Mary Shelley

16. "Kenobi" -- John Jackson Miller

17. "Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law" -- Mary Roach

18. "Trigun" and "Trigun Maximum" -- Yasuhiro Nightow

19. "Contagion of Liberty: The Politics of Smallpox in the American Revolution" -- Andrew M. Wehrman

20. "Gay and Catholic: Accepting My Sexuality, Finding Community, Living My Faith" -- Eve Tushnet

21. "The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth" -- Beth Allison Bar

22. "Turtles All The Way Down" -- John Green

23. "All Systems Red (Murderbot Diaries #1)" -- Martha Wells

24. "Artificial Condition (Murderbot Diaries #2)" -- Martha Wells

25. "Rogue Protocol (Murderbot Diaries #3)" -- Martha Wells

26. "Exit Strategy (Murderbot Diaries #4) -- Martha Wells

27. "Network Effect (Murderbot Diaries #5) -- Martha Wells

28. "Fugitive Telemetry (Murderbot Diaries #6) -- Martha Wells

29. "Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History" -- Erik Larson

30. "The Johnstown Flood" -- David McCullough

31. "The Last Days of the Dinosaurs: An Asteroid, Extinction, and the Beginning of Our World" -- Riley Black

32. "Beastly Brains: Exploring How Animals Think, Talk, and Feel" -- Nancy F. Castaldo

33. "The Rise and Reign of Mammals: A New History from the Shadows of the Dinosaurs to Us" -- Steve Brusatte

34. "Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Dog" -- John Bradshaw

35. "Evolution Gone Wrong: The Curious Reasons Why Our Bodies Work (or Don't)" -- Alex Bezzerides

36. "Immune: A Journey Into the Mysterious System that Keeps You Alive" -- Philipp Dettmer

37. "Catholicism and ADHD: Finding Holiness Despite Distractions" -- Alex R. Hey, PCAC

38. "The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery" -- Sam Kean

39. "An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us" -- Ed Yong

40. "Lesser Beasts: A Snout-to-Tail History of the Humble Pig" -- Mark Essig

41. "The Mind's Eye" -- Oliver Sacks

42. "Loveless" -- Alice Oseman

43. "The Monkey Trial: John Scopes and the Battle Over Teaching Evolution" -- Anita Sanchez

44. "The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet" -- Henry Fountain

45. "Kiki's Delivery Service" -- Eiko Kadono (translated by Emily Balistrieri)

46. "Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas" -- Jennifer Raff

47. "Ancillary Justice" -- Ann Leckie

48. "An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives" -- Matt Richtel

49. "System Collapse (Murderbot Diaries #7)" -- Martha Wells

50. "Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth's Most Awesome Creatures" -- Nick Pyeson

51. "Howl's Moving Castle" -- Diana Wynne Jones

52. "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" -- Shirley Jackson

53. "Sarah, Plain and Tall" and "Skylark" -- Patricia MacLachlan

54. "The Haunting of Hill House" -- Shirley Jackson

55. "All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings" -- Gayle Boss (illustrated by David G. Klein)

[procyonis]

Tag nine (9) people you’d like to know better

Tagged by @lady-harrowhark

Last song: Sleep Token - High Water. Been really into their music, think I’ve listened to them daily because god forbid I don’t (thanks brain.)

Currently watching: I’m currently just rewatching a bunch of comfort shows, though I have new ones I SHOULD attempt to watch 😔

Currently reading: I haven’t been able to read anything outside of my current hyperfix (incredibly frustrating, I love TLT but I wanna try reading other things!) So I’m making myself start on The Rise and Reign of the Mammals.

Current obsession: Oh it’s obviously TLT, it’s been my hyperfix and it’s been a blessing and a curse (cuz I can’t focus on much else beyond it.) Like it’s just so thoroughly taken over everything, has an absolute chokehold.

I’ll tag @chleborzoi @lottelilac @oneidiotwithasword @melnathea

Not exactly 9 people (also please don’t feel obligated!) but y’all were first to mind 🫡

[flamefatalis]

Flamey’s Best of 2022

Good lord I can’t believe it’s the end of the year... which means it’s time to continue this tradition!

Best movies watched in 2021:

1) Jaws (1975).  That’s right, I’ve never watched all of Jaws until this year.  I can see why it’s such a classic.  The acting is fantastic and the music was done by John Williams.

2) The Batman 2022 3) Contagion 4) A Quiet Place Part II 5) Thirteen Lives

Best shows watched in 2022:

1) Prehistoric Planet.  When I tell you that I felt like a kid watching Walking With Dinosaurs for the first time again... yeah.  The dinosaurs felt so REAL.  The music and narration were also mesmerizing.  I highly recommend this one if you haven’t seen it yet.

2) Hannibal 3) Ranking of Kings (season 1) 4) One Piece (episodes 50-163) 5) Odd Taxi (season 1)

Best video games played in 2022:

1) Pokemon: Legends Arceus.  Hands down one of the best Pokemon games I’ve played in years.  I would love to see them make games like this for other Pokemon regions, like Johto.

2) Jurassic World Evolution 2 3) Pokemon: Scarlet

Best books read in 2022:

The Pearl Sister by Lucinda Riley

The Shadow Sister  by Lucinda Riley

The Violin Conspiracy by  Brendan Slocumb

Circe by Madeline Miller

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

The Dawn of Yangchen by F.C. Yee

The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye by David Lagercrantz

The Girl Who Lived Twice by David Lagercrantz

Dinosaurs Rediscovered by Michael Benton

The Rise and Reign of the Mammals by Stephen L. Brusatte