Palaeoecology and Palaeoenvironments of Late Cenozoic Mammals: Tributes to the Career of CS (Rufus) Churcher

John Storer is a paleontologist with the Heritage Branch of the Yukon
Department of Tourism.

This collection of 30 essays on late-Cenozoic—mostly
Quaternary—mammals and their environments serves not only as a tribute
to the C.S. (Rufus) Churcher but also as a fundamental reference work in
its field that will be much-cited.

The book focuses on two areas: North American mammals (palaeoecology
and palaeoenvironments, and faunas and morphological analysis) and
African mammals. But it goes well beyond its stated goals of presenting
a cross-section of the field and indicating the current state of
research. Fourteen of the papers extend beyond the data into much
broader environmental, behavioral, and taxonomic areas; five more
concern issues of broader significance; and 11 (basic palaeontological
papers) emphasize presentation and analysis of data, offering important
insights into analytical methods and considering broader implications.
This is a remarkable collection that will inspire future research.

Within these pages, giant armadillos, sabre cats, American lions, giant
civets, hyaenids, short-faced bears, mastodon, horses, elk-moose,
caribou, sivatheres, and antelope strut their stuff, and a new takin is
named after Rufus Churcher. Prairie dogs, muskrat, and a muroid rodent
represent the smaller mammals, and faunas and small-mammal response to
climatic change are analyzed. Most of these mammals have been subjects
of Churcher’s 40 years of research.

An important addition to any palaeontological library.