More than 300 million years ago, during the period known as the Carboniferous, there emerged a group of four-legged animals known as synapsids. Their descendents, the therapsids, would eventually give rise to mammals. Beginning with an introduction to the synapsids, their descendants, and the ancient world in which they lived, this remarkable book surveys their radiation, histology, and biology. It documents types of bone microstructure and their biological implications, provides insights into their biology and the evolution of endothermy in the group, and highlights areas for future research.

Author Biography

Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan is a paleobiologist and global expert on fossil bone microstructure. She is Professor and Fellow of the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and is former director of the National History Collections, Iziko Museums of Cape Town. She is author of The Microstructure of Dinosaur Bone: Deciphering Biology through Fine Scale Analysis and Famous Dinosaurs of Africa.