OCTOBER 2021 - AudioFile
Our understanding of mammal evolution is still, well, evolving. Researcher Elsa Panciroli has been directly involved in cutting-edge work in this field, and her audiobook is enlivened by anecdotes and first-person stories. She is articulate and witty, and Ruth Urquhart’s narration highlights these qualities. Like the author, Urquhart is Scottish, and her expressive brogue adds authenticity to her performance. But although the work is ostensibly aimed at a lay audience, it includes a lot of jargon that will be difficult for a listener without a background in paleontology: Terms that pertain to geological eras and taxonomy fill almost every paragraph, often without being clearly defined. In the end, this is likely to appeal to specialists more than the general science listener. D.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 07/12/2021
Panciroli, a research fellow at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, debuts with a fascinating survey of recent discoveries in evolution. Making use of findings from big data and CT scans of fossils, Panciroli explains how much of what’s generally believed about the origin of mammals has been wrong. Contrary to popular belief, she writes, mammals did not come into their own after the extinction of the dinosaurs—“they ‘ruled the Earth’ when dinosaurs weren’t even a twinkle in the planet’s eye”—and the notion that mammals that coexisted with T. rexes “merely scooted underfoot like terrified snacks” is “dead wrong.” Also, mammals didn’t evolve from reptiles, she writes, though they do share a common ancestor with them: amniote tetrapods, which were neither mammal nor reptile. Panciroli’s passion for her subject is palpable, and as she shares her globe-trotting finds, she argues that paleontology is more than a curiosity: it provides a framework for understanding “how life has responded to extinction events in the past, and most crucially, how it has recovered,” which is especially relevant in the face of climate change. Her eye-opening study offers just the right level of detail and plenty of wit. This impressive study hits the mark. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Smart, passionate and seditious” —The New York Times Book Review
“A pioneering study … If you thought it all began with the extinction of the non-bird dinosaurs – think again.” —Nature
“Under Ms. Panciroli's adroit tutelage, the Carboniferous and Permian (pre-dinosaur) periods are brought to life … she regularly enlivens this surprisingly readable book with quick and often humorous observations.” —The Wall Street Journal
“Fascinating ... filled with as many weird and wonderful creatures as any reptilian tale ... there's much here to intrigue.” —Geographical
OCTOBER 2021 - AudioFile
Our understanding of mammal evolution is still, well, evolving. Researcher Elsa Panciroli has been directly involved in cutting-edge work in this field, and her audiobook is enlivened by anecdotes and first-person stories. She is articulate and witty, and Ruth Urquhart’s narration highlights these qualities. Like the author, Urquhart is Scottish, and her expressive brogue adds authenticity to her performance. But although the work is ostensibly aimed at a lay audience, it includes a lot of jargon that will be difficult for a listener without a background in paleontology: Terms that pertain to geological eras and taxonomy fill almost every paragraph, often without being clearly defined. In the end, this is likely to appeal to specialists more than the general science listener. D.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
