A fragile balance : the extraordinary story of Australian marsupials / Christopher Dickman ; illustrated by Rosemary Woodford Ganf ; with a foreword by Tim Flannery.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 231-240) and index.
Contents:
Bridled nailtail wallaby. Author's preface -- Artist's preface -- Introduction -- What is a marsupial? -- Marsupials : the six per cent solution -- Distinctive features -- Reproduction : the facts -- Reproduction : the myths -- Hard structures -- Soft structures and behavior -- Origins and evolution -- Dispersal and diversification -- Australasian beginnings -- Recent history -- The last 50,000 years -- The last 5000 years -- Natural history -- The guild concept -- Diets and foraging behavior -- Carnivores -- Omnivores -- Herbivores -- Dietary guilds : some caveats -- Distribution and abundance -- Carnivores -- Omnivores -- Herbivores -- Life histories -- Variations on a theme -- Carnivores -- Omnivores -- Herbivores -- The big picture -- Interactions between marsupials and their environment -- Cultural history -- The first Australians -- An indigenous Australian perspective -- The European explorers and naturalists -- The settlers and pastoral pioneers -- Strange in a strange land -- Conservation -- Why conserve marsupials? -- Assessing conservation status -- Threats to marsupials -- Recovery planning -- Recovery planning -- The future -- Species accounts -- Introduction -- Accounts -- Glossary -- Bibliography -- Acknowledgements -- Index -- Features -- Bilby -- Koala -- Leadbeater's possum -- Tasmanian devil -- Marsupial moles -- Bridled nailtail wallaby.
Summary:
"Marsupials are nearly synonymous with Australia. Although one of these enigmatic pouched mammals - the opossum -inhabits the United States and another 94 live in South America, more than 200 species are confined to the Australasian region. In Australia, marsupials are the most diverse and dominant indigenous species, from the Tasmanian Devil to the Koala and the tiny Honey Possum to the majestic Red Kangaroo." "The extraordinary story of these fascinating animals, A Fragile Balance, provides up-to-date information on marsupials without losing sight of the unique set of circumstances that led them to diversify Down Under. Covering all marsupial species in Australia, the book uses an evolutionary and natural history framework to interpret their biological traits. The general chapters on biology, evolution, natural history, cultural history and conservation are bounded by feature treatments of six species of note. A Fragile Balance is the first book to emphasize interactions among marsupials, and between marsupials and their environment, as well as between humans and marsupials. The text is completed by accounts of all known species, each including a basic biological and ecological description, a range map and a measure of conservation status."--BOOK JACKET.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.