Donald K. Grayson is a professor in the Department of Anthropology and the Quaternary Research Center at the University of Washington, USA. He is a recipient of the Nevada Medal for scientific achievement and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. His publications include The Desert's Past and The Great Basin: A Natural Prehistory.
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List of Figures List of Tables Preface Acknowledgments A Tiny Bit of Background 1. A Sloth in Prison 2. The Great Basin Now and Then 3. A Zoologically Impoverished World 4. Dating an Ass 5. A Stable of Ground Sloths 6. Extinct Mammals, Dangerous Plants,? and the Early Peoples of the Great Basin 7. Clovis, Comets, and Climate:? Explaining the Extinctions Appendix 1. The Relationship between Radiocarbon (C14)? and Calendar Years for 10,000 to 25,000? Radiocarbon Years Ago Appendix 2. Common and Scientific Names of Plants Discussed in the Text Appendix 3. Tall (>6 Feet) Mechanically Defended? Plants of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts Appendix 4. Maximum Height and Armature of? Sonoran and Mojave Desert Shrubs Appendix 5. Maximum Height and Armature of? Great Basin Shrubs Notes References Index
"A remarkable and personal account. Grayson brings to life this enthralling menagerie of strange beasts-their relationships, distributions, habits, and chronology-while highlighting the fascinating history of how we have learned about them. Hugely informative and entertaining, a pleasure to read and think about." -David E. Rhode, research professor of archaeology, Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada ""This is an excellent and easily read account of the Ice Age fauna of the Great Basin. It is one of the best at relating the large animals to the vegetation and physical environment of that time and the changes that followed the climate change at the end of the Ice Age. Its discussion of the extinction event, its timing and possible causes, should be read by all scientists working in that area." -Ernest Lundelius, Jr., Professor Emeritus of Vertebrate Paleontology, University of Texas at Austin