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Library Journal Review

Ice Age (Pleistocene) mammals have long fascinated both laypersons and paleontologists, and several recent books have treated Ice Age animals of specific regions, i.e., Europe and North America. Sutcliffe's book focuses less on the animals themselves than on the methods used to study the Pleistocene and its faunas. Some of the topics, such as the dating of climatic shifts, are fairly technical. Others, such as the study of frozen carcasses, cave drawings, and animals trapped in tar pits, will interest general readers as well as specialists. Pleistocene studies have become increasingly sophisticated, and Sutcliffe shows well how new methods can increase our knowledge of classic Ice Age faunas. Margery C. Coombs, Zoology Dept., Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

A splendid introduction to the current body of research on the age and distribution of Pleistocene mammals. Although it is not specifically indicated in the text, Sutcliffe has undertaken extensive studies of Pleistocene mammals in the British Isles, Kenya, and Canada. Many of the references are to British deposits but there are individual chapters devoted to Australia and to the New World. Frequent reference is made to the role of Paleolithic art in confirming the geographical distribution of many species now extinct. However, most of the evidence of distributional patterns of Pleistocene mammals is based on fossil deposits, many of which are found in limestone, in lava, and in sea caves. Since there may have been as many as two dozen cycles of glacial advance and retreat over the past several million years, the chronology of these deposits demands intense evaluation. Sutcliffe lucidly explains the techniques necessary for proper dating of these deposits. A wealth of figures, diagrams, maps, and paintings accompany the text. The captions are a bonus of information apart from the formal text. Five pages of references complete this handsome book. Accuracy is its keynote and one can confidently quote it knowing that its conclusions are valid. Highly recommended for college and university libraries.-G. Nicholas, Manhattan College