Michael A. Mares, director of the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and Professor of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, is the coauthor of Guide to the Mammals of Salta Province, Argentina, and Mammals of Oklahoma, both published by the University of Oklahoma Press.

In this volume thirty-six scientists from Latin American and the United States contribute substantially to our knowledge of Latin American mammals. Part 1 provides a history of the pioneers in collection-based mammalogy, which began only about two centuries ago.

Chapters in Part 2 demonstrate the search for theories and methodologies that will help us understand how the fauna of this region came to be.

Part 3 addresses conservation policy and management in light of recent enormous changes in the natural habitats of Latin America.

Part 4 explores the need for conservation-education programs in Latin America as a critical step in the development of a sound land-use ethic.

The preface of Latin American Mammalogy, overviews of the four sections, and summaries of the twenty-three chapters are given in Spanish as well as English.