Vertebrate Palaeontology E-Book

Michael J. Benton

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 1519

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

Vertebrate palaeontology is a lively field, with new discoveries reported every week… and not only dinosaurs! This new edition reflects the international scope of vertebrate palaeontology, with a special focus on exciting new finds from China.

A key aim is to explain the science. Gone are the days of guesswork. Young researchers use impressive new numerical and imaging methods to explore the tree of life, macroevolution, global change, and functional morphology.

The fourth edition is completely revised. The cladistic framework is strengthened, and new functional and developmental spreads are added. Study aids include: key questions, research to be done, and recommendations of further reading and web sites.

The book is designed for palaeontology courses in biology and geology departments. It is also aimed at enthusiasts who want to experience the flavour of how the research is done. The book is strongly phylogenetic, and this makes it a source of current data on vertebrate evolution.

Leseprobe

CONTENTS

Cover

Dedication

Title page

Copyright page

Preface

List of Boxes

CHAPTER 1: Vertebrates Originate

INTRODUCTION

1.1 SEA SQUIRTS AND THE LANCELET

1.2 AMBULACRARIA: ECHINODERMS AND HEMICHORDATES

1.3 DEUTEROSTOME RELATIONSHIPS

1.4 CHORDATE ORIGINS

1.5 VERTEBRATES AND THE HEAD

1.6 FURTHER READING

1.7 REFERENCES

CHAPTER 2: How to Study Fossil Vertebrates

INTRODUCTION

2.1 DIGGING UP BONES

2.2 PUBLICATION AND PROFESSIONALISM

2.3 GEOLOGY AND FOSSIL VERTEBRATES

2.4 BIOLOGY AND FOSSIL VERTEBRATES

2.5 DISCOVERING PHYLOGENY

2.6 THE QUALITY OF THE FOSSIL RECORD

2.7 MACROEVOLUTION

2.8 FURTHER READING

2.9 REFERENCES

CHAPTER 3: Early Palaeozoic Fishes

INTRODUCTION

3.1 CAMBRIAN VERTEBRATES

3.2 VERTEBRATE HARD TISSUES

3.3 THE JAWLESS FISHES

3.4 ORIGIN OF JAWS AND GNATHOSTOME RELATIONSHIPS

3.5 PLACODERMS: ARMOUR-PLATED MONSTERS

3.6 CHONDRICHTHYES: THE FIRST SHARKS

3.7 ACANTHODIANS: THE ‘SPINY SKINS'

3.8 DEVONIAN ENVIRONMENTS

3.9 OSTEICHTHYES: THE BONY FISHES

3.10 EARLY FISH EVOLUTION AND MASS EXTINCTION

3.11 FURTHER READING

3.12 REFERENCES

CHAPTER 4: Early Tetrapods and Amphibians

INTRODUCTION

4.1 PROBLEMS OF LIFE ON LAND

4.2 DEVONIAN TETRAPODS

4.3 THE CARBONIFEROUS WORLD

4.4 DIVERSITY OF CARBONIFEROUS TETRAPODS

4.5 TEMNOSPONDYLS AND REPTILIOMORPHS AFTER THE CARBONIFEROUS

4.6 EVOLUTION OF THE MODERN AMPHIBIANS

4.7 FURTHER READING

4.8 REFERENCES

CHAPTER 5: Evolution of Early Amniotes

INTRODUCTION

5.1

HYLONOMUS AND PALEOTHYRIS

– BIOLOGY OF THE FIRST AMNIOTES

5.2 AMNIOTE EVOLUTION

5.3 THE PERMIAN WORLD

5.4 THE PARAREPTILES

5.5 THE EUREPTILES

5.6 BASAL SYNAPSID EVOLUTION

5.7 THE PERMO-TRIASSIC MASS EXTINCTION

5.8 FURTHER READING

5.9 REFERENCES

CHAPTER 6: Bounceback

INTRODUCTION

6.1 THE TRIASSIC WORLD AND ITS EFFECT ON THE RECOVERY OF LIFE

6.2 TRIASSIC MARINE REPTILES

6.3 EVOLUTION OF THE ARCHOSAUROMORPHS

6.4 ORIGIN OF THE DINOSAURS

6.5 REPTILE EVOLUTION IN THE TRIASSIC

6.6 FURTHER READING

6.7 REFERENCES

CHAPTER 7: Evolution of Fishes After the Devonian

INTRODUCTION

7.1 THE EARLY SHARKS AND CHIMAERAS

7.2 POST-PALAEOZOIC CHONDRICHTHYAN RADIATION

7.3 THE EARLY BONY FISHES

7.4 RADIATION OF THE TELEOSTS

7.5 POST-DEVONIAN EVOLUTION OF FISHES

7.6 FURTHER READING

7.7 REFERENCES

CHAPTER 8: The Age of Dinosaurs

INTRODUCTION

8.1 BIOLOGY OF

PLATEOSAURUS

8.2 THE JURASSIC AND CRETACEOUS WORLD

8.3 THE DIVERSITY OF SAURISCHIAN DINOSAURS

8.4 THE DIVERSITY OF ORNITHISCHIAN DINOSAURS

8.5 WERE THE DINOSAURS WARM-BLOODED OR NOT?

8.6 PTEROSAURIA

8.7 TESTUDINATA: THE TURTLES

8.8 CROCODYLOMORPHA

8.9 LEPIDOSAURIA: LIZARDS AND SNAKES

8.10 THE GREAT SEA DRAGONS

8.11 THE CRETACEOUS-PALEOGENE MASS EXTINCTION

8.12 FURTHER READING

8.13 REFERENCES

CHAPTER 9: The Birds

INTRODUCTION

9.1 The origin of birds

9.2 THE ORIGIN OF BIRD FLIGHT

9.3 CRETACEOUS BIRDS, WITH AND WITHOUT TEETH

9.4 THE RADIATION OF MODERN BIRDS: EXPLOSION OR LONG FUSE?

9.5 FLIGHTLESS BIRDS: PALAEOGNATHAE

9.6 NEOGNATHAE

9.7 THE THREE-PHASE DIVERSIFICATION OF BIRDS

9.8 FURTHER READING

9.9 REFERENCES

CHAPTER 10: Mammals

INTRODUCTION

10.1 CYNODONTS AND THE ACQUISITION OF MAMMALIAN CHARACTERS

10.2 THE FIRST MAMMALS

10.3 THE MESOZOIC MAMMALS

10.4 EVOLUTION OF MODERN MAMMALS

10.5 MARSUPIALS DOWN UNDER

10.6 SOUTH AMERICAN MAMMALS – A WORLD APART