Vertebrate Palaeontology 4th Edition by Michael J. Benton, ISBN-13: 978-1118407554

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Vertebrate Palaeontology 4th Edition by Michael J. Benton, ISBN-13: 978-1118407554

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• Publisher: ‎ Wiley-Blackwell; 4th edition (October 20, 2014)
• Language: ‎ English
• 480 pages
• ISBN-10: 1118406842
• ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1118407554

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.

Table of 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

10.7 AFROTHERIA AND THE BREAK-UP OF GONDWANA

10.8 BOREOEUTHERIAN BEGINNINGS: THE PALAEOCENE IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

10.9 BASAL LAURASIATHERIANS: LIPOTYPHLA

10.10 CETARTIODACTYLA: CATTLE, PIGS AND WHALES

10.11 PEGASOFERAE: BATS, HORSES, CARNIVORES AND PANGOLINS

10.12 GLIRES: RODENTS, RABBITS AND RELATIVES

10.13 ARCHONTA: PRIMATES, TREE SHREWS AND FLYING LEMURS

10.14 ICE AGE EXTINCTION OF LARGE MAMMALS

10.15 FURTHER READING

10.16 REFERENCES

CHAPTER 11: Human Evolution

INTRODUCTION

11.1 WHAT ARE THE PRIMATES?

11.2 THE FOSSIL RECORD OF EARLY PRIMATES

11.3 ANTHROPOIDEA: MONKEYS AND APES

11.4 HOMINOIDEA: THE APES

11.5 EVOLUTION OF HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS

11.6 THE EARLY STAGES OF HUMAN EVOLUTION

11.7 THE PAST TWO MILLION YEARS OF HUMAN EVOLUTION

11.8 FURTHER READING

11.9 REFERENCES

Appendix: Classification of the Vertebrates

1 CLASSIFICATION OF THE FISHES

2 CLASSIFICATION OF THE EARLY TETRAPODS AND AMPHIBIANS

3 CLASSIFICATION OF THE EARLY AMNIOTES AND REPTILES

4 CLASSIFICATION OF THE BIRDS

5 CLASSIFICATION OF THE MAMMALS

REFERENCES

Glossary

Index

Access the companion website

End User License Agreement

Michael J. Benton FRS is Professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology at the University of Bristol. He is particularly interested in early reptiles, Triassic dinosaurs, and macroevolution, and has published over 50 books and 300 scientific articles. He leads one of the most successful palaeontology research groups at the University of Bristol, and has supervised over 60 PhD students.

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