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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