Vertebrate Palaeontology - Softcover

Benton, Michael

4.19

69 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0632056142 ISBN 13: 9780632056149

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell, 2000

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The story of the evolution of vertebrates is fascinating. Recently, there has been an explosion of new research topics in the field - the closest fossil relatives of the vertebrates, dramatic new fish specimens unlike anything now living, the adaptations required for the move on to land, the relationships of the early amphibians and reptiles, the origins and biology of the dinosaurs, the role of mass extinction in vertebrate evolution, new Mesozoic birds, the earliest mammals, ecology and mammalian diversification, and the origins and evolution of human beings.

This book presents a complete outline of the history of vertebrates, based on the latest studies by palaeontologists around the world. New material comes from North and South America, Australia, Europe, China, Africa and Russia.

A key aim of the book is to show how vertebrate palaeontologists obtain their information. There is an illustrated account of how to dig up a dinosaur and how to interpret the bones. In addition, detailed case studies explain: how palaeontologists study taphonomy, exceptional preservation, the form and function of bizarre animals, and the reconstruction of phylogeny from cladistic analyses of morphological and molecular data.

The new edition is extensively revised, and there is a great deal of new material based on work in the 1990s. There is a new chapter on how to study fossil vertebrates. Another major change is that more emphasis has been given to cladograms. They are set apart from the body of the text, and full lists of diagnostic characters are now given.

The book is designed for palaeontology courses in biology and geology departments. It is also aimed at the enthusiast who wants to experience how leading palaeontologists design their research programs and carry out multidisciplinary studies of ancient vertebrates. The book has a strong phylogenetic focus, and this makes it an up-to-date source of the latest broad-scale systematic data on vertebrate evolution.

The second edition of a very popular and proven text.
Detailed case studies are presented, which show how palaeontologists actually work.
Includes an illustrated account of how to dig up a dinosaur, and how to interpret the bones.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Book Description:

Vertebrate Palaeontology is a complete, up-to-date history of the evolution of vertebrates. The third edition of this popular text has been extensively revised to incorporate the latest research, including new material from North and South America, Australia, Europe, China, Africa and Russia.The third edition:- highlights astonishing new discoveries including new dinosaurs and Mesozoic birds from China- features an expanded chapter on how to study fossil vertebrates- provides an increased emphasis on the cladistic framework, with cladograms set apart from the body of the text and full lists of diagnostic characters- includes new molecular evidence on early mammal diversification- presents new features to aid study, including new functional and developmental feature spreads, key questions and extensive references to useful web sitesThe book has a strong phylogenetic focus making it an up-to-date source of the latest broad-scale systematic data on vertebrate evolution. This book will be essential reading for vertebrate palaeontology students in earth science and biology departments. .

From the Back Cover:

The story of the evolution of the vertebrates, the animals with backbones, is fascinating. There is currently an explosion of new research ideas in the field - the closest fossil relatives of the vertebrates, dramatic new fish specimens unlike anything now living, the adaptations required for the move on to land, the relationships of the early amphibians and reptiles, the origins and biology of the dinosaurs, the role of mass extinction in vertebrate evolution, new Mesozoic birds, the earliest mammals, ecology and mammalian diversification, the origins and evolution of human beings.

This book presents a complete outline of the history of the vertebrates, based on the latest studies by palaeontologists around the world. The work is international in scope, and new material included here for the first time come from North and South America, Australia, Europe, China, Africa, and Russia.

A key aim of the book is to show how vertebrate palaeontologists obtain their information. There is an illustrated account of how to dig up a dinosaur, and how to interpret the bones. In addition, detailed case studies are presented, which show how palaeontologists study taphonomy, exceptional preservation, form and function of bizarre animals, and reconstruct phylogeny from cladistic analyses of morphological and molecular data.

The new edition is extensively revised, and there is a great deal of new material based on work in the 1990s. There is a new chapter on how to study fossil vertebrates. A further major change is that more emphasis has been given to the cladograms. They are set apart from the body of the text, and full lists of diagnostic characters are now given.

The book is designed for palaeontology courses in biology and geology departments. It is also aimed at the enthusiast who wants to experience the real flavour of how leading palaeontologists design their research programmes and carry out multidisciplinary studies of ancient vertebrates. The book has a strong phylogenetic focus, and this makes it an up-to-date source of the latest broad-scale systematic data on vertebrate evolution.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.