Around 370 million years ago, a distant relative of a modern lungfish began the most exciting adventure the world had ever seen: it emerged from the water and laid claim to the land. Over the next 70 million years, this tentative beachhead became a worldwide colonization by an ever-increasing variety of four-limbed life. These first ""tetrapods"" are the ancestors of all vertebrate life on land. Gaining Ground tells the rich and complex story of their emergence and evolution. Beginning with their closest relatives, the lobefin fishes such as lungfishes and coelacanths, Jennifer A. Clack defines the characteristics of tetrapods, describing their anatomy and explaining how they are related to other vertebrates.

Clack looks at the Devonian environment in which tetrapods evolved, describes the known species, and explores the order and timing of anatomical changes that occurred during the fish-to-tetrapod transition. She reports that older ideas about the transition are being overturned by recent discoveries and new ideas about evolutionary change. Following the story through the Carboniferous period, she shows how the evolution of terrestrial characters occurred several times, convergently, among different groups.

About the Author

JENNIFER A. CLACK is Reader in Vertebrate Palaeontology and Senior Assistant Curator, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge, and author of numerous papers on Devonian and Carboniferous life. A shorter version of Gaining Ground was published in Japanese in 2000.

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

Store Description

We run a General interest bookstore with a focus on popular fiction, Utah and Mormon (LDS) titles, as well as current textbooks.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

BookResQ.
4915 w 4100 s, West Valley City, UT, 84120-4833, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

Please read the description of our item. Many items cannot be shipped
internationally due to size and weight. International restrictions should be
available in our description.
We guarantee the condition of every book as it's described on the Abebooks web
sites. If you're dissatisfied with your purchase (Incorrect Book/Not as
Described/Damaged) please contact us. If you've changed your mind about a
book that you've ordered, please use the Ask bookseller a question link to
contact us and we'll re...

More Information

Shipping Terms

Orders usually ship within 2 business days. Shipping costs are based on books weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact you to let you know extra shipping is required. Many books cannot be shipped to international locations. This will be noted in our description.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	3 to 21 business days	3 to 7 business days
First item	US$ 7.00	US$ 10.00

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.