{"product_id":"vertebrate-palaeontology-hardback-9781118407554","title":"Vertebrate Palaeontology Hardback","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVertebrate 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A book that has gone through four editions over a period of 25 years is definitely on its way to becoming a classic. Because of its clarity and wealth of information, Mike Benton's textbook, which currently has no equivalent, definitely deserves that enviable destiny.\" (\u003ci\u003ePalaeovertebrata\u003c\/i\u003e, 2016)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"The book is a main textbook for vertebrate palaeontology and aimed at students and anyone with an interest in the evolution of vertebrates. It meets its five aims and is excellent value.\" (\u003ci\u003eProceedings of the Open University Geological Society\u003c\/i\u003e, 1 April 2015)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eList of boxes viii  \u003cp\u003ePreface x\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbout the companion website xii\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e1 Vertebrates Originate 1\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKey questions in this chapter 2\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction 2\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.1 Sea squirts and the lancelet 2\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.2 Ambulacraria: echinoderms and hemichordates 4\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.3 Deuterostome relationships 6\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.4 Chordate origins 8\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.5 Vertebrates and the head 14\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.6 Further reading 14\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eQuestions for future research 15\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.7 References 15\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e2 How to Study Fossil Vertebrates 18\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKey questions in this chapter 19\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction 19\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.1 Digging up bones 19\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.2 Publication and professionalism 24\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.3 Geology and fossil vertebrates 29\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.4 Biology and fossil vertebrates 33\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.5 Discovering phylogeny 36\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.6 The quality of the fossil record 39\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.7 Macroevolution 41\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.8 Further reading 43\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.9 References 43\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e3 Early palaeozoic fishes 45\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKey questions in this chapter 46\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction 46\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.1 cambrian vertebrates 46\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.2 vertebrate hard tissues 49\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.3 the jawless fishes 51\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.4 origin of jaws and gnathostome relationships 59\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.5 placoderms: armour-plated monsters 60\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.6 chondrichthyes: the first sharks 65\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.7 acanthodians: the ‘spiny skins’ 65\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.8 devonian environments 67\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.9 osteichthyes: the bony fishes 70\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.10 early fish evolution and mass extinction 79\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.11 further reading 79\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eQuestions for future research 80\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.12 References 80\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e4 Early tetrapods and amphibians 84\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKey questions in this chapter 85\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction 85\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.1 Problems of life on land 85\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.2 Devonian tetrapods 88\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.3 The Carboniferous world 96\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.4 Diversity of Carboniferous tetrapods 98\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.5 Temnospondyls and reptiliomorphs after the Carboniferous 106\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.6 E volution of the modern amphibians 109\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.7 Further reading 114\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eQuestions for future research 114\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.8 References 114\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e5 Evolution of early amniotes 118\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKey questions in this chapter 119\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction 119\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.1 Hylonomus and Paleothyris – biology of the first amniotes 119\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.2 Amniote evolution 121\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.3 The Permian world 125\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.4 The parareptiles 125\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.5 The eureptiles 128\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.6 Basal synapsid evolution 132\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.7 The Permo-Triassic mass extinction 142\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.8 Further reading 143\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eQuestions for future research 143\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.9 References 143\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e6 Bounceback: tetrapods of the Triassic 147\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKey questions in this chapter 148\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction 148\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.1 The Triassic world and its effect on the recovery of life 148\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.2 Triassic marine reptiles 150\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.3 E volution of the archosauromorphs 154\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.4 O rigin of the dinosaurs 161\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.5 Reptile evolution in the Triassic 164\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.6 Further reading 168\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eQuestions for future research 168\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.7 References 168\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e7 Evolution of fishes after the devonian 172\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKey questions in this chapter 173\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction 173\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.1 The early sharks and chimaeras 173\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.2 Post-Palaeozoic chondrichthyan radiation 178\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.3 The early bony fishes 181\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.4 Radiation of the teleosts 191\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.5 Post-Devonian evolution of fishes 198\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.6 Further reading 199\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eQuestions for future research 199\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.7 References 199\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e8 The age of dinosaurs 204\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKey questions in this chapter 205\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction 205\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.1 Biology of Plateosaurus 205\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.2 The Jurassic and Cretaceous world 206\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.3 The diversity of saurischian dinosaurs 207\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.4 The diversity of ornithischian dinosaurs 221\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.5 Were the dinosaurs warm-blooded or not? 232\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.6 Pterosauria 236\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.7 Testudinata: the turtles 241\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.8 Crocodylomorpha 247\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.9 Lepidosauria: lizards and snakes 250\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.10 The great sea dragons 256\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.11 The Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction 259\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.12 Further reading 263\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eQuestions for future research 264\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.13 References 264\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e9 The birds 273\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKey questions in this chapter 274\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction 274\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.1 The origin of birds 274\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.2 The origin of bird flight 282\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.3 Cretaceous birds, with and without teeth 287\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.4 The radiation of modern birds: explosion or long fuse? 296\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.5 Flightless birds: palaeognathae 299\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.6 Neognathae 300\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.7 The three-phase diversification of birds 311\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.8 Further reading 312\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eQuestions for future research 313\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.9 References 313\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e10 Mammals 318\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKey questions in this chapter 319\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction 319\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.1 Cynodonts and the acquisition of mammalian characters 319\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.2 The first mammals 328\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.3 The Mesozoic mammals 332\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.4 Evolution of modern mammals 343\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.5 Marsupials down under 346\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.6 South American mammals – a world apart 349\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.7 Afrotheria and the break-up of Gondwana 355\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.8 Boreoeutherian beginnings: the Palaeocene in the northern hemisphere 361\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.9 Basal laurasiatherians: Lipotyphla 366\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.10 Cetartiodactyla: cattle, pigs and whales 366\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.11 Pegasoferae: bats, horses, carnivores and pangolins 375\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.12 Glires: rodents, rabbits and relatives 383\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.13 Archonta: primates, tree shrews and flying lemurs 388\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.14 Ice age extinction of large mammals 389\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.15 Further reading 390\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eQuestions for future research 390\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.16 References 391\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e11 Human evolution 400\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKey questions in this chapter 401\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction 401\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.1 What are the primates? 401\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.2 The fossil record of early primates 402\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.3 Anthropoidea: monkeys and apes 407\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.4 Hominoidea: the apes 411\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.5 E volution of human characteristics 414\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.6 The early stages of human evolution 416\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.7 The past two million years of human evolution 421\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.8 Further reading 428\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eQuestions for future research 428\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.9 References 429\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAppendix: Classification of the vertebrates 433\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGlossary 448\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex 453\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe colour plate section can be found between pp. 244–245\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"John Wiley and Sons Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49083838857559,"sku":"9781118407554","price":94.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/vertebrate-palaeontology-hardback-9781118407554","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}