In this Book
- How Vertebrates Left the Water
- Book
- 2010
- Published by: University of California Press
summary
More than three hundred million years ago—a relatively recent date in the two billion years since life first appeared—vertebrate animals first ventured onto land. This usefully illustrated book describes how some finned vertebrates acquired limbs, giving rise to more than 25,000 extant tetrapod species. Michel Laurin uses paleontological, geological, physiological, and comparative anatomical data to describe this monumental event. He summarizes key concepts of modern paleontological research, including biological nomenclature, paleontological and molecular dating, and the methods used to infer phylogeny and character evolution. Along with a discussion of the evolutionary pressures that may have led vertebrates onto dry land, the book also shows how extant vertebrates yield clues about the conquest of land and how scientists uncover evolutionary history.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Title Page, Copyright, Dedication
- pp. iii-v
- THREE: PALEONTOLOGICAL CONTEXT
- pp. 55-72
- FOUR: VERTEBRATE LIMB EVOLUTION
- pp. 73-97
- SIX: ADAPTATIONS TO LIFE ON LAND
- pp. 135-159
- SEVEN: SYNTHESIS AND CONCLUSION
- pp. 161-167
- Bibliography
- pp. 175-185
- Production Notes
- p. 200
Additional Information
ISBN
9780520947986
Related ISBN(s)
9780520266476
MARC Record
OCLC
673431014
Pages
216
Launched on MUSE
2014-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No