F. Harvey Pough, Professor Emeritus at Rochester Institute of Technology, is a herpetologist, specializing in environmental and evolutionary physiology, a past president of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, and the senior author of textbooks on Herpetology and Vertebrate Zoology. He has taught courses in Animal Behavior, Ecology, Herpetology, Human Biology, Introductory Biology, Physiological Ecology, and Vertebrate Zoology.

William E. Bemis is Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University and Faculty Curator of Ichthyology at the Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates. He has studied the anatomy, systematics, and evolution of extant and fossil vertebrates for 50 years with a focus on fishes. He currently teaches Vertebrate Biology, Ichthyology, and Herpetology.

Betty McGuire is a retired Senior Lecturer from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University. She has studied social behavior, reproduction, and ecology of small mammals and currently studies behavior of domestic dogs. She coauthored textbooks on Animal Behavior and Human Biology, and taught courses in Vertebrate Biology, Mammalogy, Human Biology, Animal Behavior, Evolution, and Introductory Biology.

Christine M. Janis is Professor Emerita at Brown University, USA, and currently an Honorary Professor at the University of Bristol, UK. She is a mammalian paleobiologist who has studied the feeding and locomotion of Cenozoic mammals, especially ungulates (hoofed mammals) and kangaroos, and their paleobiology in the context of climatic and environmental change. She has taught courses in Comparative Anatomy and Vertebrate Paleontology.

• Preface xv


• Chapter 1


• Diversity, Classification, and Evolution of Vertebrates


• 1.1 The Vertebrate Story


• --Binominal nomenclature


• --Extant vertebrate groups


• 1.2 Phylogenetic Systematics


• 1.3 Applying Phylogenetic Criteria


• --Evaluating possible phylogenies


• --Molecules and morphology


• --The problem of dating


• --Dagger (¿) convention adopted in this book


• 1.4 Using Phylogenetic Trees


• --Extant phylogenetic brackets


• --Paraphyly


• --Crown and stem groups


• 1.5 Genetic Mechanisms of Evolutionary Change


• --Phenotypes and fitness


• --Developmental regulatory genes


• 1.6 Epigenetic Effects


• 1.7 Earth History and Vertebrate Evolution


• Chapter 2


• What Is a Vertebrate??


• 2.1 Vertebrates in Relation to Other Animals?


• 2.2 Characteristics of Chordates?


• --Chordate origins and evolution?


• --Extant nonvertebrate chordates?


• 2.3 What Distinguishes a Vertebrate??


• 2.4 Vertebrate Embryonic Development?


• --Development of the body?


• --Development of the pharyngeal region?


• --Development of the brain?


• --Other neurogenic tissues of vertebrates?


• 2.5 Vertebrate Tissues?


• --Adult tissue types


• --Mineralized tissues


• 2.6 Vertebrate Organ Systems


• --Integumentary system


• --Skeletal system


• --Muscular system


• --Nervous system and sense organs


• --Endocrine system


• --Respiratory system


• --Circulatory system


• --Digestive system


• --Excretory and reproductive systems


• Chapter 3


• Jawless Vertebrates and the Origin of Gnathostomes


• 3.1 Earliest Evidence of Vertebrates


• --Enigmas: ¿Conodonts and ¿Tullimonstrum


• ---Early mineralized tissues


• --Environment of early vertebrate evolution


• 3.2 Cyclostomes: Extant Jawless Vertebrate


• --Characters of cyclostomes


• --Hagfishes: Myxiniformes


• --Lampreys: Petromyzontiformes


• 3.3 Jawless Osteognathostomes


• 3.4 Gnathostome Body Plan


• --Gnathostome skeletons


• --What about soft anatomical features?


• 3.5 Origin of Jaws


• --Hypotheses of jaw origins


• --Importance of the nose


• --Selective value of jaws


• 3.6 Origin of Paired Appendages


• --Fin development and the lateral somitic frontier


• --Advantages of fins


• 3.7 Extinct Paleozoic Jawed Fishes


• Chapter 4


• Living in Water


• 4.1 Aquatic Environment


• --Obtaining oxygen from water using gill


• --Obtaining oxygen from air using lungs and other respiratory structure


• --Adjusting buoyancy


• 4.2 Sensory World of Aquatic Vertebrates


• --Vision


• --Chemosensation: Olfaction and taste


• --Detecting water displacement


• --Hearing and equilibrium


• --Electroreception and electrogenesis


• 4.3 Maintaining an Internal Environment


• --Nitrogenous wastes and kidney


• --Osmoregulation


• --Regulation of ions and body fluids


• 4.4 Osmoregulation in Different Environments


• --Marine cartilaginous fishes and coelacanths


• --Marine teleosts


• --Freshwater teleosts and lissamphibians


• --Euryhaline vertebrates


• Chapter 5


• Geography and Ecology of the Paleozoic


• 5.1 Deep Time


• --The Precambrian world


• --The Paleozoic


• 5.2 Continental Geography


• --Continental drift and plate tectonics


• --Shifting continents of the Paleozoic


• --Shifting continents and changing climates


• 5.3 Paleozoic Climates


• 5.4 Paleozoic Ecosystems


• --Aquatic life


• --Terrestrial flora


• --Terrestrial fauna


• 5.5 Extinctions


• Chapter 6


• Origin and Radiation of Chondrichthyans


• 6.1 Acanthodii


• 6.2 Chondrichthyes


• --Habitats and diversity


• --Placoid scales


• --Cartilaginous skeleton


• --Teeth and tooth plates


• --Jaws and jaw suspension


• --Internal fertilization and claspers


• --Distinctive soft tissue and physiological features


• 6.3 Euchondrocephali and Chimaeriformes


• --Biology of extant Chimaeriformes


• 6.4 Elasmobranchii, Euselachii, and Neoselachii


• --Selachii: Sharks


• --Batomorphi: Skates and rays


• 6.5 Biology of Neoselachii


• --Feeding


• --Bioluminescence and biofluorescence


• ---Hypoxia and the epaulette shark


• --Endothermal heterothermy


• --Swimming


• --Reproduction


• --Elasmobranch brains


• --Social networks and migration in sand tiger sharks


• 6.6 Declining Elasmobranch Populations


• --Conservation and sawfishes


• --Threats to chondrichthyans


• --Vulnerabilities of chondrichthyans


• --Ecological impacts of shark population declines


• --Policies to protect sharks


• Chapter 7


• Origin of Osteichthyes and Radiation of Actinopterygian


• 7.1 Osteichthyes, Actinopterygii, and Sarcopterygi


• --Osteichthyan character


• --Fin adaptations


• --Other differences between actinopterygians and sarcopterygians


• 7.2 Actinopterygii: Basal Group


• --Polypteriformes


• --Acipenseriformes


• --Neopterygii: Holostei


• --Neopterygii: Teleoste


• 7.3 Characters of Teleostei


• 7.4 Teleostei: Basal Groups


• --Elopomorpha


• --Osteoglossomorpha


• --Otocephala


• --Basal euteleosts


• 7.5 Teleostei: Acanthopterygii


• --Basal acanthopterygians


• --Percomorph


• 7.6 Swimming and Hydrodynamics


• --Generating forward thrust


• --Modes of locomotion


• --Speed and drag


• --Steering, stopping, and staying in place


• 7.7 Reproduction and Development


• --Oviparity


• --Viviparity


• --Sex change in teleosts


• 7.8 Ecology of Marine Teleosts


• --Black-water diving and larval teleosts


• --The photic zone and its subdivisions


• --Coral reef fishes


• --Pelagic and deep-sea fishes


• Chapter 8


• Sarcopterygians and the Origin of Tetrapods


• 8.1 Phylogenetic Concepts of Tetrapoda and Characters for Sarcopterygii


• 8.2 The Miguasha Lagerstätte and the "Good Fossil Effect"


• 8.3 Actinistia


• --¿Onychodontia


• --Coelacanthiformes


• 8.4 Dipnomorpha


• --¿Porolepiformes


• --Dipnoi


• ?


• 8.5 Tetrapodomorpha


• --Basal tetrapodomorphs


• --Tetrapods


• 8.6 Moving onto Land


• --How did fins become limbs?


• --Body support and locomotion of early tetrapods


• 8.7 Paleoecology of Devonian Tetrapodomorphs


• Chapter 9


• Origins of Lissamphibia and Amniota


• 9.1 Paleozoic Tetrapods and the Origins of Extant Groups


• --Temnospondyli


• --Origins of Lissamphibia


• --Reptiliomorpha and the origin of amniotes


• --Paleozoic diversification of amniotes


• 9.2 Characters of Amniotes


• --Skeletal characters


• --The amniotic egg


• --Other soft-tissue characters of amniotes


• 9.3 Diversification of Amniotes


• --Temporal fenestration: Synapsids and diapsid


• --Ankle evolution in amniote


• Chapter 10


• Geography and Ecology of the Mesozoic


• 10.1 Continental Geography and Climates


• --Continental movements


• --Climate shifts


• 10.2 Terrestrial Ecosystems


• --Flora


• --Fauna


• 10.3 Marine Ecosystems


• --Faunal composition: Apex predators


• --Other clades


• 10.4 Extinctions


• --Triassic and Jurassic extinctions


• --Cretaceous extinctions


• Chapter 11


• Living on Land


• 11.1 Support on Land


• --Axial skeleton


• --Axial muscle


• --Appendicular skeleton


• --Size and scaling


• 11.2 Locomotion


• 11.3 Eating


• 11.4 Breathing Air


• 11.5 Pumping Blood Uphill


• 11.6 Sensory Systems


• --Vision


• --Hearing and equilibrium


• --Olfaction


• 11.7 Conserving Water in a Dry Environment


• --Cutaneous water loss


• --Respiratory water loss


• --Excretory water loss


• Chapter 12


• Lissamphibians


• 12.1...