Vertebrate life / F. Harvey Pough, Christine M. Janis, John B. Heiser.

Includes index

Contents
Preface
Part I Vertebrate Diversity, Function, and Evolution
1 The Diversity, Classification, and Evolution of Vertebrates
1.1 The Vertebrate Story
1.2 Classification of Vertebrates
1.3 Phylogenetic Systematics
1.4 The Problem with Fossils: Crown and Stem Groups
1.5 Evolutionary Hypotheses
1.6 Earth History and Vertebrate Evolutionary
Summary, Additional Readings
2 Vertebrate Relationships and Basic Structure
2.1 Vertebrates in Relation to Other Animals
2.2 Definition of a Vertebrate
2.3 Basic Vertebrate Structure
Summary, Additional Readings
3 Early Vertebrates: Jawless Vertebrates and the Origin of Jawed Vertebrates
3.1 Reconstructing the Biology of the Earliest Vertebrates
3.2 Extant Jawless Fishes
3.3 The Radiation of Paleozoic Jawless Vertebrates? Ostracoderms?
3.4 The Basic Gnathostome Design
3.5 The Transition from Jawless to Jawed Vertebrates
3.6 Extinct Paleozoic Jawed Fishes
Summary, Additional Readings
Part II Non-Amniotic Vertebrates: Fishes and Amphibians
4 Living in Water
4.1 The Aquatic Environment
Box 4?1 Water?A Nice Place to Visit, But Would You Want to Live There?
4.2 Water and the Sensory World of Fishes
4.3 The Internal Environment of Vertebrates
4.4 Exchange of Water and Ions
4.5 Responses to Temperature
Summary, Additional Readings
5 Radiation of the Chondrichthyes
5.1 Chondrichthyes?The Cartilaginous Fishes
5.2 Evolutionary Specializations of Chondrichthyes
5.3 The Paleozoic Chondrichthyan Radiation
5.4 The Early Mesozoic Elasmobranch Radiation
5.5 The Extant Radiation?Sharks, Skates, and Rays
5.6 Holocephali?The Bizarre Chondrichthyans
Summary, Additional Readings
6 Dominating Life in Water: The Major Radiation of Fishes
6.1 The Appearance of Bony Fishes
6.2 Extant Sarcopterygii?Lobe-Finned Fishes
6.3 Evolution of the Actinopterygii
Box 6?1 Brainy Fish
6.4 Extant Actinopterygii?Ray-Finned Fishes
6.5 Locomotion in Water
6.6 Actinopterygian Reproduction
Box 6?2 What a Fish's Ears Tell About Its Life
6.7 The Adaptable Fish?Teleost Communities in Contrasting Environments
6.8 Conservation of Fishes
Box 6?3 A Lot is Fishy in Genetic Research
Summary, Additional Readings
7 Geography and Ecology of the Paleozoic Era
7.1 Earth History, Changing Environments, and Vertebrate Evolution
7.2 Continental Geography of the Paleozoic
7.3 Paleozoic Climates
7.4 Paleozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems
7.5 Paleozoic Extinctions
Additional Readings
8 Living on Land
8.1 Support and Locomotion on Land
Box 8?1 Size and Scaling in Terrestrial Vertebrates
8.2 Eating on Land
8.3 Reproduction on Land
8.4 Breathing Air
8.5 Pumping Blood Uphill
8.6 Sensory Systems in Air
Box 8?2 Echolocation in Air and Water
8.7 Conserving Water in a Dry Environment
8.8 Controlling Body Temperature in a Changing Environment
Summary, Additional Readings
9 Origin and Radiation of Tetrapods
9.1 Tetrapod Origins
Box 9?1 Early Feet
9.2 Radiation and Diversity of Non-amniotic Paleozoic Tetrapods
9.3 Amniotes
Summary, Additional Readings
10 Salamanders, Anurans, and Caecilians
10.1 Amphibians
10.2 Diversity of Life Histories of Amphibians
10.3 Amphibian Metamorphosis
10.4 Exchange of Water and Gases
10.5 Poison Glands and Other Defense Mechanisms
10.6 Mimicry
10.7 Why Are Amphibians Vanishing?
Summary, Additional Readings
Part III Sauropsida: Turtles, Lepidosaurs, and Birds
11 Synapsids and Sauropsids: Two Approaches to Terrestrial Life
11.1 Taking Advantage of the Opportunity for Sustained Locomotion
11.2 Increasing Gas Exchange: The Trachea and Lungs
Box 11?1 High-Flying Birds
11.3 Transporting Oxygen to the Muscles: Structure of the Heart
11.4 Taking Advantage of Wasted Energy: Endothermy
11.5 Getting Rid of Wastes: The Kidneys and Bladder
11.6 Sensing and Making Sense of the World: Eyes, Ears, Tongues, Noses, and Brains
Summary, Additional Readings
12 Turtles
12.1 Everyone Recognizes a Turtle
12.2 But What Is a Turtle? Phylogenetic Relationships of Turtles
12.3 Turtle Structure and Functions
12.4 Ecology and Behavior of Turtles
12.5 Conservation of Turtles
Box 12?1 Sick Turtles
Summary, Additional Readings
13 The Lepidosaurs: Tuatara, Lizards, and Snakes
13.1 The Lepidosaurs
13.2 Radiation of Sphenodontids and the Biology of Tuatara
13.3 Radiation of Squamates
13.4 Ecology and Behavior of Squamates
Box 13?1 Caudal Autonomy?Your Tail or Your Life
13.5 Behavioral Control of Body Temperatures by Ectotherms
13.6 Temperature and Ecology of Squamates
Summary, Additional Readings
14 Ectothermy: A Low-Cost Approach to Life
14.1 Vertebrates and Their Environments
14.2 Dealing with Dryness?Ectotherms in Deserts
Box 14?1 Doubly Labeled Water
14.3 Coping with Cold?Ectotherms in Subzero Conditions
14.4 The Role of Ectothermal Tetrapods in Terrestrial Ecosystems
Summary, Additional Readings
15 Geography and Ecology of the Mesozoic Era
15.1 Mesozoic Continental Geography
15.2 Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems
Additional Readings
16 Mesozoic Diapsids: Dinosaurs, Crocodilians, Birds, and Others
16.1 Mesozoic Fauna
16.2 Phylogenetic Relationships Among Diapsids
16.3 Archosauria
Box 16?1 Marine Diapsids of the Mesozoic Era
16.4 Dinosaurs
16.5 The Ornithischian Dinosaurs
Box 16?2 Dinosaur Eggs and Nests
16.6 The Saurischian Dinosaurs
16.7 The Origin of Birds: Feathers and Flight
Box 16?3 Pterosaurs: The First Flying Reptiles
Box 16?4 The Evolution of Feathers: Evo-Devo and Fossils
16.8 Archaeopteryx and Other Birds
Summary, Additional Readings
17 Avian Specializations
17.1 Early Birds and Extant Birds
17.2 The Structure of Birds
17.3 The Avian Wing
17.4 The Hind Limbs
17.5 Feeding and Digestion
17.6 Sensory Systems
Box 17?1 Chaucer the Ornithologist
17.7 Mating Systems, Reproduction, and Parental Care
17.8 Migration and Navigation
Summary, Additional Readings
Part IV Synapsida: The Mammals
18 The Synapsida and the Evolution of Mammals
18.1 The Origin of Synapsids
18.2 Diversity of Nonmammalian Synapsids
18.3 Evolutionary Trends in Synapsids
Box 18?1 Evolution of the Mammalian Middle Ear
18.4 The First Mammals
Summary, Additional Readings
19 Geography and Ecology of the Cenozoic Era
19.1 Cenozoic Continental Geography
19.2 Cenozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems
19.3 Cenozoic Climates
19.4 Cenozoic Extinctions
Additional Readings
20 Mammalian Diversity and Characteristics
20.1 Major Lineages of Mammals
20.2 Features Shared by All Mammals
Box 20?1 The Evolution of Tribosphenic Molars
20.3 Features That Differ Between Mammal Groups
20.4 Cenozoic Mammal Evolution
Summary, Additional Readings
21 Mammalian Specializations
21.1 Mammalian Reproduction
21.2 Some Extreme Placental Mammal Reproductive Specializations
21.3 Are Placental Mammals Reproductively Superior to Marsupials?
21.4 Specializations for Feeding
21.5 Specializations for Locomotion
21.6 Evolution of Aquatic Mammals
Box 21?1 Comparison of Different Types of Fully Aquatic Mammals
Summary, Additional Readings
22 Endothermy: A High-Energy Approach to Life
22.1 Endothermal Thermoregulation
Box 22?1 Energy Budgets of Vampire Bats
22.2 Endotherms in the Arctic
22.3 Migration to Avoid Difficult Conditions
22.4 Torpor as a Response to Low Temperatures and Limited Food
22.5 Endotherms in Hot Deserts
Box 22?2 How Hot Is It?
Summary, Additional Readings
23 Body Size, Ecology, and Sociality of Mammals
23.1 Social Behavior
23.2 Population Structure and the Distribution of Resources
23.3 Advantages of Sociality
23.4 Body Size, Diet, and the Structure of Social Systems
Box 23?1 Altruism or Taunting?
23.5 Horns and Antlers
23.6 Primate Societies
Box 23?2 Sociality and Survival
Summary, Additional Readings
24 Primate Evolution and the Emergence of Humans
24.1 Primate Origins and Diversification
24.2 Origin and Evolution of the Hominoidea
24.3 Origin and Evolution of Humans
Box 24?1 Controversial New Finds of Genus Homo
24.4 Ecological and Biogeographical Aspects of Early Hominid Evolution
24.5 Evolution of Human Characteristics
Box 24?2 The Genus Homo and the Evolution of Running
Summary, Additional Readings
25 The Impact of Humans on Other Species of Vertebrates
25.1 Humans and the Pleistocene Extinctions
25.2 Humans and Recent Extinctions
Box 25?1 Fish Farming
25.3 Organismal Biology and Conservation
Box 25?2 Subtle Elements of Critical Habitats
Box 25?3 Adolescent Elephants
25.4 Captive Breeding
25.5 Global Issues in Conservation Biology
Box 25?4 Endocrine Disruptors
25.6 ?The Paradoxes of Conservation
Summary, Additional Readings
Glossary
Credits
Subject Index
Name Index