Analysis of Vertebrate Structure

This updated edition begins with a thorough overview of the field, including its evolution, its theoretical and conceptual underpinnings, significant recent findings, and areas open to further research. Its three-part structure - a survey of vertebrates, organ systems, and structural adaptation - provides a comprehensive treatment of this discipline. Coverage includes the latest information on the systematics of extinct groups, extended discussions of reproduction and growth, respiratory and circulatory systems of vertebrates, and their skeletal and anatomical characteristics. There is also discussion of homology/analogy, parallelism/convergence, cladistics, classification and ancestry, thermoregulation and energy storage, and much more. The book features many illustrations and a glossary of over 500 terms.