Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy

The purpose of this book, now in its third edition, is to introduce the morphology of vertebrates in a context that emphasizes a comparison of structire and of the function of structural units. The comparative method involves the analysis of the history of structure in both developmental and evolutionary frameworks. The nature of adaptation is the key to this analysis. Adaptation of a species to its environment, as revealed by its structure, function, and reproductive success, is the product of mutation and natural selection–the process of evolution. The evolution of structure and function, then, is the theme of this book which presents, system by system, the evolution of structure and function of vertebrates. Each chapter presents the major evolutionary trends of an organ system, with instructions for laboratory exploration of these trends included so the student can integrate concept with example.

This full-color manual is a unique guide for students conducting the comparative study of representative vertebrate animals. It is appropriate for courses in comparative anatomy, vertebrate zoology, or any course in which the featured vertebrates are studied.

"Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates is written bearing in mind that the modern trends of studies on the chordates have changed drastically from the classical study of one or two commonly available representative types to a detailed comparative account of organs and organ systems present in all available extant forms." "The book provides an introduction to structure-function concept at the level of organs and organ systems, which is fundamental to the understanding of synthesis of comparative anatomy. The book is divided into twelve chapters. The first chapter deals with characteristics of chordates, followed by integumentry system, skeletal system, muscular system, digestive system, respiratory system, circulatory system, excretory system, reproductive system, nervous system, receptor system and lastly endocrine system."--BOOK JACKET.

Comparative Vertebrate Neuroanatomy Evolution and Adaptation Second Edition Ann B. Butler and William Hodos The Second Edition of this landmark text presents a broad survey of comparative vertebrate neuroanatomy at the introductory level, representing a unique contribution to the field of evolutionary neurobiology. It has been extensively revised and updated, with substantially improved figures and diagrams that are used generously throughout the text. Through analysis of the variation in brain structure and function between major groups of vertebrates, readers can gain insight into the evolutionary history of the nervous system. The text is divided into three sections: * Introduction to evolution and variation, including a survey of cell structure, embryological development, and anatomical organization of the central nervous system; phylogeny and diversity of brain structures; and an overview of various theories of brain evolution * Systematic, comprehensive survey of comparative neuroanatomy across all major groups of vertebrates * Overview of vertebrate brain evolution, which integrates the complete text, highlights diversity and common themes, broadens perspective by a comparison with brain structure and evolution of invertebrate brains, and considers recent data and theories of the evolutionary origin of the brain in the earliest vertebrates, including a recently proposed model of the origin of the brain in the earliest vertebrates that has received strong support from newly discovered fossil evidence Ample material drawn from the latest research has been integrated into the text and highlighted in special feature boxes, including recent views on homology, cranial nerve organization and evolution, the relatively large and elaborate brains of birds in correlation with their complex cognitive abilities, and the current debate on forebrain evolution across reptiles, birds, and mammals. Comparative Vertebrate Neuroanatomy is geared to upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in neuroanatomy, but anyone interested in the anatomy of the nervous system and how it corresponds to the way that animals function in the world will find this text fascinating.

This high-quality laboratory manual may accompany any comparative anatomy text, but correlates directly to Kardong's Vertebrates: Comparative Anatomy, Function, Evolution text. This text carefully guides students through dissections and is richly illustrated. First and foremost, the basic animal architecture is presented in a clear and concise manner. This richly illustrated manual carefully guides students through dissections. Throughout the dissections, the authors pause strategically to bring the students attention to the significance of the material they have just covered.