The Osteology Of Reptiles And Amphibians

Stanley Olsen’s invaluable manual presents diagnostic characteristics of the fish, amphibian, and reptile bones commonly found in archaeological sites in the southeastern and southwestern United Stares. An appendix describes in detail the osteology of the wild turkey.

The Osteology of Reptiles and Amphibians: A Modern Comparative Atlas of North American Species is the original guide to all skeletal systems and bone compositions of herpetofauna ranging including turtles, crocodiles, lizards, and snakes. This book looks at the largest concentration of reptilian and amphibian species found across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and beyond. The book begins with fundamental overviews and descriptions for osteological identification, herpetological evolution, and the study of functional and comparative morphology. Its primary feature, unlike any other book of a similar subject matter, is the numerous line drawings separated by bone type, with representatives from all major herpetofauna groups allow individuals looking to identify unknown bones to group. This book offers detailed, scaled, within-group drawings allow researchers to collect data within major groups. The Osteology of Reptiles and Amphibians: A Modern Comparative Atlas of North American Species is the first of its kind, offering herpetologists, vertebrate biologists, paleontologists, and zooarchaelogists a core visual resource for studying and understanding herpetofauna osteology. This book is also useful for students in animal biology, herpetology, and osteology courses. The only book designed for maximum efficiency in herpetofauna bone identification and research Features easy-to-follow guidance on osteological identification, reptile and amphibian evolution, and comparative morphology Illustrated with high-quality line drawings of all skeletal elements of nearly 500 species

Study of the osteology of extant forms, primarily morphological in focus but with some chapters stressing development, functionality or phylogeny. Topics include: a comparison of dermal skulls of recent amphibians with those of their palaeozoic ancestors; whole bones of the 3 orders of modern amphibians; salamanders; caecilians; anurans.

As scientific analysis of testable hypotheses has replaced the speculative approach to study of bone disease in recent and fossil amphibians and reptiles, the field has advanced from simply reporting observations to analyzing their implications. This process is predicated upon a reproducible data base which explains/diagnoses the nature of bony alterations and a secure review of the literature. Thereby hangs the rub. The herpetological literature are difficult to access (let alone read) and are scattered through many prominent and eclectic journals and in the lay literature. While older diagnoses often have not stood the test of time, the clarity of report descriptions usually allows confident identification of the underlying pathology.