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This one-semester text is designed for an upper-level majors course. Vertebrates features a unique emphasis on function and evolution of vertebrates, complete anatomical detail, and excellent pedagogy. Vertebrate groups are organized phylogenetically, and their systems discussed within such a context. Morphology is foremost, but the author has developed and integrated an understanding of function and evolution into the discussion of anatomy of the various systems.

Our understanding of vertebrate origins and the backbone of human history evolves with each new fossil find and DNA map. Many species have now had their genomes sequenced, and molecular techniques allow genetic inspection of even non-model organisms. But as longtime Nature editor Henry Gee argues in Across the Bridge, despite these giant strides and our deepening understanding of how vertebrates fit into the tree of life, the morphological chasm between vertebrates and invertebrates remains vast and enigmatic. As Gee shows, even as scientific advances have falsified a variety of theories linking these groups, the extant relatives of vertebrates are too few for effective genetic analysis. Moreover, the more we learn about the species that do remain—from sea-squirts to starfish—the clearer it becomes that they are too far evolved along their own courses to be of much use in reconstructing what the latest invertebrate ancestors of vertebrates looked like. Fossils present yet further problems of interpretation. Tracing both the fast-changing science that has helped illuminate the intricacies of vertebrate evolution as well as the limits of that science, Across the Bridge helps us to see how far the field has come in crossing the invertebrate-to-vertebrate divide—and how far we still have to go.

There is extensive evidence that vertebrates of all classes have the ability to control the sexes of the offspring they produce. Despite dramatic differences in the mechanisms by which different taxa determine the initial sex of offspring, each group has found its own way of adjusting offspring sex ratios in response to social and environmental cues. For example, stress is a well-known modulator of offspring sex in members of all groups studied to date. Food availability, and limitation in particular, is another common cue that stimulates biases in offspring sex ratios in a wide variety of species. Offspring sex can be adjusted at the primary level, which occurs prior to conception, or at the secondary level, during embryonic development. While the mechanistic pathways that ultimately result in sex ratio biases and the developmental time-points sensitive to those mechanisms likely differ among taxa, the key involvement of steroid hormones in the process of sex ratio adjustmentappears to be pervasive throughout. This book reviews the systems of sex determination at play in different vertebrate groups, summarizes the evidence that members of all vertebrate taxa can facultatively adjust offspring sex, and discusses when and how these adjustments can take place.

Monografie se zabývá vývojovými aspekty pohybu současného člověka v okolním prostředí. Odkazuje k základům pohybu suchozemských obratlovců, kteří před 360 miliony lety kolonizovali souš planety. Kniha je postavena na řadě kvalifikačních objektivizačních studií a obsahuje dosažitelnou relevantní odbornou literaturou z oborů kineziologie, fyzioterapie, paleontologické antropologie, biologie, neurologie a sportu. Úmyslně není zmíněn aspekt psychologický, který by rozměr díla neúměrně rozšířil. Principy fylogeneze lokomoce obratlovců ovlivňují náš každodenní život. Předkládaná publikace by měla sloužit k iniciaci odborné diskuse v této oblasti a jako zdroj poznatků pro studenty věd o sportu, fyzioterapie a antropologie. Kniha se snaží osvětlit některé obecně platné principy lidské lokomoce a může se tak stát zdrojem inspirace pro cvičitele, trenéry, sportovce, ale i pro další zájemce z řad laické veřejnosti.

This is the second monograph by the author on biological materials of marine origin. The initial book is dedicated to the biological materials of marine invertebrates. This work is a source of modern knowledge on biomineralization, biomimetics and materials science with respect to marine vertebrates. For the first time in scientific literature the author gives the most coherent analysis of the nature, origin and evolution of biocomposites and biopolymers isolated from and observed in the broad variety of marine vertebrate organisms (fish, reptilian, birds and mammals) and within their unique hierarchically organized structural formations. There is a wealth of new and newly synthesized information, including dozens of previously unpublished images of unique marine creatures including extinct, extant and living taxa and their biocomposite-based structures from nano- to micro – and macroscale. This monograph reviews the most relevant advances in the marine biological materials research field, pointing out several approaches being introduced and explored by distinct modern laboratories.

It is an old and trite saying that a preface is written last, placed first and read least. It may also be an explanation or justification for what follows, especially if the author feels that the reader may not agree with him. This is thus, something of an apologia. When I first agreed to write this book, I felt that it was to be directed principally towards the endocrine system of vertebrates especially asthere were availablesome excellent accounts of their osmoregulation. However, it was soon apparent to me that in order to appreciate the role of the endocrines one must strongly emphasize non-endocrine functions involved in the regulation of the animals water and salt balance. In addition several years have elapsed since a full account of vertebrate osmoregulation has been given. I have thus felt free to take an overall look at the animals water and salt metabolism, but have especially emphasized more recent contributions. Possibly the book should now be called'Osmoregulation and the Endocrines'.

The author examines hemostasis in animals from all seven major vertebrate classes. Her research provides unique insights into the phylogenetic development of the various phases and components of hemostasis. This monograph is a valuable reference for students, researchers, and teachers of biology, zoology, veterinary science, and human medicine.

When a young graduate student sat before Percival Bailey in 1960 and spoke of his longstanding interest in zoology and his recent interest in the nervous system, he asked the then Director of the Illinois Neuropsychiatric Institute if there was support in the scientific establishment for research in evolutionary comparative neurology. Bailey patted his abdomen with both hands and thought for a moment. Finally he said:'Young man, there is no place for people like you.'The graduate student was crestfallen. To a large extent what Bailey said is still true. The greater part of research in neurobiology is directed toward answering a single broad question. How do brains in general, and the human brain in particular, work? This is a legitimate and important question. It is not, however, the only question worth answering. This overweening emphasis on function, especially in regard to the human nervous is a result of the origins of neurology in the clinic. The professional school, system, site of most such research, has been remarkably well-insulated from many of the major concerns of biology.

In just one concise and lucidly written volume a multitude of topics is covered introducing the results of extensive research on the processing of environmental information in vertebrates. Practical examples are provided to illustrate points made in the text. Many factors, both from the external environment and from within the animals own cells or tissue makeup can directly serve as a pressure to elicit physiological and/or behavioral responses in the organisms studied. Light intensity, photoperiod, circadian rhythms, seasonal variation and daylenght, just to name a few, are among the environmental factors that are correlated in these studies to behavioral or hormonal changes, organ function, and reproduction. This work will serve as a guidebook and easy reference source for students and research professionals in physiology, endocrinology, comparative zoology, and veterinary science.

John Dowling's The Retina, published in 1987, quickly became the most widely recognized introduction to the structure and function of retinal cells. In this Revised Edition, Dowling draws on twenty-five years of new research to produce an interdisciplinary synthesis focused on how retinal function contributes to our understanding of brain mechanisms.The retina is a part of the brain pushed out into the eye during development. It retains many characteristics of other brain regions and hence has yielded significant insights on brain mechanisms. Visual processing begins there as a result of neuronal interactions in two synaptic layers that initiate an analysis of space, color, and movement. In humans, visual signals from 126 million photoreceptors funnel down to one million ganglion cells that convey at least a dozen representations of a visual scene to higher brain regions.The Revised Edition calls attention to general principles applicable to all vertebrate retinas, while showing how the visual needs of different animals are reflected in their retinal variations. It includes completely new chapters on color vision and retinal degenerations and genetics, as well as sections on retinal development and visual pigment biochemistry, and presents the latest knowledge and theories on how the retina is organized anatomically, physiologically, and pharmacologically.The clarity of writing and illustration that made The Retina a book of choice for a quarter century among graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, vision researchers, and teachers of upper-level courses on vision is retained in Dowling's new easy-to-read Revised Edition.

Scientists not infrequently succumb to the frustration they feel when they have to garner often quite fundamental information about an undeveloped field from scattered publications covering many disciplines by writing their own review of the field in question. This is an invaluable exercise, particularly for those in the business of stimulating students to grapple with unfamiliar ideas and concepts, since it makes the introduction to that literature much less painful. To some extent I, too, have succumbed to this frustration by writing this book, but I have also, much more importantly, tried to develop out of this literature an olfactory perspective of the whole organism in its environment - in its feeding relations, reproductive biology, ecological isolation, social organization, ability to give warning and defend itself, and ability to navigate when displaced from home. One event more than any other acted as a catalyst to encourage me to start this task. One evening in the arid Australian bush, as I was returning to camp, the stirring of the air bathed me in a host of smells I had been unaware of in the stifling heat of the day. I found their effect on me quite extraordinary, for they refreshed and revitalized me more than I would ever have imagined possible. I had a rare glimpse of what it must be like to be macrosmatic-to rely on one's nose for one's sensory input.

When Dr. Katherine Tansley's'Vision in Vertebrates'appeared in 1965, it filled a real void that had hitherto existed. It did so by serving at once as a text-book: for an undergraduate course, a general introduction to the subject for post-graduate students embarking on research on some aspect of vision, and the interested non-specialists. Gordon Walls''The Vertebrate Eye and It. s Adaptive Radiation'and A. Rochon-Duvigneaud's'Les Yeux et la Vision des Vertebres'have served as important sources of information on the subject and continue to do so even though it is 40 years since they appeared. However, they are essentially specialised reference works and are not easily accessible to boot. The genius of Katherine Tansley was to present in a succinct (132 pages) and lucid way a clear and an interesting survey of the matter. Everyone liked it, particularly the students because one could read it quickly and understand it. Thus, when it seemed that a new edition was desirable, especially in view of the enormous strides made and the vast literature that had accumulated in the past 20 years, one of us (MAA) asked Dr. Tansley if she would undertake the task. Since she is in retirement and her health not in a very satisfactory state both she and her son, John Lythgoe (himself a specialist of vision), asked us to take over the task.

Describing the diversity and features of various vertebrate groups, ranging from the oldest living fishes to the relatively more recent evolution of mammals, this book covers anatomical systems including organs and tissues, as well as their function and differentiation in various vertebrate groups. The authors also discuss the evolution of vertebra

This volume grew out of the 2nd International Symposium on Behavioral and Morphological Asymmetries, which took place in St. Petersburg (Russia) in September 2004 at the St. Petersburg State University under the patronage of the St. Petersburg Society of Naturalists. The Symposium is the descendant of a satellite event with a similar name of the 4t

This advanced text, first published in 2006, takes a developmental approach to the presentation of our understanding of how vertebrates construct a retina. Written by experts in the field, each of the seventeen chapters covers a specific step in the process, focusing on the underlying molecular, cellular, and physiological mechanisms. There is also a special section on emerging technologies, including genomics, zebrafish genetics, and stem cell biology that are starting to yield important insights into retinal development. Primarily aimed at professionals, both biologists and clinicians working with the retina, this book provides a concise view of vertebrate retinal development. Since the retina is'an approachable part of the brain', this book will also be attractive to all neuroscientists interested in development, as processes required to build this exquisitely organized system are ultimately relevant to all other parts of the central nervous system.

The Springer Handbook of Auditory Research presents a series of compreh- sive and synthetic reviews of the fundamental topics in modern auditory - search. The volumes are aimed at all individuals with interests in hearing research including advanced graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and clinical investigators. The volumes are intended to introduce new investigators to important aspects of hearing science and to help established investigators to better understand the fundamental theories and data in?elds of hearing that they may not normally follow closely. Each volume presents a particular topic comprehensively, and each serves as a synthetic overview and guide to the literature. As such, the chapters present neither exhaustive data reviews nor original research that has not yet appeared in peer-reviewed journals. The volumes focus on topics that have developed a solid data and conceptual foundation rather than on those for which a literature is only beginning to develop. New research areas will be covered on a timely basis in the series as they begin to mature.

Vertebrate Endocrinology: Fundamentals and Biomedical Implications, Volume 2: Regulation of Water and Electrolytes provides information pertinent to vertebrate endocrine systems, which has significant contributions to basic biological and biomedical research. This book discusses the practical implications of the endocrinological studies. Organized into 13 chapters, this volume starts with an overview of the comprehensive aspects of endocrinology in mammalian and nonmammalian vertebrates, with emphasis on those systems that affect salt and water balance. This book then discusses the control of secretion as well as the function and biomedical implications of knowledge of secretion and function. Other chapters discuss several topics, including neurohypophysis, adrenal hormones, and pancreatic hormones. This text discusses as well the renin–angiotensin system. The final chapter deals with the changes that occur during vertebrate evolution in smaller peptide hormones, such as the neurohypophysial peptides and the angiotensins. Endocrinologists, biologists, graduate students, and researchers will find this book extremely useful.

Vertebrate Endocrinology: Fundamentals and Biomedical Implications, Volume 1: Morphological Considerations provides information pertinent to vertebrate endocrine systems, which has significant contributions to basic biological and biomedical research. This book discusses the practical implications of the endocrinological studies. Organized into 15 chapters, this volume starts with an overview of the endocrine process in lower vertebrates, which has provided basic information about the understanding of mammalian and human systems. This text then discusses the pituitary gland, which is considered to be functionally and structurally the most complex organ of the endocrine system. Other chapters consider the function of the pineal organ as a sensory organ capable of perceiving light stimuli in poikilothermic vertebrates. This book discusses as well the caudal neurosecretory system in lampreys, hagfish, holocephalans, and dipnoans. The final chapter provides the comparative morphology of the classical vertebrate endocrine organs. Endocrinologists, biologists, graduate students, and researchers will find this book useful.

Steroids in Nonmammalian Vertebrates offers a critical assessment of each identification and/or quantification of a steroid in nonmammalian vertebrates, with particular reference to fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. Discussions focus on corticosteroids, androgens, estrogens, functional morphology of steroidogenic tissues, and biological effects of steroid hormones. The methods used to study steroid biosynthesis are also covered. This text is comprised of eight chapters; the first of which explains the importance of understanding the endocrinology of nonmammalian vertebrates. The reader is then introduced to the methods used in the isolation, identification, and quantification of steroids. The criteria for the identification of steroids isolated from natural sources are described, and the in vivo and in vitro methods for steroid biosynthesis are compared. The next chapter focuses on the functional morphology of the testis, ovary, interrenal tissue, and adnexa, such as Bidder's organ and the corpuscles of Stannius, of nonmammalian vertebrates. This book also explores the identification and quantification of corticosteroids, estrogens, and androgens in fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. Emphasis is placed on factors affecting corticosteroidogenesis in fish, protein binding of sex hormones in fishes and amphibians, and physicochemical aspects of steroid hormones. This book will be of interest to students and scientists in the fields of zoology and biology.