Buch, Englisch, 400 Seiten, Format (B × H): 227 mm x 289 mm, Gewicht: 1601 g
320 Million Years of Evolution
Buch, Englisch, 400 Seiten, Format (B × H): 227 mm x 289 mm, Gewicht: 1601 g
ISBN: 978-1-4214-2867-3
Verlag: J. Hopkins Uni. Press
The defining masterwork on the evolution of reptiles.
Over 300 million years ago, an early land vertebrate developed an egg that contained the embryo in an amnion, allowing it to be deposited on land. This moment marked the first step in the fascinating and complex evolutionary journey of the reptiles. In The Rise of Reptiles, paleontologist Hans-Dieter Sues explores the diversity of reptilian lineages, discussing the relationships among turtles, crocodylians, lizards and snakes, and many extinct groups.
Reflecting the tremendous advances in the study of reptilian diversity and phylogeny over recent decades, this book is the first detailed, contemporary synthesis of the evolutionary history of these remarkable animals. Reptiles have always confused taxonomists, who have endlessly debated and rewritten their classifications. In this book, Sues adopts an explicitly phylogenetic framework to sift through the evidence and discuss the origin and diversification of Reptilia in a way no one has before. He also examines the genealogical link between dinosaurs and birds and sheds new light on the Age of Reptiles, a period that saw the rise and fall of most dinosaurs.
With this single meticulously researched volume, Sues paints a complete portrait of reptilian evolution. Numerous photographs of key specimens from around the world introduce readers to the reptilian fossil record, and color images of present-day reptiles illustrate their diversity. The extensive bibliography provides an invaluable guide for readers who are interested in exploring individual topics more deeply. Accurate, synthetic, and sweeping, The Rise of Reptiles is the definitive work on the subject.
Autoren/Hrsg.
Fachgebiete
Weitere Infos & Material
Preface
Outline Classification
1 Introduction
2 Amniotes and Reptiles
3 Parareptilia: A Group of Their Own
4 Basal Eureptilia and Diapsida: Early Evolution of Modern Reptiles
5 Testudinata: Turtles and Their Stem-Taxa
6 Sauropterygia, Ichthyosauromorpha, and Related Reptiles: The Early Mesozoic Invasion of the Sea
7 Lepidosauromorpha: Rhynchocephalians, Squamates, and Their Relatives
8 Archosauromorpha: The Ruling Reptiles and Their Relatives
9 Pseudosuchia: Crocodile-Line Archosaurs
10 Avemetatarsalia: Bird-Line Archosaurs Excluding Dinosaurs
11 Dinosauria I: Saurischia
12 Dinosauria II: Ornithischia
13 A Brief History of Reptiles
14 The Future of Reptiles
Glossary
References
Index
