Evolution of the Amphibian Skull

The book is the outcome of some twenty years of work devoted to to the study of the amphibian skull development. The aims of ths work are: (i) to study the urodelan skull onthogeny; (ii) to determine correlative relationships between different cranial elements: (iii) to study the dynamic of establishment of relationships underlying specific structural patterns in the amphibian skull; (iv) to reconstruct the scenario of the phylogenetic establishment of cranial structural patterns in early tetrapods; and (v) based on the structure and development of correlative systems in the amphibian skull, to evaluate the phylogenetic affinities of recent amphibians. The book is intended for evolutionary biologists, specialists in amphibian biology and evolution, palaeontologists and anyone interested in general biology.

Contents

Introduction

Materials and methods

List of abbreviations

Chapter 1. The development of the urodelan skull
Embryonic period
Larval period

Chapter 2. Homology of the urodelan cranial bones
Homology of the urodelan parasphenoid
Homology of the urodelan nasal
Homology of the skull roofing bones in urodelans
Homology of the urodelan squamosal

Chapter 3. Evolution of the structural pattern of the amphibian bony skull
The establishment of the amphibian structural type of the dermal cranial base
The establishment of the amphibian structural type of the dermal cranial roof
The establishment of the amphibian structural type of the dermal cranial cheek region

Chapter 4. Summary
Monophyletic origin of recent amphibians

Author: Natalia S. Lebedkina
Publisher: Pensoft
Extra Details: 165x235, b/w figures, tables, references, paperback. In English, 265 pp.