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Review
"This fine textbook by Michael Benton (Department of Geology University of Bristol) sets the standard in the field – a well–developed and wonderfully researched book that will serve the student community in the study of Palaeontology for years to come." (Electric Review.Net, September 2004)
"This is the third edition of a very long running (1990) and highly successful textbook in the field of vertebrate palaeontology...an invaluable aid to those who wish to know more about vertebrate fossils. There are plenty of well–drawn labelled diagrams. The text is clear and the book superbly planned and ordered...A classic textbook..." (Down to Earth, December 2004)
[The] simple language and general attitude make it accessible even to readers not familiar with paleontology at all. ...the author has succeeded in making it as comprehensive as possible in respect to such complex factual material. In few other books is the biological diversity of vertebrates presented in such an elegant and precise manner.... These parts of the book impressively show the unusual extent of the author′s knowledge. Michael Benton is an expert on the early evolution of dinosaurs, but his expertise in a range of problems of vertebrate paleontology is astonishing... No doubt that Michael Benton′s professional review of the evolution of the most complex of animals has to be placed high on the evolutionary tree of university textbooks. There is probably no better, more comprehensive and up–to–date source..."
(Journal of Sedimentary Research, March 2005)
"...a textbook aimed at enthusiasts and undergraduates...it is well laid out and the clear narrative style makes it accessible and easily read. I am sure anyone who wishes to learn more about the history of vertebrates will find it a very useful and informative book with much of interest to be gleaned." (Glasgow Naturalist, June 2006)
Review
–Robin Cocks, GA Magazine of the Geologists′ Association, March 2005
"This volume... is on the way to becoming a classic. This third edition...is also all one could hope for in a field that is changing so fast... The interest of the book is very much in the diversity of approaches used...This book is certainly the best introduction to the palaeontology of the vertebrates which is currently available, and its potential readership clearly passes beyond the student world alone. It has been translated into many languages, and one can only hope that a French edition will also see the light of day."
–Professor Eric Buffetaut (Paris), Géochronique, June 2005
Vertebrates are all the animals with backbones, the fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Read the first page
Concordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
As vertebrates ourselves, we all have an interest in this book - Bentons very structured writing and editorial style allows the reader to follow his own family tree back from the present to the Pre-Cambrian.
Vertebrate Paleontology is a vast subject to cover - Michaels book simply outlines the key time markers, the key subjects and the key organisms along the route from Pikaia of the Burgess Shales to modern Hominids. The references, as always, are ubiquitous for those dedicated readers.
An excellent book.
One major complaint about the book is the number of typos and mislabeled diagrams...it can become rather confusing. I have taken a pen to the book and with careful reading, re-reading and cross referencing, have corrected the errors in my own copy to save me the brain strain...but on the whole, this book does what one would want from it.
The main purpose of the opening two chapters is to provide background material for the rest of the book. The first shows how vertebrates fit into the tree of life. Enough embryology is presented to define deutrostomes. The only phylum considered in any detail is, not surprisingly, chordata. Some other phyla are described, but this is done mainly to show how they relate to chordates. This chapter is brief but lucid. The following chapter presents material on fossil excavation, cladistics and the fossil record.
After this introductory material the book progresses to its main topic. The approach is roughly chronological. As usual the focus is, for the most part, on the animals that were dominat in that time. For instance amphibians aren't considered after rise of amniotes and reptiles aren't considered after the Mesozoic.
The first topic covered is fish from the Paleozoic, at least through the Devonian period. The material is pretty much what one would expect: jawless fish, the origin of jaws, armour-plated fish, early sharks, bony fish, lung fish and a mass extinction of fish that occurred in the late Devonian. There is a chapter later in the book that covers fish evolution from the end of the Paleozoic. It treats the evolution of sharks and bony fish in more detail.
An outline of the remaining content is: amphibians, early amniotes (my favorite chapter covering synapsids/diapsids/anapsids), dinosaurs and reptiles from the Mesozoic, birds, mammals and finally a chapter on human evolution.
Each chapter begins with a list of "key questions" that will be addressed. This was useful both in providing a preview of the material to come and in providing a review of what was covered. The coverage in each chapter went along the lines of describing important genera, descriptions of how the various species made their way in the world, cladograms (of varying granularity), anatomical diagrams, photos of fossils and descriptions of important finds. One very nice feature is that some important concepts were explained in great detail, like the digits that birds have lost or how reptilian jaw bones evolved into important parts of the mammalian inner ear. Another nice feature is that the author makes it clear where there are controversies among paleontologists and explain where the weight of the evidence leads.
Aside from the main text some other good aspects of the book are that if gives lots of references (including some available on-line), the bibliography references a lot of good books and there is an appendix that gives a reasonably detailed classification of the vertebrates.
The book covers quite a lot of material in a surprisingly small number of pages, slightly less than 400 pages in the main text. I think more than enough background material is included in the book for non-specialists. However prior exposure to natural selection would be useful, although any likely readers probably have more than sufficient knowledge. Obviously any of the individual topics, like dinosaur evolution or human evolution, are considered in more detail in specialized texts. Given the vast amount of potential material I thought the level of detail was very good.
I found the book to be very informative and rather detailed in scope and breath in some areas where there is a lot of information on the subject and and rather enlightening in areas where there is less information. "Verterbrate Palaeontology" is designed for palaeontology courses in college given by either the biology, geology, or palaeontology departments within the university setting, but if you are an enthusiast you can still benefit from reading this book, and experience the "how" in how information is processed in a research setting.
"Vertebrate Palaeontology" is about the evolution of the vertebrate... that is, it is about all of the historical animals that have existed prior to man's evolution and about human evolution itself. The book makes for a fascinating read and I found that it is very logical in its progression and the information that the book imparts is quite valuable in its very nature as to how animals evolved as they did and for what purpose.
Like I've said, this book is not for the novice or a young reader, but for those that truly need to read about more detailed and structured information as to why things are as they are and happened for a particular reason. Reading "Vertebrate Palaeontogy" will give the reader a structured and discplined reading as to approaching the information at hand and you'll better understand the adaptations required for the move on to land and the relationships of the early amphibians and reptiles... orgins and biology of the dinosaurs and the role that extinction plays in the whole of evolution. Reading "Vertebrate Palaeontology" will train your mind in a logical train of thinking and gives the reader a leg up on what is found and how to interpret any evidence found and the approach to which and how to handle this information in a logical manner.
I gave "Vertebrate Palaeontology" a solid 5 stars for the reasons above and that there is a wealth of information contained within its pages that will definitely give you a more enlightened view of life on earth. The reading of "Vertebrate Palaeontology" will in some areas be very taxing and others the read is absolutely enlightening... this book is written for the specialist in mind. "Vertebrate Palaeontology" has plenty of illustrations and the book has an extensive bibliography and has the works of others in this field properly footnoted for further exploration into the topic.
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