Vertebrate Life (6th Edition) [Hardcover]

F. H. Pough (Author), Christine M Janis (Author), John B. Heiser (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 8, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0130412481 | ISBN-13: 978-0130412485 | Edition: 6

Widely praised for its comprehensive coverage and exceptionally clear writing style, this best-selling exploration of vertebrate life is the only accurate and up-to-date treatment of vertebrates that employs a phylogenetic perspective and focuses on how vertebrates work, integrating ecology, behavior, anatomy, and physiology in an evolutionary context. A new chapter on conservation draws together information about the basic biology of vertebrates and shows how it is essential for biological and regulatory decisions that affect the survival of species. Discussions of anatomy, physiology, and behavior are placed in an evolutionary context, showing readers how animals work and how they got to be the way they are. Contains information about conservation and endangered species status—related to the basic biology of the groups stresses the importance of good biological information for management and legislation. Features a Cladistic perspective which reflects the widespread adoption of phylogenetic systematics (cladistics) as the basis for determining the evolutionary relationships of organisms. Includes emphasis on conservation—Includes the application of basic biological information about organisms in programs of captive husbandry and management of threatened and endangered species. For professionals in the fields of Vertebrate Zoology, Vertebrate Biology Function, as well as Paleontology and Herpetology.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This best-selling text has been widely praised for its comprehensive coverage and clear writing style. Vertebrate Life is the only textbook that integrates the ecology, behavior, morphology and physiology of vertebrates in a phylogenetic context. It focuses on how animals work and the consequences--in ecological and evolutionary time-- of working one way versus another. The Fourth Edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to reflect changes in the discipline. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover

Widely praised for its comprehensive coverage and exceptionally clear writing style, this best-selling exploration of vertebrate life is the only accurate and up-to-date treatment of vertebrates that employs a phylogenetic perspective and focuses on how vertebrates work, integrating ecology, behavior, anatomy, and physiology in an evolutionary context. A new chapter on conservation draws together information about the basic biology of vertebrates and shows how it is essential for biological and regulatory decisions that affect the survival of species. Discussions of anatomy, physiology, and behavior are placed in an evolutionary context, showing readers how animals work and how they got to be the way they are. Contains information about conservation and endangered species status—related to the basic biology of the groups stresses the importance of good biological information for management and legislation. Features a Cladistic perspective which reflects the widespread adoption of phylogenetic systematics (cladistics) as the basis for determining the evolutionary relationships of organisms. Includes emphasis on conservation—Includes the application of basic biological information about organisms in programs of captive husbandry and management of threatened and endangered species. For professionals in the fields of Vertebrate Zoology, Vertebrate Biology Function, as well as Paleontology and Herpetology.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 768 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 6 edition (August 8, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130412481
• ISBN-13: 978-0130412485
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,182,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #55 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Paleontology > Vertebrate

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enthusiastically recommended as a college-level text., March 12, 1999

By 

Robert E. Plaag (Seattle WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vertebrate Life (Hardcover)

Vertebrate Life would serve as an excellent upper-level college textbook to anyone interested in becoming informed about vertebrates. Professionally, I am a physicist, who after visiting the American Museum of Natural History's Hall of Vertebrates, wanted to learn more about the subject. Even after reading Vertebrate Life, I don't think that I could point out the squamate bone on a fossilized skull. On the other hand, with 733 pages, it is unfair to critize this book about a lack of coverage! The authors provide several pages of excellent references at the end of each chapter. So, if I really wanted to be able to identify a squamate bone, I'm sure that I could have found out from one of references. However, I was troubled by a number of typos, some of the them serious. Figure 15-3 appears to have the second half of the figure repeated as the first half. It would have been nice to see missing illustrations. Figure 3-6b identifies the Otic capsule as "Optic capsule" at one point. This confused me for a while. Even with all this, I was fascinated by what I read, and read the entire book, cover to cover, all 733 pages worth. For the serious student of our natural world, I would recommend spending full price for this book, and plan on spending more than a few hours with it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Readable, Well-Organized Introduction to Vertebrate Natural History (8th Edition), January 13, 2011

By 

TT Turnbull (New Mexico State University, Las Cruces) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vertebrate Life (8th Edition) (Hardcover)

As the product description hints, this text is organized around the evolutionary innovations that gave rise to modern (and extinct) vertebrate lineages. The narrative style of the chapters, with names like "Living on Land" and "Ectothermy: A Low-Cost Approach to Life" makes a potentially bewildering array of material very approachable. While this book relies somewhat heavily (as it probably should) on cladograms, these are well-explained in the text--few taxa are represented on a phylogeny and then left hanging as loose ends, and the various defining innovations are clearly described.

I purchased this book (actually the International Edition, which did not differ in any way except the cover from the more expensive version), for a Natural History of the Vertebrates class in the fall of 2010 at NMSU, and it provided a good backdrop for the lectures and discussions. I have no intention of reselling it; it is a truly great reference to keep on hand. One very minor gripe: the photographs are all black-and-white, and the drawings and other figures are represented only in various shades of blue. This was not a real problem, and completely understandable given the price of the edition I bought, but, as others have said, such a book really ought to have some color photos in it at the price it goes for.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good textbook, December 30, 2010

By 

Rebecca - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vertebrate Life (8th Edition) (Hardcover)

I actually purchased the UCLA soft cover version of this book, which is just as good as the hardcover and even less expensive. In terms of content, the book is an excellent summary of the topic.