Vertebrate Palaeontology

by Michael J. Benton

Vertebrate palaeontology is a lively field, with new discoveries reported every week… and not only dinosaurs! This new edition reflects the international scope of vertebrate palaeontology, with a special focus on exciting new finds from China.

A key aim is to explain the science. Gone are the days of guesswork. Young researchers use impressive new numerical and imaging methods to explore the tree of life, macroevolution, global change, and functional morphology.

The fourth edition is completely revised. The cladistic framework is strengthened, and new functional and developmental spreads are added. Study aids include: key questions, research to be done, and recommendations of further reading and web sites.

The book is designed for palaeontology courses in biology and geology departments. It is also aimed at enthusiasts who want to experience the flavour of how the research is done. The book is strongly phylogenetic, and this makes it a source of current data on vertebrate evolution.

Genres: Science, Palaeontology, Dinosaurs, Nonfiction, Evolution, Biology, Reference

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 1990

About the author

Michael J. Benton FRS is Professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology at the University of Bristol. He is particularly interested in early reptiles, Triassic dinosaurs, and macroevolution, and has published over 50 books and 300 scientific articles. He leads one of the most successful palaeontology research groups at the University of Bristol, and has supervised over 60 PhD students.

Reviews

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as big and heavy as its competitor (or predecessor?) Carroll's Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution, this entry into this textbook niche by the esteemed Michael Benton is better, mainly because it focuses less on skeletal anatomy and more on phylogenetic explanations of the origination and diversification of taxa and traits. But the classical anatomy is not ignored, as the book is filled with many figures of many skeletons, many the same as in Carroll's work; instead, skeletal (and yes, dental) terminology is more clearly explained in Benton's work to newbies like me. As with Carroll, I focused on the great Triassic reboot after the great end-Permian extinction, and then the ensuing great competition between the mammalian lineage (what used to be called "mammal-like reptiles in my youth) and the avian lineage (better known as "dinosaurs"). I must admit some disappointment with the Triassic discussion. The story of the reboot and competition is inherently one not just of phylogeny, but also of ecology. Benton's research papers and reviews often connect community ecology with the anatomy and physiology of community member species. However, there is not much of a summary of those sorts of studies in this textbook. Nevertheless, if you want to marvel at the pageant of vertebrate evolution from the Cambrian to now, or just marvel at a part of the pageant, this is a fine book with which to do it.

[Olli-Pekka Paljakka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite difficult and technical. This is clearly aimed at a student of the field, the book assumes the reader is comfortable with Latin names for body parts. That aside, the material is very clearly presented and well argumented. The book moves chronologically pointing out significant fossils and discoveries, making sure to draw a line from basic vertebrates to more complex animals.

[Michal Paszkiewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very comprehensive, insightful, full of both theories and facts. Quite a considerable amount of topics were really intetesting and applicable to other areas. The graphics and pictures were excellent, although it would have been better to have even more!

[Norman Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the fundamental books for students major in paleobiology, insightful