Great Transformations in Vertebrate Evolution

Great Transformations in Vertebrate Evolution examines major evolutionary shifts across 500 million years of vertebrate history, including how flying birds evolved from running dinosaurs, tetrapods evolved from swimming fish, and whales returned to ocean life. Using new techniques and approaches across multiple biological levels—from DNA sequences to organs and whole-organism physiology and ecology—scientists are beginning to explain the evolutionary mysteries found in the structure, genes, and fossil records of living species. This collection brings together renowned scientists from diverse fields including paleobiology, phylogenetics, developmental biology, ecology, and evolutionary biology. Contributors examine particular transformations in the head and neck, trunk, appendages such as fins and limbs, and whole-body changes, while also offering broader perspectives. The book is illustrated throughout and reveals the origins of whales with legs, fish with elbows and wrists and necks, and feathered dinosaurs, while connecting these evolutionary narratives to relevance in contemporary life.