Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution

Rating:
Summary: Awesome book regarding Vertebrate Paleontology
Review: This book was my textbook for Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution at the University of Rochester back in 1992. The book is very daunting to look at if you just flip through it. However, it does a nice job of introducing concepts and terms to the reader. Its organization is straightforward, starting with the simplest vertebrates and eventually finishing with mammals. Most groups are covered well, considering that the author's cover every group of vertebrates known. The biggest problem I had with the book was the section on dinosaurs, the biggest reason why I took the class. The information on them was limited to a few pages and much of the information was out-dated even in 1992. However, if you are looking for a good book on vertebrates, this is a must have. Just realize that some of the information may not reflect our current understanding since the book is over 10 years old and many new finds have come to light, new ideas have been introduced, and old ideas reexamined.

Rating:
Summary: One of the few college texybooks I kept.
Review: This book was my textbook for Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution at the University of Rochester back in 1992. The book is very daunting to look at if you just flip through it. However, it does a nice job of introducing concepts and terms to the reader. Its organization is straightforward, starting with the simplest vertebrates and eventually finishing with mammals. Most groups are covered well, considering that the author's cover every group of vertebrates known. The biggest problem I had with the book was the section on dinosaurs, the biggest reason why I took the class. The information on them was limited to a few pages and much of the information was out-dated even in 1992. However, if you are looking for a good book on vertebrates, this is a must have. Just realize that some of the information may not reflect our current understanding since the book is over 10 years old and many new finds have come to light, new ideas have been introduced, and old ideas reexamined.

Rating:
Summary: Not too bad, but dated
Review: This is an excellent overview of the evolutionary history and osteology of the vertebrate taxa, but it is dated, particularly as regards the Archosauromorpha. It's opposition to cladistic practices for formulating phylogenies, is also noteworthy. Thus, you will find that numerous bankrupt taxa and no longer accurate classification schemes still, unfortunately, present themselves in this volume.

Rating:
Summary: Not too bad, but dated
Review: This is an excellent overview of the evolutionary history and osteology of the vertebrate taxa, but it is dated, particularly as regards the Archosauromorpha. It's opposition to cladistic practices for formulating phylogenies, is also noteworthy. Thus, you will find that numerous bankrupt taxa and no longer accurate classification schemes still, unfortunately, present themselves in this volume.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome book regarding Vertebrate Paleontology
Review: This thoroughly researched, well written, and carefully illustrated volume is designed as a text book and reference for the documentation and study of the evolutionary history of backboned animals. It fully replaces and expands upon the previous standard in this area, A.S. Romer's Vertebrate Paleontology (3rd. ed., 1966). The first chapter is an excellent survey of vertebrate history and one of the clearest expositions of modern systematic methodology. Further chapters describe in some detail the fossil record of the vertebrates, in systematic and temporal sequence, with reviews of the most recent interpretations of each group. A final chapter discusses evolutionary topics such as punctuation or gradualism, macroevolution, adaptive radiation, and extinction. There are some errors and inconsistencies in the treatment of this reviewer's specialty, the primates, which leads one to wonder about accuracy in other groups about which Carroll is not expert. In addition, in a chapter on flight, birds and pterodactyls are wisely studied together, but bats are treated elsewhere (although mentioned at the outset). Despite these minor cavils, this is by far the best available work in the field. Highly recommended for all science collections

Rating:
Summary: Best vertebrate paleontology book ever
Review: Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution is the most complete and detailed book on that subject. It is the bible for people whose major interest in on vertebrate paleontology.