This book came about as a result of a review I had written earlier on fea tures of cellular changes occurring during anuran metamorphosis. Only a limited treatment of this subject was possible in such a circumscribed work and only specific examples of organic change were dealt with. Thus the sins of omission weighed heavily, for so much information could not be included to provide a more comprehensive and authenticated account of the elaborate, complex, and far-reaching changes that an aquatic larva undergoes to become a terrestrial froglet. A good deal of my working life has been spent investigating amphib ians, especially their larval developmental morphology during metamor phosis, first at the level of light microscopy and in later years by electronmicroscopy. Initially I was particularly concerned with morpho logical homologies of a variety of larval structures, such as the cranial and pharyngeal skeleton and the nerves and musculature, in order to learn more about amphibian phylogeny, for during my pre-and early postgrad uate years G. R. Beer and D. M. S. Watson inspired an undying interest in and respect for vertebrate comparative anatomy. However, it now seems to be that amphibian phylogenetic relationships are best dealt with by the paleontologists, so ably demonstrated by D. M. S. Watson and A. S. Romer and the contemporary enthusiasts in this field like A. L. Panchen, R. L. Carroll, E. Jarvik, and K. S. Thompson among a host of others, particularly in the USA.

In an age when advanced molecular and genetic tools allow studies in various systems, amphibian metamorphosis still offers perhaps the most accessible model for the study of postembryonic organogenesis and mechanisms of hormonal regulation during vertebrate development. Amphibian Metamorphosis: From Morphology to Molecular Biology integrates findings from the most recent research with earlier observations, providing molecular and mechanistic insights into the signal transduction pathways underlying tissue-specific transformations during metamorphosis. The author, renowned expert of anuran metamorphosis and Head of the Unit of Molecular Morphogenesis at NICHD/NIH, begins with an overview of metamorphosis in different classes of amphibians and various factors that influence this process. A review of earlier morphological, cellular, and biochemical changes focuses on organs and tissues that have been studied extensively at the molecular level, while discussion of the thyroid hormone signal transduction pathway emphasizes transcriptional regulation mechanisms by thyroid receptors. The book provides a summary and comparison of gene regulation programs induced by thyroid hormone in several organs that undergo distinct metamorphic transformations. Several chapters are devoted to functional and mechanistic implications of the molecular findings on the thyroid hormone response genes in tissue transformation. Special features of this book include: * An emphasis on integrating the morphological approach with molecularand cell biology * A historical perspective on the progression from discovery of the thyroid hormone to present-day research advances * Comparisons of amphibian and insect metamorphosis * Dozens of instructive photographs, several in full color Amphibian Metamorphosis: From Morphology to Molecular Biology is a unique and invaluable resource for professionals and aspiring professionals in develop-mental biology, molecular biology, cell biology, evolutionary biology, and endocrinology.

Amphibian Models of Development and Disease, Volume 145 in the Current Topics in Developmental Biology series, highlights new advances in the field written by an international board of experts. New chapters in this release include Building a ciliated epithelium: Transcriptional regulation and radial intercalation of multiciliated cells, Biomechanics of Amphibian Morphogenesis, Planar cell polarity during neural tube closure, Xenopus neural crest and its relevance to human disease, Endoderm organogenesis, From egg to embryo in marsupial frogs, Evo-devo lessons from the analysis of Xenopus genomes, Transcriptional regulation during zygotic genome activation, Proteomics and metabolomics for cell lineage analysis in frog embryos, and more. - Provides the authority and expertise of leading contributors from an international board of authors - Presents the latest release in the Current Topics in Developmental Biology series - Includes the latest information on Amphibian Models of Development and Disease

"A concise account of what we know about development discusses the first vital steps of growth and explores one of the liveliest areas of scientific research."--P. [2] of cover.

An integrated reference which could form the basis for advanced courses on development or become a resource for individuals teaching basic courses. Following an introduction by the volume editors, the 11 chapters represent 11 different systems, arranged phylogenetically, beginning with prokaryotic s

This book focuses on the first vertebrates to conquer land and their long journey to become fully independent from the water. It traces the origin of tetrapod features and tries to explain how and why they transformed into organs that permit life on land. Although the major frame of the topic lies in the past 370 million years and necessarily deals with many fossils, it is far from restricted to paleontology. The aim is to achieve a comprehensive picture of amphibian evolution. It focuses on major questions in current paleobiology: how diverse were the early tetrapods? In which environments did they live, and how did they come to be preserved? What do we know about the soft body of extinct amphibians, and what does that tell us about the evolution of crucial organs during the transition to land? How did early amphibians develop and grow, and which were the major factors of their evolution? The Topics in Paleobiology Series is published in collaboration with the Palaeontological Association, and is edited by Professor Mike Benton, University of Bristol. Books in the series provide a summary of the current state of knowledge, a trusted route into the primary literature, and will act as pointers for future directions for research. As well as volumes on individual groups, the series will also deal with topics that have a cross-cutting relevance, such as the evolution of significant ecosystems, particular key times and events in the history of life, climate change, and the application of a new techniques such as molecular palaeontology. The books are written by leading international experts and will be pitched at a level suitable for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates, and researchers in both the paleontological and biological sciences.

Cells in the developing embryo depend on signals from the extracellular environment to help guide their differentiation. An important mediator in this process is the extracellular matrix – secreted macromolecules that interact to form large protein networks outside the cell. During development, the extracellular matrix serves to separate adjacent cell groups, participates in establishing morphogenic gradients, and, through its ability to interact directly will cell-surface receptors, provides developmental clocks and positional information. This volume discusses how the extracellular matrix influences fundamental developmental processes and how model systems can be used to elucidate ECM function. The topics addressed range from how ECM influences early development as well as repair processes in the adult that recapitulate developmental pathways.

This series was established to create comprehensive treatises on specialized topics in developmental biology. Such volumes are especially vital in develop mental biology, since it is a very diverse field that receives contributions from a wide variety of disciplines. This series is a meeting-ground for the various practitioners of this science, facilitating an integration of heterogeneous infor mation on. specific topics. Each volume is intended to provide the conceptual basis for a comprehen sive understanding of its topic as well as an analysis of the key experiments upon which that understanding is based. The specialist in any aspect of devel opmental biology should understand the experimental background of the field and be able to place that body of information in context to ascertain where additional research would be fruitful. At that point, the creative process takes over, and new experiments are designed. This series is intended to be a vital link in that ongoing process of learning and discovery. If it facilitates schol arship, it will serve an important function.

Highlights what we know about the pathways pursued by embryos and evolution, and stresses what we do not yet know.