World-class palaeontologists and biologists summarise the state-of-the-art on fish evolution and development.

Excerpt from Chimaeroid Fishes and Their Development Chimaeroid fishes, a group representing some of the oldest and simplest of backboned animals, arc considered in the present memoir with especial regard to their relationship and descent. To this end, attention has now been paid to the plan of their embryonic development, and upon this side evidence has been obtained which, whether of major or minor importance in the study of descent, has at least the interest of newness. For to the embryologist Chimacroids have until recently remained practically unknown, and they are thus the only vertebrate group of their anatomical importance-if ranked as a subclass-to have escaped investigation. On the other hand, from the standpoints of comparative anatomy and paleontology these shark-like fishes have received considerable notice, and they have figured in publications of the past half-century as the "most primitive vertebrates," or, more precisely, as the least modified descendants of the ancestral cranium- and jaw-bearing vertebrate. And in such a role (which I now believe is only partially deserved) they have been given especial importance in problems of descent. The evidence which has been brought forward to demonstrate the primitive nature of Chima roids is based in part upon the findings of paleontology; it is, moreover, as one frankly admits, supported by anatomical facts which are broad in range and which have in many instances been provided by masters in morphology. The substance of this evidence is that Chimacroids, although shark-like, are nevertheless widely distinct from the shark, and that they represent a lower plane in piscine evolution. As an aid to subsequent reference, the grounds for this conclusion may now be summarized. Chimaroids are believed by some to be older than sharks. Their fossils, as Walcott maintains, occur among fragments of "fish" plates in the Ordovician (Lower Silurian) sandstones. Sharks, on the other hand, do not occur-that is, unquestionably-before the Upper Silurian. Probable it is that Chimacroids lived during the Lower Devonian and, judging from their dental plates, these forms, if Chimaeroid, were highly differentiated, even at this early period. Moreover, according to the studies of Jaekcl, paleozoic Chimacroids provide the evolutional stages from certain archaic armored "fishes" to the shagreencd sharks. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."

Winner of Choice Magazines Outstanding Academic Title award, January 2005! Sharks and their relatives are the subjects of tremendous interest. The publics fascination is influenced by their roles in movies and popular literature, while the media races to cover stories of predators endangering helpless humans. The alarming threat to shark popul

The Third Edition of Biology of Fishes is chiefly about fish as remarkably efficient machines for coping with the many problems that life in water entails, and looks at many such special cases. Fishes form the largest group of vertebrates, with around 20,000 known species, and they display a remarkable diversity of size, shape, internal structure and ecology to cope with environments ranging from transient puddles to the abyssal depths of the sea. Biology of Fishes does not try to cover all aspects of fish biology, but focuses on the ingenious ways in which fish have resolved the particular problems that come from living in water, especially body fluid regulation, locomotion, feeding mechanisms, and sensory systems. Enough detail is provided for the reader to be able to go on and use primary research papers. Each chapter has been thoroughly updated and a new chapter on the immune system has been added. This is an ideal textbook for students of fish biology and any of the branches of aquatic biology. Given its skilful combination of breadth and detail, the book also provides a manageable review of fish biology for experienced biologists.

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Virtually every area of research associated with sharks and their relatives has been strongly impacted by the revolutionary growth in technology. The questions we can now ask are very different than those reported even two decades ago. Modern immunological and genetic techniques, satellite telemetry and archival tagging, modern phylogenetic analysis, GIS, and bomb dating, are just a few of the techniques and procedures that have become a part of our investigative lexicon. A modern synthesis of the biology of Chondrichthyans, Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives, Second Edition discusses significant advances in the development and application of new molecular techniques to the understanding of the phylogenetic relationships among and between these groups. The book considers the effect of global changes on the status of sharks and their relatives, and how advances in technology and analytical techniques have changed not only how we approach problem solving and scientific investigations, but how we formulate questions. The book also introduces applications of new and novel laboratory devices, techniques, and field instruments. This second edition of the award winning and groundbreaking original exploration of the fundamental elements of the taxonomy, systematics, physiology, and ecology of sharks, skates, rays, and chimera, presents cohesive and integrated coverage of key topics and discusses technological advances used in modern shark research. Offering a well-rounded picture for students and researchers, and far above competitors in scope and research, this new volume holds a wealth of data on the current status of Chondrichthyan research and provides the basis and springboard for original research. Cover photo by Justin Gilligan

Fish Physiology