Contents: Introduction, Origin of Earth, Origin of Life, Chordate Organization, Vertebrate Ancestry, Primitive Jawless, Nutrition, Blood Vascular System, Endoskeleton, Muscular System, Outgo System, IntegratedSystem, Multiplication, Ammocoete Larva, Endocrine Glands, Ecology and Behaviour, Biochemistry and Immunology.

The proliferation of scientific texts and their rapidly escalating costs demands of an author some justification for the production of yet another specialised volume; particularly one that treats of a relatively obscure group of animal- the Cyclostomes-whose significance is little appreciated outside the circle of professional biologists. Yet, within the zoological literature this group of vertebrates has always commanded a degree of attention, quite dispropor tionate to the comparatively small numbers of species involved or their economic importance. This special interest stems in the main from their unique phylogenetic status. Asjawless vertebrates the hagfish and the lamprey are regarded as the sole survivors of a once flourishing group of Palaeozoic vertebrates-the Agnathans-amongst which are numbered the first verte brates to appear in the fossil record. Because of this relationship to the fossil agnathans it was inevitable that past discussion of the phylogenetic signifi cance of the cyclostomes should have been dominated by comparative anatomists and palaeontologists, although in recent years their unique evolutionary position has increasingly attracted the interest of comparative physiologists and students of molecular evolution. Within the last fifteen years both the hagfish and the lamprey have been the subject of separate publications describing in detail many aspects of their morphology, physiology and life cycles (Brodal, A. and Fiinge, R., The Biology ofMyxine, 1963; Hardisty, M.W. and Potter, I.C., The Biology of Lampreys, 1971-72.

The importance of molecular approaches for comparative biology and the rapid development of new molecular tools is unprecedented. The extraordinary molecular progress belies the need for understanding the development and basic biology of whole organisms. Vigorous international efforts to train the next-generation of experimental biologists must combine both levels – next generation molecular approaches and traditional organismal biology. This book provides cutting-edge chapters regarding the growing list of marine model organisms. Access to and practical advice on these model organisms have become a conditio sine qua non for a modern education of advanced undergraduate students, graduate students and postdocs working on marine model systems. Model organisms are not only tools they are also bridges between fields – from behavior, development and physiology to functional genomics. Key Features Offers deep insights into cutting-edge model system science Provides in-depth overviews of all prominent marine model organisms Illustrates challenging experimental approaches to model system research Serves as a reference book also for next-generation functional genomics applications Fills an urgent need for students Related Titles Jarret, R. L. & K. McCluskey, eds. The Biological Resources of Model Organisms (ISBN 978-1-1382-9461-5) Kim, S.-K. Healthcare Using Marine Organisms (ISBN 978-1-1382-9538-4) Mudher, A. & T. Newman, eds. Drosophila: A Toolbox for the Study of Neurodegenerative Disease (ISBN 978-0-4154-1185-1) Green, S. L. The Laboratory Xenopus sp. (ISBN 978-1-4200-9109-0)

What, precisely, is a primitive fish? Most biologists would agree that the living cyclostomes, selachians, crossopterygians, etc. cannot be considered truly primitive. However, they and the fossil record have served to provide the information which forms the basis for speculation concerning the nature of the original vertebrates. This symposium of biologists from a variety of disciplines was called together to create collectively, from the best available current evidence, a picture of the probable line of evolution of the prototype primitive fishes. The symposium was designed to follow one that took place in Stockholm in 1967, convened for a similar purpose, with about the same number of participants. It is a matter of interest that almost the entire 1967 symposium (Nobel Symposium 4) dealt only with the hard tissues, whether fossil or modern. In charting the course of the present symposium it was felt that the intervening years have produced numerous lines of new evidence that could be employed in the same way that a navigator determines his position. Each field, be it adult morphology, geology, ecology, biochemistry, development or physiology, generates evidence that can be extrapolated backward from existing vertebrate forms and forward from invertebrate forms. If the intersect of only two lines of evidence produces a navigational "fix" of rather low reliability, then an intersect, however unfocussed, of multiple guidelines from more numerous disciplines might provide a better position from which to judge early vertebrate history.

The hagfishes comprise a uniform group of some 60 species inhabiting the cool or deep parts of the oceans of both hemispheres. They are considered the most primitive representatives of the group of craniate chordates, which - apart from the hagfishes that show no traces of verte brae -includes all vertebrate animals. Consequently the hagfishes have played and still playa central role in discussions concerning the evolution of the vertebrates. Although most of the focus on hagfishes may be the result of their being primitive, it should not be forgotten that, at the same time, they are specialized animals with a unique way of life that is interesting in its own right. It is now more than 30 years since a comprehensive treatise on hagfishes was published. The Biology of Myxine, edited by Alf Brodal and Ragnar Fange (Universitetsforlaget, Oslo, 1963), provided a wealth of information on the biology of hagfishes, and over the years remained a major source of information and inspiration to students of hagfishes.

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

With over 70 species still populating the world's oceans after approximately 500 million years, hagfishes are essential benthic organisms that play a vital role in understanding the evolutionary origins of vertebrate life and the maintenance of the oceanic ecosystem. Hagfish Biology is a long overdue book for communicating and furthering study on t

FOR B.Sc & B.Sc.(Hons) CLASSES OF ALL INDIAN UNIVERSITIES AND ALSO AS PER UGC MODEL CURRICULUMN Contents: CONTENTS:Protochordates:Hemicholrdata 1.Urochordata Cephalochordata Vertebrates : Cyclostomata 3. Agnatha, Pisces Amphibia 4. Reptilia 5. Aves Mammalia 7 Comparative Anatomy:lntegumentary System 8 Skeletal System Coelom and Digestive System 10 Respiratory System 11. Circulatory System Nervous System 13. Receptor Organs 14 Endocrine System 15 Urinogenital System 16 Embryology Some Comparative Charts of Protochordates 17 Some Comparative Charts of Vertebrate Animal Types 18 Index.

Evolution of Nervous Systems, Second Edition, Four Volume Set is a unique, major reference which offers the gold standard for those interested both in evolution and nervous systems. All biology only makes sense when seen in the light of evolution, and this is especially true for the nervous system. All animals have nervous systems that mediate their behaviors, many of them species specific, yet these nervous systems all evolved from the simple nervous system of a common ancestor. To understand these nervous systems, we need to know how they vary and how this variation emerged in evolution. In the first edition of this important reference work, over 100 distinguished neuroscientists assembled the current state-of-the-art knowledge on how nervous systems have evolved throughout the animal kingdom. This second edition remains rich in detail and broad in scope, outlining the changes in brain and nervous system organization that occurred from the first invertebrates and vertebrates, to present day fishes, reptiles, birds, mammals, and especially primates, including humans. The book also includes wholly new content, fully updating the chapters in the previous edition and offering brand new content on current developments in the field. Each of the volumes has been carefully restructured to offer expanded coverage of non-mammalian taxa, mammals, primates, and the human nervous system. The basic principles of brain evolution are discussed, as are mechanisms of change. The reader can select from chapters on highly specific topics or those that provide an overview of current thinking and approaches, making this an indispensable work for students and researchers alike. Presents a broad range of topics, ranging from genetic control of development in invertebrates, to human cognition, offering a one-stop resource for the evolution of nervous systems throughout the animal kingdom Incorporates the expertise of over 100 outstanding investigators who provide their conclusions in the context of the latest experimental results Presents areas of disagreement and consensus views that provide a holistic view of the subjects under discussion