Abstract
The history of the vertebrates extends back in time nearly 500 millions of years. The first records are fragmentary and scattered in the rocks of the Ordovician period (Fig. 1). After a lengthy gap from the Middle Ordovician to the Late Silurian, the record is reasonably continuous to the present time. The remains of vertebrates, with relatively rare exceptions, consist of hard parts bones, calcified cartilage, teeth and scales. The masticatory and locomotor systems are especially well documented and a great deal of the evolutionary history of vertebrates is written in the changes of structures related to these two systems. Less well documented, but still of primary importance, are the structures involved in reception and integration of information: the brain, cranial nerves, and sensory organs.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brodkorb, P.: Catalogue of fossil birds, Pt. 1. Archaeopterygiformes through Ardeiformes. Bull. Florida State Mus. Biol. Sci. 7, 179–293 (1963).
Gregory, J.: The jaws of the Cretceous tooth birds, Ichthyornis and Hesperornis. Condor 54, 73–88 (1952).
Jeffries, R.P.S.: The subphylum Calcichordata-primitive fossil chordates with echinoderm affinities. Bull. British Mus. (Nat. Hist.), Geology 16, 243–339 (1968).
Ostrum, J.H.: Archaeopteryx and the origin of flight. Quart. Rev. Biol. 49, 27–47 (1974).
Romer, A. S.: Vertebrate Paleontology, 3rd ed. Chicago: Univ. Chicago Press, 1966.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1977 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Olson, E. (1977). The History of the Vertebrates. In: Crescitelli, F. (eds) The Visual System in Vertebrates. Handbook of Sensory Physiology, vol 7 / 5. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-66468-7_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-66468-7_1
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-66470-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-66468-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive