On the Origin of PhylaOwing its inspiration and title to On the Origin of Species, James W. Valentine's ambitious book synthesizes and applies the vast treasury of theory and research collected in the century and a half since Darwin's time. By investigating the origins of life's diversity, Valentine unlocks the mystery of the origin of phyla. One of the twentieth century's most distinguished paleobiologists, Valentine here integrates data from molecular genetics, evolutionary developmental biology, embryology, comparative morphology, and paleontology into an analysis of interest to scholars from any of these fields. He begins by examining the sorts of evidence that can be gleaned from fossils, molecules, and morphology, then reviews and compares the basic morphology and development of animal phyla, emphasizing the important design elements found in the bodyplans of both living and extinct phyla. Finally, Valentine undertakes the monumental task of developing models to explain the origin and early diversification of animal phyla, as well as their later evolutionary patterns. Truly a magnum opus, On the Origin of Phyla will take its place as one of the classic scientific texts of the twentieth century, affecting the work of paleontologists, morphologists, and developmental, molecular, and evolutionary biologists for decades to come. "A magisterial compendium . . . . Valentine offers a judicious evaluation of an astonishing array of evidence."—Richard Fortey, New Scientist "Truly a magnum opus, On the Origin of Phyla has already taken its place as one of the classic scientific texts of the twentieth century, affecting the work of paleontologists, morphologists, and developmental, molecular, and evolutionary biologists for decades to come."—Ethology, Ecology & Evolution "Valentine is one of the Renaissance minds of our time. . . . Darwin wisely called his best-known work On the Origin of the Species; the origin of the phyla is an even stickier problem, and Valentine deserves credit for tackling it at such breadth . . . . A magnificient book."—Stefan Bengtson, Nature |
Contents
PART TWO The Metazoan Phyla | 197 |
PART THREE Evolution of the Phyla | 425 |
The Geologic Time Scale | 521 |
Glossary | 525 |
533 | |
607 | |
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Common terms and phrases
adult annelids anteroposterior anus appear appendages arthropods basal benthic bilaterians blastomeres body cavity body wall bodyplans brachiopods branches Brusca bryozoans Burgess Shale burrowing Cambrian explosion cell types Chaetognatha chap Chengjiang chiefly chordates cilia clades classes cleavage cnidarians coelomic coelomic spaces common ancestor complex Conway Morris crown ctenophores deuterostomes developmental diploblastic diversity dorsal Early Cambrian Ecdysozoa ecdysozoans echinoderms ectoderm embryo endoderm evidence evolution evolutionary evolved extinction fauna flatworms forms fossil record function genome gonads groups hierarchy higher taxa homologous invertebrate larvae last common levels lineages living lophophorates marine mesoderm metazoan Middle Cambrian molecular molecules molluscan mollusks mouth muscles nematodes Nemertea Neoproterozoic onychophorans Ordovician organisms origin paracoelomate pattern Phanerozoic phoronids phyla phylogenetic phylogeny phylum posterior priapulids produce protein protostomes radiation regions regulatory sediments segments sequences similar skeletons soft-bodied species spiralian sponges SSU rRNA stem structures suggested Tardigrada taxa taxon taxonomic tentacles tissues tree ventral