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From the preface: During the decade that has elapsed since publication of the second edition of Evolution of the Vertebrates there has been an inevitable increase of our knowledge concerning the backboned animals, fossils and recent. Much of this increment is due to new paleontological discoveries made throughout the world. Some of it is due to reinterpretations of extant materials-the result of increasingly detailed and sophisticated studies affording new insights into the structure and relationships of the vertebrates. Consequently a new edition of the book is desirable.

Contents: 1. Introduction. 2. Jawless vertebrates. 3. The acanthodians and placoderms. 4. Success of the fishes. 5. From water to land. 6. Early vertebrate faunas. 7. Amphibians. 8. Advent of the reptiles. 9. Mammal like reptiles. 10. Conquest of the land. 11. Early ruling reptiles. 12. Marine reptiles. 13. Flying reptiles and birds. 14. Triumph of the dinosaurs. 15. Years of the dinosaurs. 16. Surviving reptiles. 17. Beginning of the mammals. 18. Marsupials. 19. Introduction to the placentals. 20. The diverging placentals. 21. Evolution of the primates. 22. Rodents and rabbits. 23. Cetaceans. 24. Creodonts and carnivores. 25. Ancient hoofed mammals. 26. South American ungulates. 27. Perissodactyls. 28. Artiodactyls. 29. Elephants and their kin. 30. The Age of mammals. A Classification of the chordates. References. Index.