Author: Enrico Savazzi Publisher: John Wiley & Sons ISBN: Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 728
Book Description
Functional morphology is the relationship between form and function of an organism, seen as an adaptive context. This authoritative survey considers the topic widely and parallels the established Belhaven paleontological studies.
Author: Sven Baszio Publisher: ISBN: 9783510613403 Category : Aufsatzsammlung Languages : en Pages : 372
Book Description
Why do living organisms have the designs (and especially the skeletons) that they actually possess? Is it possible, and legitimate, to infer from the fossilised remains of a long-dead creature how it functioned as a living system, with all the components operating together in harmony? Some 40 years ago there was an often stated view that studies of functional morphology in fossil animals could never be more than clever speculation. Yet as time went by, it became increasingly clear that functional interpretations, when carried out in the right way, were indeed a proper field for study in palaeontology, and that animal skeletons, of almost any kind, could yield definitive information about how their bearers had lived. We need first to consider the origins of animal skeletons. There are two important factors here. The first is contingency, in other words the 'accidents of history'', which established suites of body plans which could subsequently be modified in different ways. Yet as ROGER THOMAS and WOLF-ERNST REIF pointed out in their 'Skeleton-Space'' model (1993), there are confining physico-chemical constratints which thereafter determine evolutionary pathways. There are, in fact, only a limited number of ways in which a skeleton can be functional, as determined by the properties of the material of which it is constructed, constraints upon growth and development, and the requirement for its component parts to function in terms of the whole organism. In consequence "the discovery of 'good'' designs  those that are viable and that can be constructed with available materials  was inevitable, and in principle predictable ... the recurring designs we observed are attractors, orderly and stable configurations of matter that must necessarily emerge in the course of evolution" (THOMAS & REIF 1993). Where then, with this in mind, do we proceed from here? Amongst compendia regarding form and function in fossils, we have the recent Functional Morphology of the Invertebrate Skeleton (1999), a fine collection of 43 papers edited by ENRICO SAVAZZI. Here one finds both specialised case histories and encompassing reviews, dealing with many kinds of invertebrate, and very useful it is regarding the various ways in which invertebrate palaeontologists study their fossils as living organisms. But the present volume is something different, for it encapsulates the refreshingly individual approach which has emerged in Germany over the last several years, most vigorously articulated by MICHAEL GUDO and his colleagues at the Senckeneberg Institute, Frankfurt am Main. Their basic concept is that the structural and functional constraints on living organisms can best be interpreted in terms of engineering analogues. Mechanical engineering, after all is about how machines are constructed and how they work, and there are simple analogues all around us. Consider, for a moment the evident correspondence between the claw of a crab and a pair of pincers, or an arthropod limb and the arm of a mechanical digger. There are surely many useful insights to be derived from an understanding of engineering principles, and the research papers collected in the present volume are a testament to the vigour of this approach. For herein we find not only concepts, but also tools and techniques in common use in engineering applied to biomechanics; computer-aided design and tomography, landmark analysis, Finite Element Analysis, and CAT-scans. Such tools give a much greater objectivity to analysis of function, for it is true enough, as Carpenter comments in this volume, that 'theoretical models are often tainted with preconcieved ideas''. There are thirty papers in five sections, each of which consists of several papers, and at the beginning of each section is an explanatory introduction and summary. Section 1, Functional morphology and biomechanics. Following introductory comments by GUDO et al., there are six papers all concerned with vertebrates, and especially dinosaurs. T
Author: Hiran M. Dutta Publisher: ISBN: Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 512
Book Description
Dealing with important systems starting from lower vertebrates to mammals, this book covers topics including morphological, biochemical and molecular aspects of cartilages of the skeleton of sea lamprey; evolutionary transformation of respiratory islets of airbreathing fish, and more.
Author: George R. McGhee Publisher: Columbia University Press ISBN: 9780231106177 Category : Computers Languages : en Pages : 338
Book Description
Theoretical morphology--which seeks to sketch the range of forms that biological entities could take, with the ultimate goal of discovering why certain forms exist but others do not--is among paleontology's most significant contributions to the understanding of evolution. Today, with the aid of computers in developing conceivable morphologies, the discipline has been able to advance into a remarkable tool for the study of evolution. Yet despite these advances, the field remains largely untapped and ripe with research potential. In this volume, paleontologist George McGhee presents the first complete overview of the field, its advancements in recent years, and the challenges ahead. Theoretical Morphology provides readers with the background they need to launch their own research. McGhee describes the steps involved in defining the geometric parameters (theoretical morphospaces) for an organic form in order to generate a spectrum of other possible forms that have never actually appeared. He also addresses the simulation of actual processes of morphogenesis, with the goal of attaining a more nuanced comprehension of how evolutionary processes work. Theoretical Morphology takes readers through a variety of theoretical morphospaces including those for univalved, bivalved, discrete, and branching growth systems. With a glossary of terms and a comprehensive list of references on the subject, this is an excellent handbook for graduate students or professional scientists interested in employing these cutting-edge techniques in their own research.
Author: Arthur J. Boucot Publisher: CRC Press ISBN: 143985923X Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 941
Book Description
In this complete and thorough update of Arthur Boucot's seminal work, Evolutionary Paleobiology of Behavior and Coevolution, Boucot is joined by George Poinar, who provides additional expertise and knowledge on protozoans and bacteria as applied to disease. Together, they make the Fossil Behavior Compendium wider in scope, covering all relevant ani
Author: Enrico Savazzi
Author: Sven Baszio
Author: Laura Jean Panko
Author: Les Watling
Author: Les Watling
Author: Hiran M. Dutta
Author: George R. McGhee
Author: Ernest James William Barrington
Author: Jill Miller
Author: Arthur J. Boucot