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Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolutionary Theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 July 2017

Robert M. Schoch
Robert M. Schoch*
Affiliation:
Division of Science and Mathematics, College of General Studies, Boston University, 871 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
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Extract

For over two hundred years the subject of vertebrate paleontology—the study of ancient vertebrates (animals with backbones) and their nearest relatives—has been popular among the lay public. Everyone seems to have a certain fascination with gigantic bones of extinct animals, be they mastodons or dinosaurs. The discovery of a “new” early hominid skull that bears on the evolution of humans can still make front-page headlines around the globe. In a very real sense, the field of vertebrate paleontology has helped shape the way that modern humans think about themselves and the world around them. Vertebrate paleontology, in a literal sense, has helped elucidate humankind's place in nature, especially within the larger context of life on planet Earth through the last four billion years.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Short Courses in Paleontology , Volume 7: Major Features of Vertebrate Evolution , 1994, pp. 1 - 13
Copyright
Copyright © 1994 Paleontological Society 

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References

[Since the preceding paper is a fairly generalized, nontechnical discussion intended for the nonspecialist, I purposefully did not cite many references in the text. By consulting the following works, and in turn the works that they cite, the interested reader can delve much more deeply into the history and subject matter of vertebrate paleontology in general, and contributions of the field to evolutionary theory in particular. Schoch, 1984, reprints a number of classic papers in vertebrate paleontology.] Google Scholar
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