Author: Romer, Alfred Sherwood
Title: Review of the Labyrinthodontia
Description: Cambridge, MA: Printed for the Museum, 1947. First edition. Pp. 368; 48 text-figures (line-drawings and phylogenies). One-half brown leather with the spine lettered in gilt and with gilt panel lines, over tan cloth-covered boards, brown patterned endpapers, lg 8vo. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, Geological series, volume 99, no. 1. Labyrinthodontia is an extinct amphibian subclass, which constituted some of the dominant animals of late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras (about 390 to 150 million years ago). The group evolved from lobe-finned fishes in the Devonian and are possibly ancestral to some extant land-living vertebrates. As such it constitutes an evolutionary grade (a paraphyletic group) rather than a natural group (clade). The name describes the pattern of infolding of the dentin and enamel of the teeth, which are often the only part of the creatures that fossilize. They are also distinguished by a heavily armored skull roof (hence the older name ""Stegocephalia""), and complex vertebrae, the structure of which were used in older classifications of the group (modified after Wiki). From the research collection of herpetologist Lauren E. Brown, with his signature on the front endpaper dated January 2005. No other ownership marks and no signs of use. A bright and clean copy in fine condition in a very attractive binding..

Keywords: 0


See more books from our catalog: Paleontology