Bare Bones

Matthew F. Bonnan is a Vertebrate Paleontologist and Associate Professor of Biology at Stockton University. Bonnan's research focuses on the evolution of locomotion in sauropod dinosaurs and the functional morphology of forelimb posture in reptiles, birds, and mammals using traditional anatomy and computer-aided modeling.

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsPart One: Setting the StageChapter 1. Introduction: How Vertebrates and Cars Are (and Are Not) SimilarChapter 2. Evolution to Deep Time, Pedigree to AnatomyPart Two: The Origin and Early Evolution of the Vertebrate ChassisChapter 3. Inferring the Basic Vertebrate ChassisChapter 4. Evolution of a Bony ChassisPart Three: The Evolution of the Jawed Vertebrate Chassis and Something FishyChapter 5. The Jawed Vertebrate Chassis: A PrimerChapter 6. Placoderms and Cartilaginous FishesChapter 7. The Fish-like Osteichthyes, Part 1Chapter 8. The Fish-like Osteichthyes, Part 2Part Four: The Vertebrate Chassis Moves to LandChapter 9. The Tetrapod Chassis: A PrimerChapter 10. The Tetrapod Chassis in TransitionChapter 11. The Amphibian ChassisChapter 12. The Amniote Chassis: A Primer and the Lead Up to True AmniotesPart Five: Deep Scaly I: Reptilian Chasses from Early Reptiles to Sea MonstersChapter 13. Lizards and the Tuatara as an IntroductionChapter 14. Early Reptiles and TurtlesChapter 15. Snakes and Sea DragonsPart Six: Deep Scaly II: The Archosaur Chassis, Those Ruling ReptilesChapter 16. The Archosaur Chassis, Part 1: Modern ArchosaursChapter 17. The Archosaur Chassis, Part 2: A Primer on Archosaur Posture and DiversityChapter 18. The Archosaur Chassis, Part 3: Pterosaurs, Dinosaurs, and the Origins of BirdsPart Seven: Overcome By Fur: The Mammalian ChassisChapter 19. The Mammalian Chassis: A PrimerChapter 20. The Evolution of the Mammal ChassisChapter 21. Brains, Milk, and the Modern Radiations of MammalsAppendix: The Cards of TimeReferences CitedIndex

Bonnan combines wit and passion with the sensibilities of a talented instructor in this encyclopedic tour of the vertebrate skeleton . . . accessible even for those without a background in anatomy.(Publishers Weekly) No bones about it, a text like The Bare Bones was sorely needed in the popular literature of vertebrate paleontology. Matthew Bonnan's tome on the evolution, form, and function of the vertebrate skeleton may seem daunting in size, but it is written in an enjoyable and readable fashion that will absolutely delight all sorts of readers from expert to soon-to-be-expert.(Palaeontologia Electronica) The Bare Bones covers a lot of ground, much of it familiar, but it is a remarkably fun book to read. Bonnan avoids the most intimidating jargon of anatomy and phylogenetics, elucidating the necessary concepts through clear writing and clever application of nonbiological analogies. He is forthcoming about the simplifications and omissions that make the volume so readable, and his conversational style and wit make this an unintimidating yet highly informative book that would work wonderfully in college courses.(The Quarterly Review of Biology)