The Seventh Edition of Vertebrate Life expands the emphasis on integration of structure and function in a phylogenetic context with a large number of changes in both text and art, many of which were suggested by colleagues who are using the book. We have added a new chapter, "Living on Land", that emphasizes the physical differences between water and air and the consequences of those differences for organismal form and function. Another new chapter, "Synapsids and Sauropsids: Two Approaches to Terrestrial Life," provides an evolutionary perspective on the anatomical and physiological differences between these two lineages of amniotes that emphasize interactions among lung ventilation, locomotion, metabolism, endothermy, nitrogen excretion, and sensory systems.
Part I Vertebrate Diversity, Function, and Evolution
Part II Non-Amniotic Vertebrates: Fishes and Amphibians
Part III Sauropsida: Turtles, Lepidosaurs, and Birds
Part IV Synapsida: The Mammals