Short description:

Over the course of evolution, multicellular animals - Metazoa - have successfully colonized every conceivable habitat on our planet, thanks to their ability to survive and adapt under adverse or changing conditions. But how is an animal's body structured to accomplish this? What organs do animals have, how do they perceive their environment, and what is the evolutionary relationship between these seemingly so different organisms?

This volume, designed as a modern practical book, presents the most important body plans of selected animals. It is intended to help all Biology students to recognize and understand the basic body shapes and structures in the respective animal groups, including the main features that have contributed to their evolutionary success, the similarities and differences, and the many different solutions that evolution has come up with for given biological problems.

The authors have consistently used focused, compact text and photographs that not only show the animals' most important external features but also explain the dissection process step by step.

The authors hope that this new book will help all Biology students successfully complete their practical zoology course and gain new insights into the morphology and evolution of animals.

Long description:

Over the course of evolution, multicellular animals - Metazoa - have successfully colonized every conceivable habitat on our planet, thanks to their ability to survive and adapt under adverse or changing conditions. But how is an animal's body structured to accomplish this? What organs do animals have, how do they perceive their environment, and what is the evolutionary relationship between these seemingly so different organisms?

This volume, designed as a modern practical book, presents the most important body plans of selected animals. It is intended to help all Biology students to recognize and understand the basic body shapes and structures in the respective animal groups, including the main features that have contributed to their evolutionary success, the similarities and differences, and the many different solutions that evolution has come up with for given biological problems.

The authors have consistently used focused, compact text and photographs that not only show the animals' most important external features but also explain the dissection process step by step.

The authors hope that this new book will help all Biology students successfully complete their practical zoology course and gain new insights into the morphology and evolution of animals.

Table of Contents:

1. Phylogeny of Metazoa.- 2. Porifera (Sponges).- 3. Cnidaria (Cnidarians).- 4. Platyhelminthes (Flatworms).- 5. Annelida (Segmented Worms).- 5.1. The Ragworms Hediste sp. and Alitta sp. (Errantia).- 5.2. The Common Earthworm Lumbricus terrestris (Sedentaria).- 6. Mollusca (Mollusks).- 6.1. The Common Pond Mussel Anodonta anatina (Bivalvia).- 6.2. The Roman Snail Helix pomatia and the Garden Snail Helix aspersa (Gastropoda).- 7. Nematoda (Roundworms).- 8. Arthropoda (Arthropods).- 8.1. The European Crayfish Astacus astacus (Crustacea).- 8.2. The Argentine Cockroach Blaptica dubia (Hexapoda).- 9. Echinodermata (Echinoderms).- 9.1. The Common Starfish Asterias rubens (Asteroidea).- 9.2. The Shore Sea Urchin Psammechinus miliaris and the Common Sea Urchin Echinus esculentus (Echinoidea).- 10. Acrania (Cephalochordata) Lancelets.- 11. Chordata, Urochordata (Tunicata, Tunicates).- 12. Craniota (Vertebrata), Craniates or Vertebrates.- 12.1. The Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Teleostei, Bony Fishes).- 12.2. The Laboratory Rat Rattus norvegicus (Mammalia, Mammals).- Further Reading.