Subjects

Vertebrates are without doubts the most popular and longest studied group of organisms. However, our
understanding of vertebrate biology and systematics has changed dramatically in recent decades with the advent
of new research techniques and new fossil discoveries. The goal of the course is to describe the major transitions
in vertebrate evolution and to introduce the fascinating diversity of vertebrates in space and time. Lectures will
focus on the present-day groups of vertebrates, their distribution on Earth, up-to-date systematic relationships, and
biological details ranging from genomes through anatomy, ecology, and behaviour to community level. Students
will be also briefly guided through the 500-million-year history of the vertebrates and familiarised with the
major vertebrate groups that have ruled the world in the past.

Moodle: https://dl2.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=4903

Last update: Munclinger Pavel, doc. Mgr., Ph.D. (25.09.2025)

Last update: Peterková Jindřiška, Ing. (28.04.2022)

Vertebrates:
Pough F. H., Bemis W. E., McGuire B. & Janis C. M. (2022) Vertebrate life.
Basic textbook, many editions, try to get the latest one.
Prothero D. R. (2022) Vertebrate evolution. From origins to dinosaurs and beyond. CRC Press.
Linzey D. W. (2020) Vertebrate Biology. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Fishes:
Facey D. E., Bowen B. W., Collette B. B. & Helfman G. (2022) Diversity of Fishes - Biology, Evolution and Ecology. John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

Amphibians:
AmphibiaWeb; https://amphibiaweb.org/
Amphibian Species of the World; https://amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org/
Classification of amphibians

Reptiles:
Reptile Database; http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/advanced_search
Exhaustive list of all species including details on their distribution, systematics and
taxonomy
Vit & Caldwell (2014): Herpetology, An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles. Academic Press

Lovich & Gibbons (2021): Turtles of the World: A Guide to Every Family. Princeton University Press
Gower & Zaher (2022). The Origin and Early Evolutionary History of Snakes. Cambridge University Press
Caldwell (2021). The Origin of Snakes. CRC Press

Crocodyles:
Grigg G. & Kirschner D. (2015) Biology and Evolution of Crocodylians. Csiro publishig.
Everything about crocodyles in detail.
Pterosaurs:
Witton M. P. (2013) Pterosaurs. Princeton University Press. Evolution, biology, amazing illustrations.
Paul G. S. (2022) Princeton Field Guide to Pterosaurs.
Dinosaurs:
Fastowsky D. E. & Weishampel D. B. (2021) Dinosaurs. A Concise Natural History. Cambridge University Press.
Ecellent textbook
Benton M. J. (2021) Dinosaurs. New visions of a lost world. Thames & Hudson, London.
New facts and reconstructions. Also a few pterosaurs, ichthyosaurs, early birds and
mammals.
Paul G. S. (2016) Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs. Illustrated checklist, nice short introductory chapters.
Birds:
Elphick J. (2016) Birds. A complete guide to their biology and behaviour. Natural Hirtory Museum. London
Short, comprehensive.
Lovette I. J. & Fitzpatrick J. W. (2016) The Cornell Lab of Ornothology Handbook of
Bird Biology.
Detailed

Mayr G. (2017) Avian Evolution. The fossil record of birds and its paleobiological significance. Wiley Blackwell.
Evolution, fossils...
Benito J. & Olivé R. (2022) Birds of Mesozoic. An illustrated field guide. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Illustrations of all known Mesozoic birds in the field guide style, nice short introductory chapters.
Elphick J. (2019) The Handbook of Bird Families. Natural History Museum. London.
Short, comprehensive.
Winkler D. W. (2015) Bird Families of the World. An Invitation to the Spectacular Diversity of Birds. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Rather detailed invitation.
Fjeldså J., Christidis L. & Ericson Per G. P. (2020) The Largest Avian Radiation. The Evolution of Perching Birds, or the Order of Passeriformes. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
del Hoyo, J. ed. (2020). All the birds of the World. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
All bird species illustrated in a single book.
ebird.org

Mammals:
Prothero D. R. (2017) The Princeton field guide to prehistoric mammals.
Kelt D. A. & Patton J. L. (2020) A manual of the Mammalia.
Brusatte S. (2022) The rise and reign of the mammals. A new history from the shadow of the dinosaurs to us.
Wilson D. E., Mittermeier R. A. & Lacher T. E. (eds.) Handbook of the Mammals of
the World – Volumes 1-9. Lynx.
Burgin C. J., Wilson D. E., Mittermeier R. E., Rylands A. B., Lacher T. E. & Sechrest
W. (eds.) Illustrated Checklist of the Mammals of the World. Lynx.
Prothero D. R. (2006) After the Dinosaurs: The Age of Mammals (Life of the Past). Indiana University Press.
Kemp T. S. (2005) The Origin and Evolution of Mammals. Oxford University Press.

Last update: Gáliková Kristýna, Mgr. et Mgr., DiS. (24.10.2025)

Standard oral examination based on knowledge from lectures

Last update: Munclinger Pavel, doc. Mgr., Ph.D. (25.09.2025)

Introduction

Phylogenetic trees

Basic terms: monophyly, apomorphy, synapomorphy, plesiomorphy, homology, analogy

Biological species concept

Systematics and taxonomy, describing new species, binomial nomenclature

Unique features (characteristics) of vertebrates

Closest present-day relatives of vertebrates

First vertebrates

Global vertebrate diversity

Body plan

Germ layers, neural crest and cranial placodes, axial skeleton, skin, skull, nervous system

The Invasion and conquest of land

Reproduction in water, amniotic egg, mammalian placenta

Skin, feathers, hairs

From axial to appendicular movement

Gills, lungs, swim bladder

Circulatory system

Jaw-less vertebrates (Agnathans)

Early (Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian) vertebrates

Cyclostomates (lampreys, hagfishes) – evolution, life strategies, morphology

Jawed vertebrates, Gnathostomes – apomorphies, Placoderms (first Gnathostomes)

Chondrichthyans (sharks, rays, chimaeras et al.) – traits (placoid scales, cartilage, liver), main groups, reproduction

Sarcopterygians, Coelacanths, Lungfishes – features, discovery, evolutionary significance, preset-day species

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Chondrostei, Holostei, Teleostei – evolution, features, main groups, diversity

Genome duplications in vertebrate evolution

Amphibians

Water-to-land transition, early amphibians

Lissamphibia (Gymnophiona, Caudata, Anura) – evolution, features, main groups, diversity

Reptiles (Sauropsida)

Types of amniote skull

Extinct (Mesozoic) groups

Testudinata, Rhynchocephalia, Squamata - evolution, features, main groups, diversity

Archosauria

Ancestral lineages

Crurotarsi (Pseudosuchia), Avemetatarsalia (Ornithodira)

Crocodiles, Pterosaurs, Dinosaurs, Birds – evolution, features, main groups, diversity

Synapsida

Extinct lineages (Protomammals)

Monotremata, Metatheria, Placentals – evolution, features, main groups, diversity

Human evolution

Last update: Munclinger Pavel, doc. Mgr., Ph.D. (06.10.2025)

Students will be able to:

Identify and classify major vertebrate groups based on morphological and anatomical characteristics.
Describe the evolutionary trends and phylogenetic relationships among vertebrate taxa.
Compare the structure and function of key organ systems (e.g., circulatory, respiratory, skeletal) across different vertebrate classes.
Explain the ecological roles and adaptations of vertebrates in diverse environments.

Last update: Munclinger Pavel, doc. Mgr., Ph.D. (06.10.2025)