Comparative Vertebrate and Human Anatomy: Ecology, Evolution, and Function
Vanessa K Hilliard, Saint Mary’s College
Lisa Whitenack, Allegheny College
Bill Ryerson, Cornell University
Amy Cheu, Portland Community College
Copyright Year:
Publisher: PALNI
Language: English
Formats Available
Conditions of Use
Attribution
CC BY
Reviews
Reviewed by Brad Carlson, Associate Professor, Wabash College on 11/7/25
The text is appropriately comprehensive for undergraduate level courses. Other standard texts on the topic contain more information, but for most purposes this text will be the best option as it contains an approachable level of detail for a... read more
Reviewed by Brad Carlson, Associate Professor, Wabash College on 11/7/25
Comprehensiveness
The text is appropriately comprehensive for undergraduate level courses. Other standard texts on the topic contain more information, but for most purposes this text will be the best option as it contains an approachable level of detail for a single semester course.
Content Accuracy
I did not note any accuracy concerns.
Relevance/Longevity
It appears to be up-to-date and will likely be useful for a long time, as most of the information is enduring and well-established. I imagine it would also be easy to update if certain findings were overturned.
Clarity
It appears to be very readable and to explain things well for undergraduates.
Consistency
The organization is slightly inconsistent (some anatomical systems are broken into multiple chapters while others are kept as a single chapter), but the concern is minor.
Modularity
There are good headings to break up the focus of each chapter, but I think the text might possibly benefit from labeling more subsections with numerical/outline headings (Chapter 7.1, 7.2, 7.3) at an even finer resolution to provide an easier way to assign smaller portions of the text to students.
Organization/Structure/Flow
The organization fits the structure of many courses and many existing texts in the field.
Interface
No general formatting issues.
Grammatical Errors
Overall the grammar was good, but there were some typos/errors present on at least some of the labels within figures. The text didn't seem to contain the same mistakes so the problem is of low impact overall.
Cultural Relevance
Provided good background on the global and historical connections to the field across cultures, and with attention to some of the difficult historical baggage within the field; doing so without becoming overbearing.
CommentsThis is an excellent and greatly needed text that will transform my teaching. It presents an amount of information that approximately matches what could be covered in an undergraduate course, emphasizing the most critical, generalizable, and interesting content. It matches the basic structure of pre-existing texts, making it easy to swap in without substantial course redesign, but drops excessive and overwhelming detail. It is essentially a better version of the expensive texts that are out there!
Table of Contents
- Introduction: History and Core Concepts
- The Nonvertebrate Chordates
- Vertebrate Origins
- Embryology
- Form and Function
- Integument
- Bone and Cartilage
- The Skull
- Postcranial Axial Skeleton
- Appendicular Skeleton
- Muscle Tissue
- Gross Muscle Anatomy
- Digestive System
- Respiratory System
- Circulatory System
- Urogenital System: Excretion
- Urogenital System: Reproduction
- Central Nervous System
- Peripheral Nervous System
- Nervous System: Sensory Organs
- Endocrine System
- Attributions
- Contributors
About the Book
This book provides an ecology- and function-oriented approach to understanding the evolution of vertebrate structure. The text has a modular format, such that each module can be used as a stand-alone instructional tool, or grouped together as a comprehensive textbook, making the text versatile for use in courses with diverse structures. The text also includes human-specific modules for each anatomical system, as many small, liberal arts colleges teach comparative and human anatomy in a single course. Detailed, human-specific modules may be added or removed, as needed for individual courses, depending on the scope and learning objectives of the class.
About the Contributors
Authors
Vanessa Hilliard is an Associate Professor of Biology and the director of the Ecuador Study Abroad Program at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, IN. Her work broadly examines relationships between form and function, evolution, and ecology, with a particular emphasis on locomotor structures (limbs and tails). Other areas of scholarship include diversity and inclusion in STEM disciplines, the development of inclusive field safety plans, human kinematics and injury prevention, and population dynamics and conservation of yellow-footed tortoises in the Ecuadorian Amazon. At Saint Mary’s, Dr. Hilliard teaches Comparative Vertebrate and Human Anatomy, Human Anatomy and Physiology (Nursing), Biomechanics, Kinesiology, Foundations of Form and Function, and Environments of Ecuador. When not at work, Dr. Hilliard enjoys time outside (running, hiking, camping, gardening), baking and canning, live music, dancing, and quality time with the people she loves, especially her sons.
Lisa Whitenack is a Professor of Biology and the Director of Faculty Development at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. Her scientific research investigates the evolution of morphology, especially the evolution and biomechanics of shark teeth across their 400 million-year evolutionary history. Dr. Whitenack’s other area of scholarship is in K-undergraduate STEM education, from pedagogy to DEIB and access. Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy is one of her favorite courses to teach. Outside of academics, Dr. Whitenack is a baker, musician, crafter, and parent to two science-loving, musically-inclined kiddos.
Bill Ryerson is a Senior Lecturer in Anatomy and Foundation Course Leader at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. His research focuses on the functional morphology, behavior, and biomechanics of feeding in vertebrates, particularly reptiles. He also participates in scholarly work in veterinary education, particularly in the teaching of anatomy and physiology to students interested in human and animal medicine. He has taught Comparative Anatomy and Human Anatomy and Physiology at the undergraduate and professional school levels. Outside of the classroom Dr. Ryerson is bad at many things, but his favorites are wildlife photography, fishing, and riding his motorcycle.
Illustrator
Amy Cheu, Portland Community College