Originally published in the transactions of the American Philosophical Society in 1933, this volume has had lasting significance and usefulness, rendering it a classic in published ichthyological literature.
The Beginnings of the Fish Skull: Differentiation of the Neurocranium and the Branchiocranium; Serial Homology of the Jaws with Gill Arches; The Hyomandibular Problem; Origin of the Orobranchial Apparatus of Gnathostomes; Origin of the Opercular Series; Summary - Four Chief Stages in the Origin of the Jaws, Branchial Arches and Opercular Elements; Synopsis of Ten Stages Leading to the Typical Percomorph Skull. Classification and Nomenclature of Skull Parts: Elements of the Preorbital Region; Remarks on Dr.Leighton Kesteven's Nomenclature; Are the Premaxillae Compound Elements?. The Evolution of Particular Skull Types: Lower Chordates; Sharks, Rays, Chimaeroids; Dipnoi; Crossopterygii; Polypterini; Palaeoniscoidei; Chondrostei (Spoonbills, Sturgeons); Protospondyli (Semionotids, Pycnodonts, Garpikes, macrosemiids); Amioidei. Isospondyli (Primitive Teleosts): Clupeoidea (Albulids, Tarpon, Herrings, etc); Salmonoidea (Salmon, Smelt, etc); Stomiatoidea; Osteoglossoidea; Mormyroidea; Gonorhynchoidea. Ostariophysi: Characins, Gymnotids, Carps and Catfishes; Heterognathi (Characins); Glanencheli (Gymnotids); Eventognathi (Carps, Suckers, etc); Nemotognathi (Catfishes). Heteromi: Halosaurs (Notocanths). Apodes: Eels, Morays. Mesichthyes (Intermediate Teleosts): Iniomi (Scopeloids); Lyomeri (Gulpers); Haplomi (Pikes, etc); Microcyprini (top-minnows, etc); Synentognathi (Needle-Fish, Flying-Fish, etc); Thoracostei (Sticklebacks, Tube-Mouths, Sea-Horses, etc). Aconthopterygii (Spiny-Finned Teleosts): Salmopercae; Berycoidei; Percoidie (Bass, Perch, Snappers, Sparids, Cichlids, Wrasses, etc); Percesoces (Barracudas, Silversides, Gray Mullets); Labyrinthici (Snakeheads, Climbing Perches, etc); Zeoidei (John Dory, Boar-Fish, etc); Chaetodontoidei (Butterfly-Fishes, Angel-Fishes, etc); Balistoidei (Acanthurids, Zanclids, Siganids, Teuthids, Plectorgnaths); Allotriognathi (Opah, Oar-Fish, etc); Scombroidei (Crevalles, Mackerel, Tunnies, etc); discocephali (Sucking-Disc Fishes). (Part Contents).