The Origin of Vertebrates

"The Origin of Vertebrates" by Walter Holbrook Gaskell is a scientific book from the early 1900s that explores the evolution of animals with backbones, concentrating on how they came from creatures without them. Gaskell looks closely at the nervous system and other body parts to show how vertebrates are linked to their older ancestors. He starts by talking about how different fields of science, like physiology and anatomy, need to work together. Gaskell discusses how his own research led him to study the lamprey larva, called Ammocoetes, noticing its likeness to early vertebrates, which helps to understand how creatures changed over long periods.