I. Vertebrates Zoology-04. Recommended Literature for Studying Vertebrate Zoology
An overview of the literature on vertebrate zoology available on the site, with links for downloading or reading online
Vertebrate zoology is a rapidly developing science. When studying it, one should work with both classic textbooks and newer sources which, even if they do not form a complete picture, reflect the current level of knowledge. Given the speed at which new data appear, hoping to find some printed textbook that contains everything needed for our course and nothing superfluous is unrealistic. The fastest assimilation of new data is currently characteristic of English-language educational literature. Even if it does not become the main source of new information, familiarity with it during studies is extremely useful. Dear students, gain experience in obtaining professional information in Ukrainian and English!
General textbooks
The main educational book in our course (besides this online textbook) is this textbook from Lviv University: Tsaryk Y. V., Khamar I. S., Dykyi I. V. et al. Zoology of Chordates. – Lviv: Ivan Franko LNU, 2013. – 356 pp.
In addition, high-quality American books that well reflect the current state of vertebrate zoology can be recommended:
Linzey W. L. Vertebrate Biology. Systematics, Taxonomy, Natural History & Conservation. — Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020. — 2284 p.
Kardong K.V. Vertebrates. Comparative anatomy, function, evolution; 6th ed. — New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. — 812 p.
Kardong K.V. Vertebrates. Comparative anatomy, function, evolution; 8th ed. — New York: McGraw-Hill, 2019. — 2247 p.
Pough F.H., Janis C.M. Vertebrate life. — Oxford University Press, 2019. — 624 p.
Hickman C.P. et al. Integrated Principles of Zoology. McGraw-Hill Education, 2024. — 942 p.
High-quality illustrations and the latest data on comparative anatomy can be found in Iuliis G.D., Pulera D. The dissection of vertebrates. A laboratory manual. — Elsevier Inc., 2019. — 398 p.
The most general overview (insufficient for a university course but likely useful for an initial introduction to the material) can be provided by school textbooks created with the participation of the authors of this site. The 2003 textbook is built on a systematic principle, in accordance with the curriculum of that time: Shabanov D.A., Shabanova G.V., Shaparenko S.O. Biology. Textbook for 7th grade of general educational institutions. Kh.: Torsing, 2003. — 320 pp. In the 2015 textbook, the taxonomic overview occupies half the course, while other sections are devoted to comparative anatomy and physiology, behavior, and animal ecology. Shabanov D.A., Kravchenko M.O. Biology: textbook for 7th grade of general educational institutions. Recommended by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (Order of the MES of Ukraine dated 20.07.2015 No. 777). K.: Gramota, 2015. — 272 pp.
A source for finding information on vulnerable species of Kharkiv Oblast can be the regional Red Book prepared by university specialists: Tokarskyi V.A. et al. (editors). Red Book of Kharkiv Oblast. Animal World. Kharkiv: V. N. Karazin KhNU, 2013. — 472 pp. In addition, the Red Book of Donetsk Oblast may also be useful: Zalevskyi V.D., Bronskov O.I. (editors). Red Book of Donetsk Oblast: Animal World. Vinnytsia: PrJSC "Vinnytsia Regional Printing House," 2017. — 452 pp.
A general overview of paleontological data is provided by the book Benton M.B. Vertebrate palaeontology. — Wiley Blackwell, 2015. — 506 p. Another interesting and useful book is Cowen R. History of Life. — Wiley-Blackwell, 2013 — 302 p.
The newest and most interesting source is Prothero D.R. Vertebrate Evolution. From Origins to Dinosaurs and Beyond. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 2022. — 448 p.
Diversity of modern vertebrates
An important part of zoology is the study of diversity.
Ichthyology. The most up-to-date source of information on fish systematics is the reference by J. Nelson and co-authors: Nelson J. S., Grande T. C., Wilson M. V. H. Fishes of the World: Fifth Edition. - Wiley & Sons, 2016. — 750 p.
A vivid, beautifully designed source: Britannica Illustrated Science Library. Fish and Amphibians. — Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011 — 101 p.
Batracho- and herpetology. The most comprehensive sources of information on amphibians and reptiles are recent American editions of two herpetology textbooks:
Pough F. H., Andrews R. M., Crump M. L., Savitzky A. H., Wells K. D, Brandley M. C. Herpetology. — Sinauer Associates, 2016. — 722 p.
Vitt L.J., Caldwell J.P. Herpetology. An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles. — Academic Press, 2014. — 757 p.
The batracho- and herpetofauna of Ukraine and Europe is brilliantly covered in this edition: Speybroek J., Beukema W., Bok B., Van Der Voort J. Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Britain and Europe. — Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2016. — 432 p.
The Britannica encyclopedia combined amphibians with fish, while a separate volume is devoted to reptiles (modern and past): Britannica Illustrated Science Library. Reptiles and Dinosaurs. — Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2008. — 101 p.
Ornithology. A modern ornithology textbook:
Gill F.B., Prum R.O., Robinson S.K. Ornithology. — New York: W.H.Freeman and Company, 2019. — 1714 p.
Britannica Illustrated Science Library. Birds. — Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2008 — 101 p.
A vivid overview of modern bird fauna: Burnie D. et al. Bird. The definitive visual guide. — Dorling Kindersley, 2007 — 512 p.
Theriology. A modern American edition: Feldhamer G.A., Merritt J.F., Krajewski C., Rachlow J.L., Stewart K.M. Mammalogy. Adaptation, Diversity, Ecology. — Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020. — 742 p.
Britannica Illustrated Science Library. Mammals. — Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2008. — 101 p.
Of course, one of the most modern and detailed sources providing a description of animal diversity is Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, a large-scale result of the work of an international team of authors. However, as you can see from the table of contents, the systematics adopted in it can already be considered somewhat outdated.
Grzimek`s Animal Life Encyclopedia, 2nd ed. — Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, 2003.
Volume 1. Lower Metazoans & Lesser Deuterostomes. — 514 p.
Volume 4. Fishes I. — 455 p. (hagfish, lampreys, cartilaginous fish, lobe-finned fish, and most orders of ray-finned fish)
Volume 5. Fishes II. — 547 p. (Cyprinodontiformes, Perciformes, and some other orders of ray-finned fish)
Volume 6. Amphibians. — 507 p.
Volume 7. Reptiles. — 571 p.
Volume 8. Birds I. — 560 p. (Struthioniformes, Pelecaniformes, Ciconiiformes, Anseriformes, Galliformes, etc.)
Volume 9. Birds II. — 578 p. (Gruiformes, Charadriiformes, Columbiformes, Psittaciformes, Cuculiformes, etc.)
Volume 10. Birds III. — 630 p. (Coraciiformes, Piciformes, and part of Passeriformes)
Volume 11. Birds IV. — 616 p. (remainder of Passeriformes)
Volume 12. Mammals I. — 361 p. (monotremes and part of marsupials)
Volume 13. Mammals II. — 580 p. (remainder of marsupials including diprotodontians; edentates, tree shrews, colugos, bats)
Volume 14. Mammals III. — 490 p. (primates and carnivorans)
Volume 15. Mammals IV. — 472 p. (cetaceans, aardvarks, elephants, hyraxes, sirenians, odd-toed ungulates, even-toed ungulates)
Volume 16. Mammals V. — 586 p. (pangolins, rodents, lagomorphs, and elephant shrews)
Field practice
For completing field practice and as an overview of the vertebrate fauna of Kharkiv Oblast, one can recommend the manual prepared by specialists of the Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University with the participation of the author of this site.
Atemasova T. A., Vlashchenko A. S., Honcharov H.L., Zinenko O. I., Korshunov O.V., Tokarskyi V. A., Shabanov D. A., Shandykov H. A. Educational Field Practice in Vertebrate Zoology. – Kh.: V. N. Karazin KhNU, 2019. – 196 pp.