Download or read book The Origin and Evolution of Larval Forms written by Brian K. Hall and published by Gulf Professional Publishing. This book was released on 1999-01-12 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A classic problem in evolutionary biology is the origin of larvae - how and why did they occur? Indeed, it has often been suggested that many entirely unique body plans first originated as retained larvae of ancestral organisms. But what of the larvae themselves? What developmental and evolutionary forces shape and constrain them? These questions and others are dealt with by this international team of leading zoologists and developmental biologists. Intended to contribute to a continuing dialectic, this book presents diverse opinions as well as manifold conclusions. Certain to challenge and intrique, The Origin and Evolution of Larval Forms should be a part of the library of every evolutionary and developmental biologist interested in larvae and their significance.