The University of California Press has just published Bone Histology of Fossil Tetrapods: Advancing methods, analysis, and interpretation. The book represents the proceedings of an NSF-sponsored workshop and is the first comprehensive summary of the field of fossil bone histology. The twelve authors of the various chapters cover topics ranging from basic bone biology to calculating and analyzing the evolution of growth rates in bones, in addition to step-by-step instructions for setting up a hard tissue histology lab and processing specimens.
The microstructure of bone has a great deal to tell us about the biology of ancient vertebrates. The patterns of how bone tissue was deposited and the configuration of the blood canals in the bone provide a very good idea of how fast the animal was growing, and how its growth regime changed through life. Growth lines, deposited annually like tree rings, help us to calculate how old animals were when they died and even when they matured sexually. These data in turn give us information about life history strategies and metabolic regimes.
UCMP alum Andrew Lee and grad student Sarah Werning were two of the many contributors to the volume who have benefited from studying UCMP’s fossil collections. UCMP researchers have been in the forefront of fossil bone histology for decades, and our histology lab continues to be one of the most active research areas of the Museum. The book was edited by Kevin Padian of UCMP and Ellen-Thérèse Lamm of the Museum of the Rockies.