The first discoveries of Early Paleozoic fishes took place in Scotland and in the Baltic area at the beginning of the 19th century. The first early vertebrate remains recorded from Scotland were of Carboniferous age and are now referred to the sarcopterygians Rhizodus and Megalichthys. Later, discoveries of additional Scottish and Baltic localities made these regions (and also European workers) the main source of information on early vertebrates for a long time. This situation reached its most important development with the contributions of E. STENSIO and other Swedish and Danish colleagues, who organised important collecting expeditions (e.g., Podolia and Spitsbergen). New material from these localities and others (e.g., Devonian localities of eastern Canada) allowed STENSIO and his followers (the so-called Swedish School) to produce some fascinating morphological work and to propose hypotheses about the origin of early tetrapods that still today are a source of discussion.New scientific findings have the potential to produce considerable changes in previous interpretations. Vertebrates are not an exception. Based on information gathered over almost two centuries it has long been believed that the origin of vertebrates occurred "sometime" during the earliest Paleozoic, "somewhere" in the northern Hemisphere. However, discoveries of early vertebrates in the Southern Hemisphere (e.g., Australia and Bolivia) led to a new understanding of the early history of the group. These new discoveries have been remarkable in stimulating new collecting. Recent progress has included the discovery of the "earliest" forms in the Lower Cambrian of China together with new and controversial interpretations of the conodonts.The most recent decade saw new findings that concern not only the earliest vertebrates, but also most fish groups as well as lower tetrapods. They shed new light on the origin and diversification of basal vertebrates and gnathostomes. Critical fossils have been discovered in many different parts of the world. This new material is having a significant impact on previous character interpretation and distribution, as well as on previous phylogenetic hypotheses.This book brings together many of these recent discoveries and new interpretations to commemorate the retirement of Hans-Peter SCHULTZE from the Museum fur Naturkunde in Berlin. H.-P. SCHULTZE has worked on most groups of lower vertebrates ranging from conodonts to early tetrapods. He has collected in most of the crucial sites around the world. He is one of the most productive researchers in paleoichthyology and is considered by many to be the leading figure in this field.

Characterized by a surge in biodiversity and evolutionary development, the Paleozoic Era ushered in the beginnings of life as we know it. Within these pages, readers will discover the fossil and geologic evidence from this time that reveals a dynamic planet, where new species of plants and animals were constantly emerging and continents were breaking apart and reforming. While many of the species from this era are now extinct and the continents are relatively stable, remnants of this era still continue to shed much-needed light on the conditions of Earth, both past and present.