The Skeletal System presents our current picture of the development, biology, and evolution of the vertebrate skeleton. Recent advances in our understanding of how bone and cartilage are shaped and positioned within the developing embryo, combined with the elucidation of many of the signaling pathways involved in the differentiation of these tissues, make the timing of this volume auspicious.

Written by experts in the field, the chapters in this book embrace three major themes. The first, patterning of bone in vertebrates, is the focus of chapters on limb, craniofacial, and spine patterning. The second theme, the control of differentiation, is covered in chapters examining the transcription factors and signaling molecules that control differentiation programs at a molecular level. The third theme, the unusual structural demands required of the skeleton, is looked at in chapters on the mineralization process that underpins this characteristic of the skeleton.

With additional chapters covering the evolution of the vertebrate skeleton and the genetics of human skeletal disease, The Skeletal System is a vital reference for developmental biologists and clinicians wishing to learn how the skeleton is built and works.