Alan Pradel, John S. S. Denton and Philippe Janvier: Preface by the editors. p. 7IntroductionMaria da Gloria P. de Carvalho: John G. Maisey - a Biographical Sketch. p. 9Analysis and methodologyGloria Arratia, Hans-Peter Schultze, Soledad Gouiric-Cavalli and Claudio Quezada-Romegialli: The intriguing Atacamichthys fish from the Middle Jurassic of Chile - an amiiform or a teleosteomorph?. p. 19Jose Xavier-Neto and Ismar de Souza Carvalho: Paleontological treasures among commonplace fossils: a paradigm to study evolutionary innovation. p. 37John S. S. Denton and Eric W. Goolsby: Influence analysis of fossil chondrichthyan taxa. p. 49Kevin K. Duclos, Terry C. Grande and Richard Cloutier: Modularity of the Weberian apparatus in the zebrafish using micro-CT technology and 3-D geometric morphometrics. p. 59Juan Liu: You are how you look: potential utility of quantitative body shape analysis in classification of Eocene cypriniforms. p. 71Descriptive Anatomy and DevelopmentCarole J. Burrow and Jan L. den Blaauwen: Endoskeletal tissues of acanthodians (stem Chondrichthyes). p. 81Allison W. Bronson: A three-dimensionally preserved stethacanthid cranium and endocast from the Late Mississippian Fayetteville Shale (Arkansas, USA). p. 93Friedrich H. Pfeil: The new family Mesiteiidae (Chondrichthyes, Orectolobiformes), based on Mesiteia emiliae Kramberger, 1884. A contribution to the Upper Cretaceous (early Cenomanian) shark fauna from Lebanon. p. 101Alan Pradel, Richard P. Dearden , Antoine Cuckovic, Rohan Mansuit and Philippe Janvier: The visceral skeleton and its relation to the head circulatory system of both a fossil, the Carboniferous Iniopera, and a modern, Callorhinchus milii holocephalan (Chondrichthyes). p. 183Michael I. Coates, Kristen Tietjen, Zerina Johanson, Matt Friedman and Stephanie Sang: The cranium of Helodus simplex (Agassiz, 1838) revised. p. 193Zerina Johanson, Charlie Underwood, Michael I. Coates, Vincent Fernandez, Brett Clark and Moya M. Smith: The stem-holocephalan Helodus (Chondrichthyes; Holocephali) and the evolution of modern chimaeroid dentitions. p. 205P. Eckhard Witten and Brian K. Hall: The Ancient, Segmented, Active and Permanent Notochord. p. 215Ann Huysseune: The distribution of post-mandibular teeth in extant vertebrates revisited: co-evolution of pharyngeal pouches and teeth?. p. 225Stratigraphy and BiogeographyRafael M. Lindoso and Ismar de S. Carvalho: The Cretaceous fishes of Brazil: a paleobiogeographic perspective. p. 233John A. Long, Victoria Thomson, Carole J. Burrow and Susan Turner: Fossil chondrichthyan remains from the Middle Devonian Kevington Creek Formation, South Blue Range, Victoria. p. 239Hans-Peter Schultze, James Bullecks, Linda K. Soar and James W. Hagadorn: Devonian fish from Colorado's Dyer Formation and the appearance of Carboniferous faunas in the Famennian. p. 247

Knowledge of fossil sharks (chondrichthyans) has advanced tremendously over the past decade, giving scientists a window into a historically understudied branch of the evolutionary tree of fishes, and revealing anatomies and ecologies just as diverse and fascinating as those of bony fishes (osteichthyans). This volume assembles cutting-edge research on the biology, anatomy, and evolution of sharks and bony fishes, featuring works by paleobiologists and associated researchers from 11 countries, spanning topics from taxonomy to statistical methodology, in honor of Professor John G. Maisey, for his pioneering work on Paleozoic chondrichthyan anatomy, taxonomy, and paleobiogeography over his half-century career at the American Museum of Natural History. With an introduction and 16 chapters, this volume erects two new families and two new genera, and provides 160 figures and illustrations, and 29 plates, including the most comprehensive collection of high-resolution images of a rare fossil shark held predominantly in private collections.