Biology, life sciences Books

Book SynopsisTaxi drivers love to talk, and when astrobiologist Charles Cockell is their passenger, they love to talk about aliens. This humorous, insightful collection gathers essays inspired by conversations with cabbies, ranging over the possible nature of alien societies, the inevitability of life, and links between environmentalism and space exploration.Trade ReviewConversations with cab drivers lead to discussions about space exploration in this fun outing from astrobiologist Cockell…He does a great job blending cutting-edge science with philosophical considerations. This is a joy to read. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *Timely…Cockell makes us consider a gamut of new possibilities that boggle the mind. -- Bruce Dorminey * Forbes *The single most interesting space book I’ve seen this year…I remain very grateful for Taxi from Another Planet, a book I will be returning to and recommending to others. -- John Wilson * National Review *While Cockell gives an insider, science-based understanding of space and its exploration, he’s not shy in offering his opinions, such as there being no Planet B to flee to after we finish wreaking havoc on this one. Far from being at odds, he persuasively argues, environmentalism at home and exploration in space are natural allies working to understand and protect biological life. -- Adrienne Ross Scanlan * New York Journal of Books *Cockell gives readers a good, basic (and easy-to-understand) refresher course on life on Earth as he prepares to discuss life outside Earth…While this is surely a book for adults, older teens who study the skies and make plans for a home on the moon will appreciate it as well. -- Terri Schlichenmeyer * The Daily News *Takes the reader on an engaging tour of leading topics and questions in astrobiology through a series of imaginary conversations with taxi drivers. -- Ian Randall * Physics World *[Cockell] seeks to shed some light on such existential dilemmas from a refreshingly non-academic perspective…The book is both entertaining and informative in equal measure, always thought-provoking, and is an illustration of the value of interrogating seemingly simple questions from a completely different viewpoint, sometimes leading to surprising new insights. -- Morgan Hollis * Nature Astronomy *An interesting and humorous approach to questions about the universe with relatively in-depth subject exploration. * Library Journal *If you’re intrigued by the concept of life beyond Earth and space exploration, then Taxi from Another Planet will be an interesting read for you. Inspired by conversations with drivers around the world, Cockell spins them into engaging chapters that bring together observations and ruminations about human history and scientific knowledge. -- Michelle Gardner * Technical Communication *The power of this fascinating book is that it explains a lot of science in simple terms, and offers plenty of food for thought. I recommend this book to science teachers and students, to public libraries and to historians. -- Christiaan Sterken * Journal of Astronomical Data *From human societies on Mars to cosmic microbes and alien worlds, this superbly intelligent, erudite book offers an intoxicating look at how the cutting edge of scientific thought on life’s status in the universe connects to all of us. Faced with the fascinating questions of taxi drivers from around the world, Cockell is a convivial and inspiring passenger. -- Caleb Scharf, author of The Ascent of InformationMost astronomers find it hard to respond to questions from the public without lapsing into jargon or technicalities, but Charles Cockell is a natural communicator. Taxi from Another Planet conveys an array of ideas—all fascinating, and some profound—with a light touch and utter clarity. Accessible to anyone curious about the cosmos. -- Martin Rees, coauthor of The End of AstronautsIn this unique book, Cockell takes us on a journey through astrobiology—one taxi ride at a time. Combining scientific inquiries with personal stories, Taxi from Another Planet is a fascinating conversation starter. -- Lisa Kaltenegger, Director of the Carl Sagan Institute, Cornell UniversityCab drivers spend mere minutes with their passengers, which motivates them to ask riders only the interesting questions: Could Martians be dangerous? Will talking to aliens be more enlightening than talking to a dog? Cockell’s answers from the backseat are clear and delightfully phrased in this informative and thoroughly entertaining book. -- Seth Shostak, author of Confessions of an Alien HunterThe ever curious and creative mind of Charles Cockell takes us on a ride that is both whimsical and thoroughly insightful. Science, society, and history are woven together throughout this delightful book, resembling the many intertwining streets of Cockell’s journeys, and ours. -- Kevin Peter Hand, author of Alien Oceans: The Search for Life in the Depths of Space

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Book SynopsisCan we live with the consequences of wiping our closest relatives off the face of the Earth, and all the biological knowledge about ourselves that would die along with them? Extinction of the great apes threatens to become a reality within a few human generations. Stanford tells us how we can redirect the course of an otherwise bleak future.Trade ReviewStanford examines the threats to apes’ survival and explores approaches to reversing or at least neutralizing those pressures. He reveals a complex web of cultural, social, economic and biological issues that explain why this problem is so exceedingly difficult to solve. -- Sarah Halzack * Washington Post *Will electronic gadgetry bring down the great apes? The link may seem surreal, but in this study of the plight of gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans and bonobos, primatologist Craig Stanford reveals how mining coltan, a mineral used in electronics, destroys primate habitats and fuels the illegal bush meat trade. In his wide-ranging call for action, Stanford—co-director of the Jane Goodall Research Center in Los Angeles, California—lays out the critical threats, arguing that humanity’s closest cousins are viewed as savage ‘others’ and subjected to a genocidal urge last seen in the colonial era. * Nature *Whether this book leaves you feeling deflated or empowered, it will make you consider our ethical responsibility to conserve our closest living relatives. -- Kimberley J. Hockings * Times Higher Education *A searingly urgent little book. -- Steve Donoghue * Open Letters Monthly *Humans’ closest relatives, the great apes, have been almost exterminated, and we have no one to blame but ourselves. In his straightforwardly written call to save our next-of-kin, noted primatologist Stanford examines the myriad challenges nonhuman primates face today. -- Nancy Bent * Booklist *With passion and clarity, Stanford describes the nature and extent of the threats from habitat loss, hunting for meat, diseases (including those transmitted from humans), and ecotourism… It takes an experienced primatologist like Stanford to convey the true scope of the threats [apes] face and the importance of their continued existence. -- J. Nabe * Choice *Stanford persuasively argues that the continued survival of the great apes, humanity’s closest living relatives, is approaching a tipping point… Stanford begins by demonstrating why gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and bonobos merit priority, given their similarities to humans in such areas intelligence, culture, and tool-making. A pragmatist, the author observes that limited resources are probably best employed in securing tropical forests where generations of apes can live on, rather than creating sanctuaries for orphans… This is a timely call for effective action. * Publishers Weekly *Craig Stanford’s book makes compelling reading. In the past fifty years we have learned so much about our closest relatives the great apes. They have helped us better understand our own behavior. Now it is our turn to help them, and when you read this book, you will realize that we MUST. -- Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, Founder, the Jane Goodall Institute, and U.N. Messenger of PeaceCraig Stanford’s new book appears at a turning point: will we take active steps to save our ape sibling species or accept certain disgrace in the eyes of coming generations? -- Roger Fouts, Professor Emeritus, Central Washington University

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Book SynopsisDaniel Kevles traces the study and practice of eugenics--the science of "improving" the human species by exploiting theories of heredity--from its inception in the late nineteenth century to its most recent manifestation within the field of genetic engineering.Trade ReviewA revealing study of the tangled history of the eugenics movement and its relation to the science of human genetics...Kevles makes clear the symbiotic relations between the genuine science of genetics [and] the political programs and prejudices of the eugenicists. -- Leon J. Kamin * New York Times Book Review *A lucid and intricate history of eugenics...which has long been the preserve of specialists. Yet an understanding of that history is central to informed debate on issues affecting the public in general and scientists in particular. Kevles's lively and informative book makes that debate possible. It deserves a wide audience. -- Diane B. Paul * Scientific American *All the more powerful for confronting folly [with] urbanity and a clear eye. -- Horace Freeland Judson * New Republic *The historical sweep that [Kevles] brings to bear in this marvellous book should make us ponder over the tenacity of eugenic theories. What does it say about our thought processes and the social structures that foster them? In addition to a gripping text Kevles provides copious notes and an essay on sources. He weaves personal histories into the history of the field so skillfully, blending anecdote, hard science and--albeit in a restricted sense--sociology, all in the correct proportions, all with enviable style and verve, that it is only after putting the book down that you realize you have been instructed while being entertained. -- Vidyanand Nanjundiah * Journal of Genetics *The finest of all books on the history of eugenics. -- Stephen Jay Gould, Harvard UniversityTable of ContentsPreface, 1995 Preface to the Original Edition I. Francis Galton, Founder of the Faith II. Karl Pearson for Saint Biometrika III. Charles Davenport and the Worship of Great Concepts IV. The Gospel Becomes Popular V. Deterioration and Deficiency VI. Measures of Regeneration VII. Eugenic Enactments VIII. A Coalition of Critics IX. False Biology X. Lionel Penrose and the Colchester Survey XI. A Reform Eugenics XII. Brave New Biology XIII. The Establishment of Human Genetics XIV. Apogee of the English School XV. Blood, Big Science, and Biochemistry XVI. Chromosomes-the Binder's Mistakes XVII. A New Eugenics XVIII. Varieties of Presumptuousness XIX. Songs of Deicide Notes Essay on Sources Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisThe lizard genus Anolis contains more species than any other genus of reptile, bird, or mammal. Caribbean members of this group have been intensively studied, but knowledge of Central and South American anoles has lagged behind. James R. McCranie and Gunther Köhler begin to fill this gap with a detailed account of the anoles of Honduras.

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Book SynopsisTender, plump, and tasty, the blue mussel (Mytiius edulis) is treasured in most of the world's cuisines but strangely ignored in North American cooking. This edible mollusk is naturally abundant on both American coasts and easily cultivated. As over-harvesting makes many other seafoods ever more scarce and expensive, the blue mussel offers an inexpensive and attractive alternative to more costly and wasteful sources of protein. To tempt American palates and draw attention to this remarkably versatile and nutritious seafood, Sarah Hurlburt has written The Mussel Cookbook. In her entertaining introduction, Hurlburt tells about musselshow they live, how they saved a bridge from collapsing, why barrels of them appeared in American police stations, how they are farmed in Spain, France, and Holland. Then she offers over a hundred recipes. Whether you are a beginning cook or a devotee of haute cuisine, you will find recipes to match your abilities: simple dishes for the out-of-doors, appetizers, soups and stews, salads, casseroles, main dishes from abroad, and elegant party entrees. From Europe Hurlburt brings back paella, cannelloni, and souffle of mussels, among many others. From Asia come curried and stir-fried mussels as well as the delectable midia dolma. There are a dozen quick-and-easy tricks; there are flamed mussels and mussels Rockefeller. She describes how to clean and freeze mussels, and gives tips on how to use them. Sarah Hurlburt in collaboration with her husband, Graham, has spent many years learning about the blue mussel. Together they have studied European methods of mussel farming and begun their own experimental Cultivation project in Massachusetts. Ms. Hurlburt's recipes have been featured in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald American, and Harvard Magazine. Stories about the Hurlburts' adventures with mussels have appeared in the Washington Post, the Cornell Quarterly, and the Marine Fisheries Review. A discussion of their work has appeared in the Congressional Record.Trade ReviewA terrific book… The Mussel Cookbook by Sarah Hurlburt describes most ways to cook a mussel as well as regale you with the facts and folklore of the mussel. * Esquire *More than 100 marvelous mussel recipes, plus tips on how to gather, clean and serve. * The New Republic *The Mussel Cookbook is a must on your cookbook shelf. * Newsday *No sea creature is more surly than the mussel, and yet, it is possessed of the sweetest flavor of all God's bivalves. * Crustacean Times *Mover over, oyster! Clam, you're in a jam! Here comes the mighty mussel! -- Jake Furbush, author of In Defense of the MusselThe Mussel Cookbook is taut and sinewy. Wait. This is about shellfish? -- Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, Jr. * Muscle Power Magazine *This is a review I pasted into the system. -- Pasty Pasteburger * Pasty Times *

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Book SynopsisGordon Fain’s Molecular and Cellular Physiology of Neurons: Second Edition is intended for anyone who seeks to understand nerve cell function: undergraduate and graduate students in neuroscience, students of bioengineering and cognitive science, and practicing neuroscientists who want to deepen their knowledge of recent discoveries.Trade ReviewI have used Fain’s book for over a decade at Harvard University for my cellular neuroscience class. It offers the perfect mix of rigorous exposition and distilled insights on what makes neurons tick. With clear illustrations (often adapted from original figures from seminal papers in the field), a fluid narrative and careful choice of topics, the book is exceptionally well-suited for a serious introduction to the physiology of neurons. The new edition is a welcome update to an already wonderful original. -- Venkatesh N. Murthy, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard UniversityThis book should be essential reading for budding and professional neuroscientists alike. With a new edition, Gordon Fain brings one right up to date on current issues and techniques across a wide range of topics and yet manages to capture the historical source and importance of these ideas as well. No desk should be without access to a copy. -- Jonathan Ashmore, Bernard Katz Professor of Biophysics, University College LondonFain explains complex concepts with exquisite clarity. -- David Wallis * New Scientist *I find Fain’s approach remarkably refreshing. -- Jonathan Ashmore * Trends in Neuroscience *An excellent work. -- D. M. Senseman * Choice *

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Book Synopsis“Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny” was Haeckel’s answer to 19th-century biology’s most vexing question: what is the relationship between individual development and the evolution of species and lineages? Gould documents the history of the idea of recapitulation from its first appearance among the pre-Socratics to its fall in the early 20th century.Trade ReviewIn Gould’s…new book…Ontogeny and Phylogeny, a scholarly study of the theory of recapitulation, he not only explains scientific theory but comments on science itself, with clarity and wit, simultaneously entertaining and teaching… [This] is a rich book. -- James Gorman * New York Times Book Review *Steven Jay Gould has given us a superb analysis of the use of ontogenetic analogy, the controversies over ontogeny and phylogeny, and the classification of the different processes observable in comparing different ontogenies. His massive book (in each chapter of which there is as much material as in whole books by other writers) is both a historical exposition of the whole subject of ontogeny and phylogeny, and…a fascinating attempt at a functional interpretation of those phylogenetic alterations that involve changes of timing developmental processes in related organisms. -- A. J. Cain * Nature *This [is a] fat, handsome book crammed with provocative ideas… Ontogeny and Phylogeny is an important and thoughtful book which will be a valuable source of ideas and controversies for anyone interested in evolutionary or developmental biology. -- Matt Cartmill * Science *It is rare indeed to read a new book and recognize it for a classic… Gould has given biologists a new way to see the organisms they study. The result is a major achievement. -- S. Rachootin * American Scientist *Gould’s book—pervaded, I should say, with an erudition and felicity of style that make it a delight to read—is a radical work in every sense… It returns one’s attention to the roots of our science—the questions about the great pageant of evolution, the marvelous diversity of form that our theory is meant to explain. -- D. Futuyma * Quarterly Review of Biology *A distinguished and pioneering work. -- Ernst MayrTable of Contents* *1. Prospectus * Part I: Recapitulation *2. The Analogistic Tradition from Anaximander to Bonnet * The Seeds of Recapitulation in Greek Science? * Ontogeny and Phylogeny in the Conflict of "Evolution" and Epigenesis: The Idyll of Charles Bonnet * Appendix: The Revolution in "Evolution" *3. Transcendental Origins, 1793--1860 * Naturphilosophie: An Expression of Developmentalism * Two Leading Recapitulationists among the Naturphilosophen: Oken and Meckel * Oken's Classification of Animals Linear Additions of Organs * J. F. Meckel's Sober Statement of the Same Principles * Serres and the French Transcendentalists * Recapitulation and the Theory of Developmental Arrests * Von Baer's Critique of Recapitulation * The Direction of Development and Classification of Animals * Von Baer and Naturphilosophie: What Is the Universal Direction of Development? * Louis Agassiz and the Threefold Parallelism *4. Evolutionary Triumph, 1859--1900 * Evolutionary Theory and Zoological Practice * Darwin and the Evolution of Von Baer' Laws * Evolution and the Mechanics of Recapitulation * Ernst Haeckel: Phylogeny as the Mechanical Cause of Ontogeny * The Mechanism of Recapitulation * The American Neo-Lamarckians: The Law of Acceleration as Evolution's Motor * Progressive Evolution by Acceleration * The Extent of Parallelism * Why Does Recapitulation Dominate the History of Life? * Alpheus Hyatt and Universal Acceleration * Lamarckism and the Memory Analogy * Recapitulation and Darwinism * Appendix: The Evolutionary Translation of von Baer's Laws *5. Pervasive Influence * Criminal Anthropology * Racism * Child Development * Primary Education * Freudian Psychoanalysis * Epilogue *6. Decline, Fall, and Generalization * A Clever Argument * An Empirical Critique * Organs or Ancestors: The Transformation of Haeckel's Heterochrony * Interpolations into Juvenile Stages * Introduction of Juvenile Features into the Adults of Descendants * What Had Become of von Baer's Critique? * Benign Neglect: Recapitulation and the Rise of Experimental Embryology * The Prior Assumptions of Recapitulation * Wilhelm His and His Physiological Embryology: A Preliminary Skirmish * Roux's Entwicklungsmechanik and the Biogenetic Low * Recapitulation and Substantive Issues in Experimental Embryology: The New Preformationism * Mendel's Resurrection, Haeckel's Fall, and the Generalization of Recapitulation * Part II: Heterocrony and Paedomorphosis *7. Heterochrony and the Parallel of Ontogeny and Phylogeny * Acceleration and Retardation * Confusion in and after Haeckel's Wake * Guidelines for a Resolution * The Reduction of de Beer's Categories of Heterochrony to Acceleration and Retardation * A Historical Paradox: The Supposed Dominance of Recapitulation * Dissociability and Heterochrony * Correlation and Disociability * Dissociation of the Three Processes * A Metric for Dissociation * Temporal Shift as a Mechanism of Dissociation * A Clock Model of Heterochrony * Appendix: A Note on the Multivariate Representation of Dissociation *8. The Ecological and Evolutionary Significance of Heterochrony * The Argument from Frequency * The Importance of Recapitulation * The Importance of Heterochronic Change: Selected Cases * Frequency of Paedomorphosis in the Origin of Higher Taxa * A Critique of the Classical Significance of Heterochrony * The Classical Arguments * Retrospective and Immediate Significance * Heterochrony, Ecology, and Life-History Strategies * The Potential Ease and Rapidity of Heterochronic Change * The Control of Metamorphosis in Insects * Amphibian Paedomorphosis and the Thyroid Gland *9. Progenesis and Neoteny Insect Progenesis * Prothetely and Metathetely * Paedogenesis (Parthenogenetic Progenesis) in Gall Midges and Beetles * Progenesis in Wingless, Parthenogenetic Aphids * Additional Cases of Progenesis with a Similar Ecological Basis * Neotenic Solitary Locusts: Are They an Exception to the Rule? * Amphibian Neoteny * The Ecological Determinants of Progenesis * Unstable Environments * Colonization * Parasites * Male Dispersal * Progenesis as an Adaptive Response to Pressures for Small Size * The Role of Heterochrony in Macroevolution: Contrasting Flexibilities for Progenesis and Neoteny * Progenesis * Neoteny * The Social Correlates of Neoteny in Higher Vertebrates *10. Retardation and Neoteny in Human Evolution * The Seeds of Neoteny * The Fetalization Theory of Louis Bolk * Bolk's Data * Bolk's Interpretation * Bolk's Evolutionary Theory * A Tradition of Argument * Retardation in Human Evolution * Morphology in the Matrix of Retardation * Of Enumeration * Of Prototypes * Of Correlation * The Adaptive Significance of Retarded Development *11. Epilogue * Notes * Bibliography * Glossary * Index

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Book SynopsisDarwin is credited with discovering evolution through natural selection, but Alfred Russel Wallace saw the same process at work in nature and elaborated the same theory. Dispelling misperceptions of Wallace as a secondary figure, James Costa reveals the two naturalists as equals in advancing one of the greatest scientific discoveries of all time.Trade Review[Costa] annotates a facsimile of the 1855 Wallace paper known as the Sarawak law, an important precursor to the essay ‘On the tendency of varieties to depart indefinitely from the original type,’ which Darwin received from Wallace in 1858. That manuscript forced the question of a mechanism for evolution into the open. Costa’s nuanced and well-documented reading of this episode, as well as Wallace’s contributions and his relationship with Darwin, is a gift for any scientist’s bookshelf. -- Kevin Padian * Nature *In this deeply absorbing book, James T. Costa seeks to establish Alfred Russel Wallace as the fully vested co-creator of what he feels we should once again call the ‘Darwin–Wallace Theory’ of evolution by natural selection… Costa [is] the best possible guide to Wallace’s meandering mind. -- Christopher Irmscher * Weekly Standard *[Costa] convincingly navigates potentially treacherous terrain, setting the record straight on Wallace’s great achievement, which independently foreshadowed Darwin’s On the Origin of Species without in any way diminishing Darwin’s ‘insights and accomplishments.’ …An illuminating, nuanced account of the parallel discovery of a theory still deemed controversial by some. * Kirkus Reviews *Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913) and Charles Darwin (1809–82) arrived at many of the same ideas about natural selection at almost precisely the same time while in correspondence with each other. Darwin’s publication of his theories made him a legend, but Wallace has been mostly relegated to a footnote in the history books. Here Costa hopes to remedy that imbalance, recounting and analyzing Wallace’s life and work with the ease and familiarity befitting one who edited and prepared the naturalist’s previously unpublished Species Notebook. The author attempts to pin down Wallace’s inner life and thought processes through painstaking textual analysis of his subject’s reading material, correspondence, notebooks, and publications, as well as some of Darwin’s. -- Kate Horowitz * Library Journal *Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace independently discovered natural selection, a mechanism explaining the diversity of life on Earth, and Costa, professor of biology at Western Carolina University, explores how such a momentous discovery could have arisen from two people at roughly the same time as well as what we can learn from those similarities… He lays to rest the conspiracy theories promoting the belief that Darwin stole Wallace’s idea and took it as his own. Costa also counters those who have claimed that Wallace was a scientific lightweight who stumbled onto one important concept. Indeed, he details the evolutionary thinking and writing of both Wallace and Darwin during the critical period leading up to the joint publication of their theory of natural selection by the Linnean Society of London in 1858… Costa impressively demonstrates the inductive process both scientists utilized and how each made major and lasting contributions to modern science. * Publishers Weekly *This engaging and very accessible book is the most comprehensive, insightful and well-balanced account of the development of Wallace’s early evolutionary thinking ever written. Everyone with an interest in the history of evolutionary biology should read it. Although it does much to raise Wallace’s profile, it does nothing to diminish Darwin’s reputation or achievements. -- George Beccaloni, Curator of Orthopteroid Insects and Director of the A. R. Wallace Correspondence Project, Natural History Museum, LondonA marvelously fresh and clear explanation of the joint announcement of evolution by natural selection and an illuminating comparison of Wallace’s and Darwin’s theories. Throughout, Costa gives Wallace his biological due and more. -- Janet Browne, Aramont Professor of the History of Science and Chair of the Department of the History of Science, Harvard University

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Book SynopsisAlthough the honeybee is without doubt man's favorite social insect, and the most studied by him, there are twenty thousand other species of bees, many of which are social. This book is the first to offer a systematic account of social behavior in the entire super family Apoidea. Of all the social insects, the various species of bees exhibit perhaps the broadest spectrum of social behavior, including intermediate stages which are scarce or totally extinct in other groups; in this respect the bees are particularly appropriate subjects for evolutionary study. With the aid of more than 200 illustrations, Charles Michener characterizes and describes all levels of social organization in the beesfrom simple aggregations of solitary nests to elaborate, eusocial colonies. He reviews the entire repertoire of social behavior in bees and gives detailed attention to mechanisms of communication, division of labor, determination of sex and caste, maintenance and control of nest conditions, and organization of defense. In a major chapter the evolutionary context of the bee societies is extensively explored; the author examines the selective advantages and disadvantages entailed in evolving nonreproductive castes, the problem of multiple, independent origins of eusociaI behavior, and the question of direction in the evolution of social behavior. The final section is an account of the life history and behavioral attributes of each of the groups of social bees.

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Book SynopsisAn eyewitness to this century’s relentless biological advance and the originator of some of its most important concepts, Ernst Mayr is uniquely qualified to offer a vision of science that places biology firmly at the center, and a vision of biology that restores the primacy of holistic, evolutionary thinking.Trade Review[A] lovely book...[It] is a long essay on how biologists study living things on the large scale of organisms and their families. Its range is enormous...This is an old-fashioned book, to be read slowly, more than once, and to be thought about afterward. Isn't that what books are for--so that people can, at their leisure, consider the hard-learned thoughts of a beautifully educated, smart old man? -- Ann Finkbeiner * New York Times Book Review *As would be expected from Mayr, the text achieves considerable richness and depth. Academic readers will appreciate a sophisticated level of cross-disciplinary analysis, and all readers will enjoy a lucid style of presentation...This is Biology is yet another illustration of one of Mayr's most celebrated talents: his power to transform a vast amount of complex knowledge into its engaging and illuminating essence. As a product, the science of biology is left in clear perspective and is liberated from many stereotypical attributes that are traditionally associated with science as a whole. Practising professionals and students alike should benefit immeasurably from reading this book. -- Barnaby Marsh * The Ibis *Another many-faceted gem from the Sage of twentieth century biology. A readable life history and philosophy of biology, this original composite of science and scholarship illuminates every aspect of its great subject. Not least, it simply demolishes the millennial myth of 'the end of science.' -- Robert K. MertonErnst Mayr has done it again. In a graceful style that replaces the arcane with the clear, he presents the structure of the diverse biological disciplines in a historical and philosophical frame that does not evade the issue of hominid evolution and its unique moral characteristics. Loyal fans of this eminent scholar will find themselves smiling at the beauty and wisdom in this synthesis of fact and ideas. -- Jerome KaganMayr, emeritus professor of zoology at Harvard and a major contributor to contemporary evolutionary understanding, manages to condense the involved history of biological thought into this treatise. * Publishers Weekly *In this brief and very readable book, one of the grand masters of twentieth-century biology sums up the personal wisdom accumulated during seventy years of research and reflection. -- Edward O. WilsonErnst Mayr, the world's greatest living evolutionary biologist and a writer of extraordinary insight and clarity, gives us, in the tenth decade of his own rich life, his distillation of a full career spent in thought and study of his favorite subject. -- Stephen Jay GouldThis Is Biology is an excellent attempt on Mayr's part to bring biology to a common focus and to help define what characteristics distinguish living systems from inanimate matter. This is an extremely well-thought-out and eminently scholarly work. It will be of significant value to those who wish to understand the philosophical underpinnings of biology, how biological questions are addressed, how the various subdisciplines came into existence, and how they are related. It is also a very personal work due, in no small part, to Mayr's own seminal contributions over the years to several biological topics. -- Mitchell K. Hobish * Science Books and Films *We are fortunate that one of the great evolutionary biologists of the 20th century has taken the time to set down his reflections on biology as he has seen it develop for the last three-quarters of a century. Mayr is not afraid to tackle the difficult issues of a definition of life, a description of the modern theory of evolution, punctuated equilibrium, ontologic recapitulation, sociobiology, cladistics, and the descent of man, to name a few...This is an erudite, carefully reasoned account of what a naturalist considers to constitute biology penned by one of the great evolutionary biologists of the century. It is well worth a read. -- J. Edward Rall, M.D. * Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease *He is acknowledged to be one of the great zoologists of the 20th century. His contributions to evolutionary biology have been recognised by a dazzling collection of the world's most prestigious scientific awards...Now 92, Ernst Mayr has written a wide-ranging review of biological thought and progress. In part, This Is Biology is a study of the philosophy of biology, and in part a history of selected branches of the subject...This is a magisterial account of biology, by a great biologist. -- R. McNeill Alexander * New Scientist *[Mayr's] summary of the early history of evolution is excellent, particularly of Darwin's monumental contribution. His analysis of the concept of speciation, a key feature of evolution, is excellent and he has contributed much to this area...The most interesting chapter raises questions about the relationship between ethics and evolution. -- Lewis Wolpert * Times Higher Education Supplement *In this wide-ranging book, Ernst Mayr, one of the doyens of evolutionary biology, raises many important questions about the nature of biological research. He examines them in a scholarly yet approachable way...This is a book designed to make one think...Mayr raises the fascinating question of how we humans have been able to change our society so remarkably in the past thousands of years--occupying many niches of climate and geography--without much change in our gene pool. It is just one of the many unanswered questions that course through his fertile brain and have found an outlet in this volume. -- David Baltimore * Nature *In this deeply thought-provoking book, [Mayr] records his thoughts about the philosophical underpinnings of his beloved field of biology and muses about some of the changes he sees coming as his colleagues delve more deeply into both the molecular basis of life and the complex web of interacting agents that make up the global ecosystem...[I]n the last few chapters, Mayr moves to a more speculative mode and addresses himself to questions such as the place that humanity has in the grand evolutionary scheme, and the question of whether there is a sense in which human ethical systems can be accounted for by evolution...I wouldn't dream of spoiling your fun by trying to summarize Mayr's complex and well-thought-out views on these [questions]...The book covers so many topics that there is something here for everyone. -- James Trefil * Boston Globe *This Is Biology...explicates the field as only this historian, philosopher and biologist could. -- Carol Kaesuk Yoon * New York Times *Table of ContentsGuide to Topics Covered Preface What Is the Meaning of Life? What Is Science? How Does Science Explain the Natural World? How Does Biology Explain the Living World? Does Science Advance? How Are the Life Sciences Structured? "What?" Questions: The Study of Biodiversity "How?" Questions: The Making of a New Individual "Why?" Questions: The Evolution of Organisms What Questions Does Ecology Ask? Where Do Humans Fit into Evolution? Can Evolution Account for Ethics? Notes Bibliography Glossary Guide to Topics Covered Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisA collection of 28 essays, five previously unpublished, grouped into nine categories: Philosophy, Natural Selection, Adaptation, Darwin, Diversity, Species, Speciation, Macroevolution, and Historical Perspective.Trade ReviewIt is a pleasure to be in the company of a mind so vibrant and still exploring the boundary between the circle of what is known and the vast expanse of what isn’t. -- Lee Dembart * Los Angeles Times *Ernst Mayr is one of a handful of the greatest scientific minds humankind has yet produced… This beautifully presented collection of twenty-eight articles and essays, elegantly introduced and filled with important neologisms all contributing to clarity, is so close to competing with Darwin’s Origin of Species that I would not be surprised if history were to judge that Evolutionism in our century also has a Prophet… In short, this is one great classic. -- Dick Duman * Bloomsbury Review *Mayr’s power to discern biological connections and also to identify the telling example should excite unqualified admiration… Toward a New Philosophy of Biology is a book to be developed, to be argued with, a book whose margins should be filled with exciting scribblings. -- Philip Kitcher * Nature *Mayr is the greatest living commentator on biology; and if biology is what you do, as a researcher, teacher, writer, or as amateur, then this is a book you should own. -- Colin Tudge * New Scientist *Never too far below the surface of Mayr the philosopher or historian lies Mayr the combative scientific streetfighter. It is in this capacity that he has been most creative, informative, and downright entertaining throughout his career; and this book is no exception… If you are at all interested in evolution—as a historian, a philosopher, or, above all, as a practicing biologist—you really should read this book. -- Niles Eldredge * BioScience *Table of ContentsI. Philosophy Introduction 1. Is Biology an Autonomous Science? 2. Cause and Effect in Biology 3. The Multiple Meanings of Teleological 4. The Probability of Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life 5. The Origins of Human Ethics II. Natural Selection Introduction 6. An Analysis of the Concept of Natural Selection 7. Philosophical Aspects of Natural Selection III. Adaptation Introduction 8. Adaptation and Selection 9. How To Carry Out the Adaptationist Program? IV. Darwin Introduction 10. Darwin, Intellectual Revolutionary 11. The Challenge of Darwinism 12. What Is Darwinism 13. Darwin and Natural Selection 14. The Concept of Finality in Darwin and alter Darwin 15. The Death of Darwin V. Diversity Introduction 16. Toward a Synthesis in Biological Classification 17. Museums and Biological Laboratories 18. Problems in the Classification of Birds VI. Species Introduction 19. The Species Category 20. The Ontology of the Species Taxon VII. Speciation Introduction 21. Processes of Speciation in Animals 22. Evolution of Fish Species Flocks VIII. Macro Evolution Introduction 23. Does Microevolution Explain Macroevolution? 24. The Unity of the Genotype 25. Speciation and Macroevolution 26. Speciational Evolution through Punctuated Equilibria IX. Historical Perspective Introduction 27. On Weismann's Growth as an Evolutionist 28. On the Evolutionary Synthesis and After Index

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Book SynopsisEdward Learthe father of nonsensewrote some of the best-loved poems in English. He was also admired as a naturalist, landscape painter, travel writer, and composer. Awkward but funny, absurdly sympathetic, Lear invented himself as a Victorian character. Sara Lodge offers a moving account of one of the era's most influential creative figures.Trade ReviewInventing Edward Lear is an exceptional, valuable, original study, presenting new materials on aspects of Lear’s life and work. -- Jenny Uglow, author of Mr. Lear and The Lunar MenSets the standard for future work. This is criticism that, far from smashing its subject into submission, brings Lear’s poetry, art and music to life, lighting up the imagination and inviting us to revisit the songs and limericks we think we know from childhood. -- Anna Barton * Times Literary Supplement *Deeply knowledgeable and sharply written…Lodge has not written a biography of Lear, though her book is full of biographical information. It is more a study in contexts, returning Lear to the local sources from which his apparently autonomous imaginative world originally gathered its strength…[A] rich and sympathetic book. -- Seamus Perry * Literary Review *This is a dazzling book, certainly the best study of Lear yet written. -- Richard Cronin, University of GlasgowBrilliantly original and deeply researched, Sara Lodge’s account of Lear’s tragicomic life and work will confirm his standing among the greatest of the Victorians. -- Dinah Birch, University of LiverpoolEdward Lear is one of those figures that everyone knows but few know much about. Lodge’s book represents a delightfully crisp and engaging introduction to Lear’s whole artistic career without losing sight of the humour and zest that keep him close to the hearts of adults and children alike. Never did nonsense make so much sense. -- Jon Mee, University of YorkSeeks to capture the multiple facets of Lear’s talent…The great achievement of Lodge’s richly illustrated and carefully researched and referenced work is to convey the reach and rigor of Lear’s ‘concrete and fastidious’ mind alongside his discomfiting combination of dazzling self-confidence and intense self-loathing. -- Ranti Williams * Standpoint *An elegant, well-considered romp. * Providence Journal *Lodge brings to this wide-ranging study of Edward Lear (1812–88) a combination of erudition and enthusiasm. * Choice *

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Book SynopsisPicturing Emerson: An Iconography reproduces and explores the background of all known images of Ralph Waldo Emerson created from life, including drawings, paintings, silhouettes, sculptures, and photographs in all formats. The book provides dates and commentary, enabling readers to trace Emerson's visage from the 1820s to the 1880s.

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Book SynopsisThe Lizards, Crocodiles, and Turtles of Honduras is the final installment of a series by James R. McCranie documenting the amphibians and reptiles of Honduras. The book is thoroughly illustrated by color photographs and maps, with discussion of conservation status and identification keys in both English and Spanish.

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Book SynopsisProviding an introduction to parasitoid natural history and taxonomy, this book asks how a consideration of evolutionary biology can help us understand the behavior, ecology, and diversity of the approximately one to two million species of parasitoid found on earth. It also discusses the theoretical background to the subject.Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1994 "Godfray gives us an interesting and complete review of the taxonomy, evolution, and natural history of parasitoids ... [however] the true value of this book lies in its synthesis of theoretical and empirical aspects of parasitoid biology."--Behavioral EcologyTable of ContentsAcknowledgments1Introduction31.1Parasitoid Definitions61.2Parasitoid Natural History71.3Unusual Life Histories101.4Parasitoid Taxonomy161.5Evolutionary Transitions212Host Location262.1Conceptual Models of Host Location262.2Mechanisms of Host Location292.3Learning422.4Comparative Studies of Host Location482.5Patch Use503Oviposition Behavior833.1Host Acceptance833.2Clutch Size993.3Superparasitism1264Sex Ratio1514.1Sex Determination in Parasitoid Wasps1524.2Fisher's Principle1564.3Local Mate Competition and Sex Ratio in Structured Populations1614.4Sex Ratio and Host quality1924.5Other Factors2025Selfish Genetic Elements2125.1Non-Mendelian Genetic Elements in Nasonia2125.2Microorganisms and Thelytoky2185.3Primary Male Production in Heteronomous Hyperparasitoids2215.4Gregarious Oviposition in Muscidifurax2226The Immature Parasitoid2256.1Host Quality and the Juvenile Parasitoid2266.2Host Defenses2316.3Countermeasures2356.4Host Manipulation by Endoparasitoids2486.5Interactions between Immature Parasitoids2557The Adult Parasitoid2607.1Size and Fitness2607.2Mating2657.3Resource Defense and Maternal Care2847.4Host Defense against the Adult Parasitoid2857.5Dispersal2917.6Defense from Predators2987.7Host Synchronization3018Life Histories and Community Patterns3078.1Life History Evolution3078.2Host Range and Parasitoid Species Load3218.3Parasitoid Diversity355References367Author Index449Subject Index459Taxonomic Index465

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Book SynopsisAn interpretation of the chronology of life during the last six hundred million years of earth history. It discusses the nature and dynamics of evolutionary change in organisms and their biological surroundings.Trade Review"With the impressive scope and rich synthesis of this work, the author has assumed the mantle of a provocative pundit of paleobiology."--Science "With the impressive scope and rich synthesis of this work, the author has assumed the mantle of a provocative pundit of paleobiology."--Alan J. Kohn, Science "An extraordinarily useful book to students of evolutionary paleobiology."--Carlton Brett, Geology

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Book SynopsisUsing shells to explore major areas of biology, the author of this celebration of the shell examines such issues as the evolution of shells and their function. He demonstrates how shells provide insight into the lives of animals of this era, as well as those of the distant past.Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1994 Winner of the 1993 Award for Excellence, New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) "Vermeij provides an elegantly written and beautifully illustrated account of shell construction, function, and evolution, while showing how these molluscan houses give us insights into ecology and the history of life. [It is a] book that will be treasured by scientists and lay readers alike."--Nature "Vermeij provides an elegantly written and beautifully illustrated account of shell construction, function, and evolution, while showing how these molluscan houses give us insights into ecology and the history of life. [It is a] book that will be treasured by scientists and lay readers alike."--Nature "A Natural History of Shells is a fascinating biological view of shells as the products of living organisms...We come to appreciate and understand the diverse wonders of economy, function, and construction that can be seen in shells."--Douglas Palmer, New Scientist "This is a pleasingly different book. Most other popular books on shells help one to identify them. In this book Vermeij uses shells to help understand the ecology, evolution, and history of snails, clams, and other Mollusca, the phylum of animals that construct 'shells.' ... This book uses both contemporary and fossil shells to explore many ideas and processes in general biology... I have been seeking this book for years."--The Quarterly Review of Biology "I was swept away by the world of molluscs and found myself fascinated and informed... By the end of the book I was convinced that anyone with a passion for their subject would enjoy and be educated by Vermeij's obvious passion for his."--BiologistTable of ContentsPrefaceCh. 1Shells and the Questions of Biology3Pt. IThe Rules of Shell ConstructionCh. 2Themes and Variations: The Geometry of Shells9Ch. 3The Economics of Construction and Maintenance39Pt. IILife in a Dangerous World: How Shells WorkCh. 4The Mechanics of Shells61Ch. 5Predators and Their Methods94Ch. 6Coping with Enemies: The Shell as Protection113Pt. IIIThe Dimension of TimeCh. 7A Historical Geography of Shells153Ch. 8Evolutionary Economics: The Rise and Fall of Adaptive Themes174Index203

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Book SynopsisUsing numerous biological examples to lay the groundwork for a unifying theory applicable to predator-prey, parasitoid-host, and other consumer-resource interactions, this book focuses on how the properties of real organisms affect population dynamics. It synthesizes and extends the authors' own models involving insect parasitoids and their hosts.Trade Review"The authors ... have succeeded in presenting some complex mathematics within a matrix of verbal clarity, which is rare among such books."--Bulletin of the British Ecological Society "Consumer Resource Dynamics needs to be on any ecological theorist's bookshelf... A careful, detailed analysis, and a well-written book."--Patrick Foley, EcologyTable of ContentsPreface xi 1. Introduction 1 Why Consumer-Resource Interactions? 1 On Theory and Models 2 Themes 4 2. Population Dynamics: Observations and Basic Concepts 6 Types of Population Dynamics: Phenomena to Be Explained 6 Some Essential Concepts 15 Appendix 26 3. Simple Models in Continuous Time 30 The Lotka-Volterra Model 31 Local Stability Analysis 36 Effects of Stabilizing and Destabilizing Processes: A Survey 42 Combining Stabilizing and Destabilizing Processes: From Neutral Stability to Limit Cycles 53 Simple Models of Stage and Spatial Structure: The Creation of Indirect Density Dependence 60 Basic and Potential General Properties of Predator-Prey Systems 69 Appendix 72 4. Simple Models in Discrete Time 83 Single-Species Models in Discrete Time 84 Discrete-Generation Parasitoid-Host Models 93 Hybrid Discrete-Time/Continuous-Time Models 106 Appendix 111 5. An Introduction to Models with Stage Structure 119 Preamble: Single-Species Populations with Stage Structure 121 The Basic Stage-Structured Host-Parasitoid Model 134 Ecological Processes Inducing Instability 147 Ecological Processes Inducing Stability 149 Single-Generation Cycles in Parasitoid-Host Models 160 Appendix 170 6. Dynamical Effects of Parasitoid Lifestyles 179 Parasitoid Lifestyles 180 Four Mechanisms Inducing Greater Gain from Older Hosts 186 A Unifying Framework and Extensions 199 A More General Model: The Generic Gain Model 205 The Nature and Origins of Delayed-Feedback Cycles and Single-Generation Cycles: Insights from a Simplified Model 207 Concluding Remarks 216 7. State-Dependent Decisions 219 Effects of Egg Load on Parasitoid Decisions 220 Effects of Limits to Egg Production 236 A General Dynamical Theory of Parasitoid Behavior 242 8. Competition between Consumer Species 245 Lotka-Volterra Competition Model: Competition for an Implicit Resource 247 Exploitative Competition for an Explicit Resource 255 Competition in Discrete Time 274 Effects of Age Structure on Competition 281 Non-Equilibrial Mechanisms of Coexistence 301 Effects of Spatial Structure on Competition 310 Concluding Remarks 317 9. Implications for Biological Control 318 A Comparative Approach to Evaluating Natural Enemies 321 Spatial Processes and Control 336 Need for Experimental Tests 340 10. Dynamical Effects of Spatial Processes 341 Spatial Processes among Subpopulations 341 Spatial Processes within Populations: Aggregated Attacks and Other Sources of Variation in Risk among Individuals 366 Connection between Processes within Populations and among Subpopulations 392 11. Synthesis and Integration across Systems 394 Shared Theory for Different Kinds of Consumer-Resource Interactions 394 Connection between Consumer-Resource Dynamics and Single-Species Dynamics in Theory and Nature 399 Cycles in Real Systems: Single-Species Models for Many-Species Systems 410 General Conclusions/Considerations 414 12. Concluding Remarks 416 Literature Cited 425 Index 451

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Book SynopsisDespite its importance and the threat of its global crash, biodiversity is poorly understood both empirically and theoretically. This work presents a neutral, general theory to explain the origin, maintenance and loss of biodiversity in a biogeographical context.Trade ReviewHighly innovative and insightful... Ideas are conveyed clearly and the addition of summary points at the end of each chapter facilitates assimilation."--Richard T. Busing, Ecological Engineering "Hubbell's book is a very exciting one, deeply original, based on extensive field data, and convincing in its 'simple' explanations of many broad-scale patterns in biodiversity and biogeography. It will probably cause controversies, but primarily stimulate further research."--Gottfried Jetschke, Ecology "[This] is a rich book about an idea that has the power to re-produce generic patterns and that will be in the back of your mind when you, again, try to make sense of the plethora of articles on species diversity, abundance and distribution."--Carsten F. Dormann, Basic and Applied Ecology "A rich book about an idea that has the power to re-produce generic patterns and that will be in the back of your mind when you, again, try to make sense of the plethora of articles on species diversity, abundance and distribution... Once you start reading it, you will find it not a page too long."--Carsten F. Dormann, Basic Applied Ecology "This is an important contribution to the development of a much sought-after explanation of pattern and process in an increasingly threatened global resource."--Michael E. Meadows, Environmental Conservation "Hubbell has produced a book for all those who think about how communities are put together, even the not so mathematically minded... [It] is sure to influence how community ecology is done for years to come."--Sandra Knapp, Biological ConservationTable of ContentsPreface ix 1.MacArthur and Wilson's Radical Theory 3 2.On Current Theories of Relative Species Abundance 30 3.Dynamical Models of the Relative Abundance of Species 48 4.Local Community Dynamics under Ecological Drift 76 5.Metacommunity Dynamics and the Unified Theory 113 6.The Unified Theory and Dynamical Species-Area Relationships 152 7.Metapopulations and Biodiversity on the Metacommunity Landscape 202 8.Speciation, Phylogeny, and the Evolution of Metacommunity Biodiversity 231 9.Sampling, Parameter Estimation, and the Generality of the Unified Theory 281 10.Reconciling Dispersal-Assembly and Niche-Assembly Theories 319 Literature Cited 347 Index 371

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1972, this book is the summation of the life work of one of the most influential scientists. This book presents the theme that the structure of the environment, the morphology of the species, the economics of species behavior, and the dynamics of population changes are the 4 ingredients of interesting biogeographic patterns.Trade Review"This book is of enduring value as the culminating work of one of the most important ecologists of all time."—Edward O. Wilson, Harvard University"One of the great classics of the ecological literature. It has served as an inspiration and challenge to three academic generations of biologists, a catalyst for controversy that still enlivens the field, and a record of the genius of the author."—Robert K. Colwell,University of California at Berkeley

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Book SynopsisSuitable for those who are curious about animals, nature, or the history of biology, this title includes the author's personal assortment of favorites that includes excerpts from massive sources, such as Audubon and Darwin, and intriguing pieces from lesser known authors most of us would not normally encounter.Trade Review"This is an anthology with a fine sense of history... there is a timelessness to many of its selections."--Washington Post Book World

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Book SynopsisScrutinizing ill-planned urban and suburban development in the United States and the tropical deforestation of Central and South America, this work summarizes our knowledge of the subtle combination of circumstances that is devastating our bird populations.Trade Review"This is a splendid book, simultaneously fascinating and frightening... For the birds' sake, read this book!"--Naturalist Review, Audubon Naturalist Society

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Book SynopsisOffers information on the birds of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras. This book adopts the basic sequence and systematics of the AOU 1983 Check-list. It also includes information on birdfinding in Panama. It contains a section outlining developments in Panama ornithology and conservation.Trade Review"A sophisticated treatment of one of the world's richest avifaunas."--Quarterly Review of Biology

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Leibold and Chase have written an authoritative and accessible account of recent research on how spatially organized processes shape patterns of biological diversity over the ecological landscape. This book will be the springboard for future work in this area."—Robert E. Ricklefs, University of Missouri, St. Louis"Current thinking in ecology is a disorganized soup of ideas, from dispersal and spatial heterogeneity to temporal change, species sorting, and evolution. This book impressively pulls these disparate threads into a powerful and coherent framework based on metacommunities. Its next-generation metacommunity framework could well serve as a launching pad for the next decade of ecology."—Brian McGill, University of Maine"In this magisterial book, Leibold and Chase provide a conceptually coherent synthesis of the burgeoning field of metacommunity ecology. In addition to deftly synthesizing a sprawling literature on the role of dispersal limitation, drift, and interactions in metacommunities, they highlight the importance of linking metacommunity processes to evolutionary dynamics and ecosystem function. All ecologists will profit from careful reading of this fine and timely contribution."—Robert Holt, University of Florida"A highly significant contribution. Leibold and Chase provide an encompassing and critical overview of the current state of metacommunity ecology and discuss novel approaches, novel perspectives, and applications that contribute to a much broader framework. I learned a lot from this book."—Luc De Meester, University of Leuven"Interesting and informative. Leibold and Chase have assembled in one volume recent key studies that show how metacommunity ecology is indeed wide-ranging in its scope."—Tadashi Fukami, Stanford University

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Book SynopsisAnalyzes how parasites shape the biology of social insects: the ants, wasps, bees, and termites. This book places the issues such as division of labor, genetics, immunology, and epidemiology in a common framework to examine two of the most successful adaptations of life: parasitism and sociality.Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments1The Biology of Social Insects32The Parasites and Their Biology243Breaking into the Fortress774Parasites and the Organization of the Colony1195Breeding Strategies and Parasites1636Host-Parasite Dynamics2047Virulence and Resistance2378Social Evolution273App. 1: Glossary287App. 2The Parasites of Social Insects291References325Subject Index381Host Taxonomic Index386Parasite Taxonomic Index393Author Index399

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Book SynopsisPresents an overview of the physiological and biochemical principles that shape how animals procure energy and nutrients and free themselves of toxins - and how this relates to broader ecological phenomena. This book reviews the chemical ecology of food, and discusses how animals digest and process food.Trade Review"This extraordinary book by Karasov and Martinez del Rio integrates a wealth of research about how animals select, consume, and process food. The authors treat topics ranging from energy budgets, food chemistry, the structure and function of digestive systems, postabsorptive nutrient processing, and chemical ecology to feeding behavior, growth, production, and reproduction...Accessibly written, with clear, informative graphs and line drawings."--P.E. Hertz, Choice "This is an excellent textbook for undergraduate--and graduate-level courses, and is recommended for researchers who are interested in an up-to-date overview of this field."--Raymond Barbehenn, Quarterly Review of Biology "A big topic demands a big book, with some big thinkers behind it. When I agreed to review this book, I knew, given the authors, that I would see some big thinking, but the size of their effort took me by surprise. Physiological Ecology (all 744 pages, 2.7 liters, and 1.9 kilograms of it!) is a comprehensive yet surprisingly accessible treatment of a topic that is the linchpin for biologists of many stripes... So if animals and food webs are central to your interests, you should read this book."--James J. Eiser, BioScience "The authors can be very proud of their accomplishments in this book because their text deals with the general problem 'how animals process energy, nutrients, and toxins' in a very detailed, balanced, clearly written, informatively illustrated--in short, in an excellent way! One does not have to be a prophet to state that this book is destined to become a classic; it will become a widespread, often consulted and continually cited source of reference."--Peter Langer, Mammalian BiologyTable of ContentsPreface xi Acknowledgments xv SECTION I: OVERVIEW CHAPTER ONE: Basic Concepts: Budgets, Allometry, Temperature, and The Imprint of History 3 1.1 The Input/Output Budget: A Key Conceptual Framework 4 1.2 The Importance of Size: Scaling of Physiological and Ecological Traits 10 1.3 The Importance of Temperature 30 1.4 Using Historical Data in Comparative Studies 35 SECTION II: CHEMICAL ECOLOGY OF FOOD CHAPTER TWO: The Chemistry and Biology of Food 49 2.1 Getting Started; First Catch (Store and Prepare) the Hare 49 2.2 Proximate Nutrient Analysis 54 2.3 Dietary Fiber 58 2.4 Carbohydrates 63 2.5 Amino Acids and Proteins 69 2.6 Lipids 75 2.7 Vitamins 93 2.8 Minerals 97 2.9 Secondary Metabolites 103 2.10 Words of Encouragement 108 SECTION III: DIGESTIVE ECOLOGY CHAPTER THREE: Food Intake and Utilization Efficiency 117 3.1 Overview of Section III: Why Study Digestion? 117 3.2 Digestive Efficiency Is Inversely Related to "Fiber" Content 118 3.3 Both Digestion Rate and Digestive Efficiency Are Key Nutritional Variables 131 3.4 Daily Food Intake: Energy Maximization or Regulation? 139 CHAPTER FOUR: Simple Guts: The Ecological Biochemistry and Physiology of Catalytic Digestion 155 4.1 Lots of Guts, But Only a Few Basic Types 155 4.2 The Gut as a Bottleneck to Energy Flow 184 4.3 The Gut in Energy Intake Maximizers 194 4.4 Intermittent Feeders 199 4.5 The Gut in Diet Switchers 205 4.6 The Evolutionary Match between Digestion, Diets, and Animal Energetics 213 4.7 Summary: The Interplay between Digestive Physiology and Ecology 223 CHAPTER FIVE: Photosynthetic Animals and Gas-Powered Mussels: The Physiological Ecology of Nutritional Symbioses 238 5.1 A Symbiotic World 239 5.2 A Diversity of Nutritional Symbioses 243 5.3 Hot Vents and Cold Seeps: Chemolithotrophs of the Deep Sea 265 5.4 The Importance of Nitrogen in Nutritional Symbioses 284 CHAPTER SIX: Digestive Symbioses: How Insect and Vertebrate Herbivores Cope with Low Quality Plant Foods 303 6.1. Fermentation of Cell Wall Materials 304 6.2. Microbial Fermentation in Insect Guts 310 6.3. Terrestrial Vertebrates 336 6.4. Herbivory and Detritivory in Fish 376 SECTION IV: THE ECOLOGY OF POSTABSORPTIVE NUTRIENT PROCESSING CHAPTER SEVEN: Postabsorptive Processing of Nutrients 397 7.1 Overview: The Postabsorptive Fate of Absorbed Materials 398 7.2 Controls over Postabsorptive Processing 407 7.3 Costs of Digestive and Postabsorptive Processing 412 7.4 Feast and Famine: The Biochemistry of Natural Fasting and Starvation 417 7.5 Biochemical Indices of Nutritional Status and Habitat Quality 421 CHAPTER EIGHT: Isotopic Ecology 433 8.1 Basic Principles 434 8.2 Mixing Models 440 8.3 Isotopic Signatures 444 8.4 The Dynamics of Isotopic Incorporation 455 8.5 Stable Isotopes and Migration 459 8.6 Nitrogen Isotopes 466 8.7 Concluding Remarks and (Yet Again) a Call for Laboratory Experiments 472 CHAPTER NINE: How Animals Deal with Poisons and Pollutants 479 9.1 Overview: The Postabsorptive Fate of Absorbed Xenobiotics 480 9.2 Distribution of Xenobiotics in the Body 481 9.3 Biotransformation of Absorbed Xenobiotics 483 9.4 Elimination of Xenobiotics and Their Metabolites 494 9.5 Costs of Xenobiotic Biotransformation and Elimination 498 9.6 Modeling Approaches Can Integrate the Processes of Absorption, Distribution, and Elimination (Including Biotransformation and Excretion) 504 9.7 Models Can Predict Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification in Ecosystems 508 9.8 Postingestional Effects of Xenobiotics on Feeding Behavior 509 9.9 Toxic Effects of Xenobiotics in Wild Animals 516 9.10 Toxicogenomics: New Methodologies for the Integrative Study of Exposure, Postabsorptive Processing, and Toxicity in Animals Exposed to Natural and Manmade Toxins 518 SECTION V: LIMITING NUTRIENTS CHAPTER TEN: Ecological Stoichiometry 535 10.1 Ecological Stoichiometry: The Power of Elemental Analysis 536 10.2 An Ecological Stoichiometry Primer 542 10.3 Are Energy and Elements Two Independent Currencies? 561 CHAPTER ELEVEN: Nitrogen and Mineral Requirements 569 11.1 Nitrogen Requirements and Limitation in Ecology 569 11.2 Mineral Requirements and Limitation in Ecology 581 CHAPTER TWELVE: Water Requirement and Water Flux 608 12.1 Water Budgets, Fluxes, and Requirements 608 12.2 Avenues of Water Loss 614 12.3 The Dietary Requirement for Water 624 12.4 Ingestion of Xenobiotics Can Increase the Dietary Requirement for Water 628 12.5 Is Water Ecologically Limiting? 629 12.6 Testing the Evolutionary Match between Environmental Aridity and Water Relations 634 SECTION VI: PRODUCTION IN BUDGETS OF MASS AND ENERGY CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Growth in Budgets of Mass and Energy 647 13.1 Overview of Chapters 13 and 14 647 13.2 Two Approaches Are Used to Evaluate Costs of Production 647 13.3 Energetics of Growth 651 13.4 Rates of Growth 666 13.5 Growth in Relation to Life History Transitions 683 CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Reproduction in Budgets of Mass and Energy 697 14.1 Allocation to Reproduction: Trade-off with Development and Effects of Body Size 697 14.2 Approaches for Measuring Costs of Reproduction 698 14.3 Material Costs of Reproduction 708 14.4 Nutritional Control of Reproduction 711 14.5 Putting Energy and Material Costs of Reproduction in Perspective 717 Index 725

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of the most useful and important books I have reviewed. The designer of a bridge needs to know the strength of his steel or concrete and he needs to know how forces are transmitted through structures... A biologist studying an animal or plant structure cannot understand it fully without the same sort of knowledge."--Quarterly Review of Biology

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Book SynopsisDevelops a general theory to explain the facts of island biogeography which builds on the first principles of population ecology and genetics to explain how distance and area combine to regulate the balance between immigration and extinction in island populations.Trade Review"Anyone interested in the history of modern ecology, evolutionary biology, and conservation biology should be aware of the content and impact of this seminal work."--Sharon Kingsland, Journal of the History of BiologyTable of ContentsPreface to the Princeton Landmarks in Biology Edition vii Preface xi Symbols Used xiii 1. The Importance of Islands 3 2. Area and Number of Speicies 8 3. Further Explanations of the Area-Diversity Pattern 19 4. The Strategy of Colonization 68 5. Invasibility and the Variable Niche 94 6. Stepping Stones and Biotic Exchange 123 7. Evolutionary Changes Following Colonization 145 8. Prospect 181 Glossary 185 References 193 Index 201

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Book SynopsisEvolutionary Community Ecology develops a unified framework for understanding the structure of ecological communities and the dynamics of natural selection that shape the evolution of the species inhabiting them. All species engage in interactions with many other species, and these interactions regulate their abundance, define their trajectories ofTrade Review"Uniting the fields of ecology and evolutionary biology, Evolutionary Community Ecology is a landmark book. McPeek synthesizes niche theory and the adaptive landscape, and he integrates topics as disparate as paleontology, biogeography, phylogenetics, speciation, and invasion biology to provide a compelling research agenda for evolutionary ecology in the twenty-first century."—Jonathan Losos, coeditor of How Evolution Shapes Our Lives"In Evolutionary Community Ecology, McPeek's unmistakable message is that the tape of evolution plays out in an ecological theater, entwining both sets of dynamics. He has produced an invaluable roadmap to understanding how these two perspectives feed back on one another to generate and structure the biodiversity around us."—Edmund Brodie III, University of Virginia"One of the most important intellectual tasks in biology today is the fusing of evolutionary and ecological perspectives into a seamless whole. Evolutionary Community Ecology makes a valuable and timely step toward this end. Crafting a synthetic understanding of ecological communities, this book is full of insights and excellent examples. It bridges fundamental community ecology, microevolutionary dynamics, and speciation and macroevolution within a single volume."—Robert D. Holt, University of Florida"I am very impressed with this broad and scholarly book."—Trevor Price, University of Chicago

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Book SynopsisIn 1951, the geneticist Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza was teaching in Parma when a student told him about rich church records of demography and marriages between relatives. After convincing the Church to open its records, Cavalli-Sforza, Moroni, and Gianna Zei embarked on a landmark study. This book assembles and analyzes the team's research.Trade Review"[An] extraordinary book, packed with detailed information... A careful reading of this remarkable book will yield much more information."--Walter Bodmer, NatureTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix 1. History of This Investigation and Structure of This Book 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 History of This Research 4 1.3 Consanguinity 9 1.4 Inbreeding Measurement 11 1.5 Inbreeding Effects 13 1.6 Random Genetic Drift 18 1.7 Research on Drift in the Parma Valley 20 1.8 Genetic Uses of Surnames 21 1.9 A Summary of Published Studies on Consanguinity and Inbreeding, with Special Reference to Italy 24 1.10 Structure of This Book 26 2. Customs and Legislation Affecting Consanguineous Marriages, with Special Attention to the Catholic Church 29 2.1 Early and Medieval Christian Tradition 29 2.2 Traditional Methods of Consanguinity Evaluation: The Roman and the German Methods 34 2.3 Justifications of the Dispensation Request 35 3. Demographic Factors Affecting the Frequencies of Consanguineous Marriage-A Study in Northern Emilia 39 3.1 Nature and Interest of the Problem 39 3.2 Relations to Population Structure 40 3.3 Number of Sibs, Distribution of Family Sizes, and Observed Abundance of Relatives 43 3.4 Consanguinity Degrees and Observed Numbers of Consanguinity Dispensations in Northern Emilia 47 3.5 Pedigree Types, Pedigree Codes, and Proofs of the Influence of Age at Marriage and of the Sex of Intermediate Ancestors 52 4. Probability of Consanguineous Marriages 69 4.1 Theory of Age Effects on the Frequency of Consanguineous Marriages 69 4.2 Migration as a Factor Affecting the Frequency of Consanguineous Marriages 76 4.3 The Role of Women in Maintaining Family Ties among Relatives 78 4.4 Observed and Expected Frequencies of Major Consanguinity Degrees 83 5. Consanguinity, Inbreeding, and Observed Genetic Drift in the Parma Valley 90 5.1 The Parma Valley and the Origin of This Investigation 90 5.2 Geography of the Parma Valley 91 5.3 Consanguinity and Inbreeding in the Parma Valley 95 5.4 Blood Groups and Genetic Drift 101 5.5 Surnames and Genetic Drift 115 5.6 Correlations of Inbreeding and Drift 118 6. A Computer Simulation of the Upper Parma Valley Population 122 6.1 The Need for a Population Simulation 122 6.2 Structure of the Simulation 123 6.3 The Migration Matrix 129 6.4 Is Drift the Only Cause of Genetic Variation in the Parma Valley? 134 6.5 Expected and Observed Consanguinity 142 7. Islands 149 7.1 Italian Islands 149 7.2 Sardinia 149 7.3 Sicily 175 7.4 Aeolian Islands 183 8. Effects of Inbreeding on Normal and Pathological Phenotypes 192 8.1 Introduction 192 8.2 Normal Quantitative Phenotypes: Stature and Chest Girth 193 8.3 Mortality, Fertility, and Sterility 196 8.4 Incidence of Disease Groups from Surveys of Hospital Populations 199 8.5 Study of Specific Recessive Diseases 204 9. Consanguineous Marriages in Italy: Data from the Vatican Archives 211 9.1 Introduction 211 9.2 Variations of Consanguinity over Time 212 9.3 Geographical Variations: Provinces and Regions 214 9.4 Space-Time Analysis: Four Models of Declining Consanguinity in Italian Regions 215 9.5 Factors Responsible for Space and Time Differences in Consanguinity: Choice of Variables and Their Meaning 222 9.6 Demographic Variables: Birthrate, Death Rate, and Demographic Transition 223 9.7 Effect on Consanguinity of Environmental Variables of Socioeconomic and Ecological Meaning 229 9.8 An Attempt at a General Synthesis 237 10. Geography of Demes in Italy 242 10.1 Population Sampling 242 10.2 Random Mating, Mendelian Populations, and Demes 246 10.3 Comparing Genetic and Demographic Approaches to the Study of Demes 252 10.4 Are comuni (Communes) Demes? 260 10.5 The Negative Correlation Between N and m 263 10.6 Using Surnames for Evaluating Drift 267 10.7 A Drift Map of Italy by Communes 274 10.8 Statistical Observations on the Italian Drift Map 280 11. Conclusions 284 11.1 Human Consanguinity 284 11.2 Inbreeding 291 11.3 Genetic Drift 293 11.4 Demes, Isolates, and Migration 298 Bibliography 303 Index 313

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Book SynopsisGiven the reality of limited money for conservation efforts, there is a compelling need for scientists to help conservation practitioners set priorities and identify species most in need of urgent attention. This book provides the scientific approaches and analyses available for asking what we can expect from losing (or gaining) species.Trade Review"I recommend this book both as practical advice for conservation practitioners, and as a summary of recent theory and experiments for any ecologist interested in the interface between species and their communities and ecosystems."--Gareth J. Russell, EcologyTable of ContentsContributors ix Preface xiii Foreword xv Part I: USING EXPERIMENTAL REMOVALS OF SPECIES TO REVEAL THE CONSEQUENCES OF BIODIVERSITY DEPLETION P. Kareiva and S. A. Levin 1 1. Native Thistles: Expendable or Integral to Ecosystem Resistance to Invasion? S. M. Louda and T. A. Rand 5 2. The Overriding Importance of Environmental Context in Determining the Outcome of Species-Deletion Experiments B. A. Menge 16 3. Species Importance and Context: Spatial and Temporal Variation in Species Interactions C.D.G. Harley 44 4. Effects of Removing a Vertebrate versus an Invertebrate Predator on a Food Web, and What Is Their Relative Importance? T. W. Schoener and D. A. Spiller 69 5. Understanding the Effects of Reduced Biodiversity: A Comparison of Two Approaches J. T. Wootton and A. L. Downing 85 Part II: THE ANTHROPOGENIC PERSPECTIVE P. Kareiva and S. A. Levin 105 6. Models of Ecosystem Reliability and Their Implications for the Question of Expendability S. Naeem 109 7. Predicting the Effects of Species Loss on Community Stability D. Doak and M. Marvier 140 8. One Fish, Two Fish, Old Fish, New Fish: Which Invasions Matter? J. L. Ruesink 161 9. Ecological Gambling: Expendable Extinctions Versus Acceptable Invasions M. J. Wonham 179 10. Rarity and Functional Importance in a Phytoplankton Community D. E. Schindler, G. C. Chang, S. Lubetkin, S.E.B. Abella, and W. T. Edmondson 206 11. Community and Ecosystem Impacts of Single-Species Extinctions D. Simberloff 221 Part III: LINKAGES AND EXTERNALITIES P. Kareiva and S. A. Levin 235 12. Social Conflict, Biological Ignorance, and Trying to Agree Which Species Are Expendable E. G. Leigh Jr. 239 13. Which Mutualists Are Most Essential? Buffering of Plant Reproduction against the Extinction of Pollinators W. F. Morris 260 14. The Expendability of Species: A Test Case Based on the Caterpillars on Goldenrods R. B. Root 281 15. An Evolutionary Perspective on the Importance of Species: Why Ecologists Care about Evolution S. R. Palumbi 292 16. Recovering Species of Conservation Concern-Are Populations Expendable? M. Ruckelshaus, P. McElhany, and M. J. Ford 305 17. Virus Specificity in Disease Systems: Are Species Redundant? A. G. Power and A. S. Flecker 330 Conclusion P. Kareiva and S. A. Levin 347 References 353 Index 415

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Book SynopsisBy bringing together mathematical models, statistical analyses, and field experiments, this book offers a comprehensive synthesis of the theory of population oscillations. It first reviews the conceptual tools that ecologists use to investigate population oscillations and then provides an in-depth discussion of several case studies.Trade Review"Turchin has to be congratulated for the conceptual clarity of the book... I especially recommend the book's first two parts to anyone interested in how to model and analyze population fluctuations... Turchin offers researchers and students alike interesting material and a great deal to think about."--Esa Ranta, Science "This book contributes profoundly to the literature... [It] may have a huge impact on the field."--Nils Chr. Stenseth, Nature "A superbly written text offering many fresh insights both pragmatic and profound... Throughout the book, Turchin manages to present complex material in an informal style with clarity and eloquence."--Douglas H. Deutschman, EcologyTable of ContentsPreface xi Mathematical Symbols xv Part I: THEORY 1. Introduction 3 1.1 At the Sources 3 1.1.1 The Puzzle of Population Cycles 3 1.1.2 Modeling Nature 4 1.1.3 The Balance of Nature 5 1.2 General Philosophy of the Approach 6 1.2.1 Defining the Phenomenon to Be Explained 8 1.2.2 Formalizing Hypotheses as Mathematical Models 11 1.2.3 Contrasting Models with Data 14 2. Population Dynamics from First Principles 17 2.1 Introduction 17 2.2 Exponential Growth 19 2.2.1 Derivation of the Exponential Model 20 2.2.2 Comparison with the Law of Inertia 22 2.2.3 "Laws": Postulates, Theorems, Empirical Generalizations? 25 2.3 Self-Limitation 26 2.3.1 Upper and Lower Density Bounds 26 2.3.2 Formalizing the Notion of Self-Limitation 27 2.3.3 The Logistic Model 29 2.4 Consumer-Resource Oscillations 30 2.4.1 Three More Postulates 31 2.4.2 The Lotka-Volterra Predation Model 33 2.5 Process Order 36 2.6 Synthesis 44 3. Single-Species Populations 47 3.1 Models without Population Structure 47 3.1.1 Continuous-Time Models 48 3.1.2 Discrete-Time Models 52 3.1.3 Delayed Differential Models 56 3.2 Exogenous Drivers 58 3.2.1 Stochastic Variation 60 3.2.2 Deterministic Exogenous Factors 61 3.3 Age-and Stage-Structured Models 64 3.3.1 Mathematical Frameworks 65 3.3.2 An Example: Flour Beetle Dynamics 68 3.4 Second-Order Models 70 3.4.1 Maternal Effect Hypothesis 70 3.4.2 Kin Favoritism Model 72 3.5 Synthesis 76 4. Trophic Interactions 78 4.1 Responses of Predators to Fluctuations in Prey Density 79 4.1.1 Functional Response 79 4.1.2 Aggregative Response 88 4.1.3 Numerical Response 90 4.2 Continuous-Time Models 93 4.2.1 Generalized Lotka-Volterra Models 94 4.2.2 Models Not Conforming to the LV Framework 99 4.2.3 Anatomy of a Predator-Prey Cycle 102 4.2.4 Generalist Predators 104 4.3 Discrete-Time Models: Parasitoids 108 4.3.1 Functional and Numerical Responses 109 4.3.2 Dynamical Models 111 4.4 Grazing Systems 112 4.4.1 Grazer's Functional Response 113 4.4.2 Dynamics of Vegetation Regrowth 117 4.4.3 Dynamics of Grazer-Vegetation Interactions 120 4.4.4 Plant Quality 123 4.5 Pathogens and Parasites 127 4.5.1 Transmission Rate 127 4.5.2 Microparasitism Models 128 4.5.3 Macroparasitism Models 131 4.6 Tritrophic Models 133 4.7 Synthesis 136 5. Connecting Mathematical Theory to Empirical Dynamics 137 5.1 Introduction 137 5.2 Qualitative Types of Deterministic Dynamics 139 5.2.1 Attractors 139 5.2.2 Sensitive Dependence on Initial Conditions 140 5.3 Population Dynamics in the Presence of Noise 146 5.3.1 Simple Population Dynamics 146 5.3.2 Stable Periodic Oscillations 147 5.3.3 Chaotic Oscillations 148 5.3.4 Quasi-Chaotic Oscillations 151 5.3.5 Regular Exogenous Forcing 153 5.3.6 Synthesis 153 5.4 Population Regulation 154 5.4.1 Definition of Density Dependence 155 5.4.2 Regulation: Evolution of the Concept 156 5.4.3 The Stationarity Definition of Regulation 156 5.4.4 Beyond Stationarity: Stochastic Boundedness 157 5.4.5 Synthesis 158 Part II: DATA 6. Empirical Approaches: An Overview 163 6.1 Introduction 163 6.2 Analysis of Population Fluctuations 164 6.2.1 The Structure of Density Dependence 164 6.2.2 Probes: Quantitative Measures of Time-Series Patterns 165 6.2.3 Phenomenological versus Mechanistic Approaches 167 6.3 Experimental Approaches 168 7. Phenomenological Time-Series Analysis 173 7.1 Basics 173 7.1.1 Variance Decomposition 173 7.1.2 Data Manipulations Prior to Analysis 175 7.1.3 Diagnostic Tools 178 7.2 Fitting Models to Data 183 7.2.1 General Framework 183 7.2.2 Choosing the Base Lag 186 7.2.3 Functional Forms 188 7.2.4 Model Selection by Cross-Validation 191 7.3 Synthesis 195 8. Fitting Mechanistic Models 197 8.1 Model Selection 198 8.2 Analysis of Ancillary Data 200 8.3 One-Step-Ahead Prediction 201 8.4 Trajectory Matching 203 8.5 Fitting by Nonlinear Forecasting 205 Part III: CASESTUDIES 9. Larch Budmoth 213 9.1 Introduction 213 9.2 Analysis of Time-Series Data 217 9.3 Hypotheses and Models 220 9.3.1 Plant Quality 220 9.3.2 Parasitism 229 9.3.3 Putting It All Together: A Parasitism-Plant Quality Model 235 9.4 Synthesis 237 10. Southern Pine Beetle 239 10.1 Introduction 239 10.2 Analysis of Time-Series Data 240 10.3 Hypotheses and Models 243 10.3.1 General Review of Hypotheses 243 10.3.2 Interaction with Hosts 247 10.3.3 Interaction with Parasitoids 253 10.3.4 The Predation Hypothesis 255 10.4 An Experimental Test of the Predation Hypothesis 259 10.4.1 Rationale 259 10.4.2 Results 264 10.5 Synthesis 271 11. Red Grouse 272 11.1 Numerical Patterns 273 11.2 Hypotheses and Models 281 11.2.1 Overview 281 11.2.2 Parasite-Grouse Hypothesis 282 11.2.3 Kin Favoritism Hypothesis 285 11.3 Experiments 289 11.3.1 Density Manipulation 289 11.3.2 Parasite Manipulation 291 11.4 Synthesis 294 12. Voles and Other Rodents 296 12.1 Introduction 296 12.2 Analysis of Time-Series Data 297 12.2.1 Methodological Issues 297 12.2.2 Numerical Patterns 301 12.3 Hypotheses and Models 310 12.3.1 Maternal Effect Hypothesis 311 12.3.2 Interaction with Food 316 12.3.3 Predation 317 12.4 Fitting the Predation Model by NLF 321 12.5 Lemmings 325 12.5.1 Numerical Patterns 326 12.5.2 Testing Alternative Trophic Hypotheses 328 12.5.3 Lemming-Vegetation Dynamics at Barrow 331 12.6 Synthesis 335 12.6.1 Summary of Findings 335 12.6.2 Towar a General Trophic Theory of Rodent Dynamics 339 13. Snowshoe Hare 344 13.1 Introduction 344 13.2 Numerical Patterns 345 13.3 Models 349 13.4 Experiments 356 13.5 Synthesis 362 14. Ungulates 365 14.1 Introduction 365 14.2 Interaction with Food 368 14.3 Interaction with Predators 371 14.4 Numerical Dynamics 376 14.5 Synthesis 381 15. General Conclusions 383 15.1 What Mechanisms Drive Oscillations in Nature? 383 15.2 Structure of Density Dependence 386 15.3 What about Chaos? 390 15.4 Population Ecology: A Mature Science 392 Glossary 397 References 405 Index 437

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Book SynopsisA guide to the connections between animal social behavior and steroid and peptide hormones. It emphasizes concepts and principles, hypothesis testing, and critical thinking. It also features studies of a variety of wild and domestic vertebrates along with some of the important invertebrate discoveries.Trade Review"Elizabeth Adkins-Regan takes the reader sledding from brain behavior and from hormones to gene expression, up and down through levels of analysis that often change within a single sentence."--Ellen D. Ketterson, Science "Hormones and Animal Social Behavior masterfully achieves Adkins-Regan's goal of integrating behavioral endocrinology with ecological and evolutionary studies... I predict that this outstanding book will soon become a classic in behavioral biology."--Randy J. Nelson, BioScience "Adkins-Regan's book is a timely and very welcome contribution that will be hoped to set the standards for the study of the neuroendocrinological basis of behavior in the wild."--Aldo Poiani, Austral EcologyTable of ContentsList of Illustrations and Tables ix Preface xiii Chapter 1: Hormonal Mechanisms 1 Why Does Social Behavior Need Hormonal Regulation? 3 Steroids 4 Steroid Synthesis and Metabolism 7 Steroid Measurement and Dynamics 9 Neuropeptides and Prolactin 11 Where and How Do Steroids Act to Alter Behavior? 13 Steroid Manipulation 18 Mechanisms of Peptide Action 19 Multiple Messengers,Multiple Behaviors 20 Hormones,Plasticity,and Development 21 How the Necessary Control of Steroids by the Environment Is Achieved: The HPG and HPA Axes 23 Diversity in Mechanisms 29 How "Costly" Are These Hormonal Mechanisms? 30 Chapter 2: Mating, Fighting, Parenting, and Signaling 34 Courtship and Mating 34 Individual and Species Variation in Hormone Dependence of Mating Behavior 42 Female Mating Behavior and Sex Differences in Hormone Dependence 44 Aggressive Behavior 49 Parental Behavior 52 How Hormones Alter Behavior: Circuits, Networks, and Processes 58 Daily and Seasonal Rhythms of Social Behavior 65 Hormones and Signaling 71 Hormonal Responses to Signals and Cues 82 Chapter 3: Social Relationships and Social Organization 92 Sociality 93 Dominance 94 Territoriality 98 Mating Systems 102 Mate Choice 108 Pairbonding 112 Parent -Offspring and Sibling Relationships 117 Cooperative Breeding and Alloparenting 122 Conclusions 130 Chapter 4: Development of Sexes and Types 131 Sex Determination and Morphological Sexual Differentiation 131 Sex Differences in Behavior and Brains 135 Sex Differences Due to Activational Hormone Effects 138 The Organization of Behavioral Sex Differences in Mammals 139 The Direct Genetic Differentiation Hypothesis 146 The Development of Sex Differences in Birds: Progress and Puzzles 148 Sexual Differentiation of Behavior in Other Vertebrates 155 Do Invertebrates Have Hormonally Organized Sex Differences in Behavior? 158 Sex-Changing Fish 160 Within-Sex Types (Within-Sex Dimorphism) 165 Comparative Overview 172 Chapter 5: Evolutionary Change and Species Differences 179 Heritable Phenotypic Variation: Individual Differences and Their Basis 179 Reproductive Success and Differential Fitness 187 Responses to Selection 193 Correlated Traits, Hormones,Costs, and Evolutionary Change 200 Hormones,Sexes,and Sexual Selection 202 Putting Hormonal Mechanisms in the Foreground 205 Genetic Architecture and Hormonally Based Sexual Dimorphism 213 The Perspective from Evolutionary Developmental Biology 214 Species Comparisons in Hormones and Behavior 218 Conclusions 222 Chapter 6: Life Stages and Life Histories 224 Life Histories,Fitness,and Hormones 224 Life Stages Prior to Reproductive Maturity 226 Onset of Reproductive Maturity: Puberty 233 Aging and Senescence 239 Hormones,Social Behavior, and Life History Trade-Offs 247 Conclusions 255 Chapter 7: Phylogeny:Conservation and Innovation 256 Oxytocin Family Peptides and Their Receptors 256 GnRH and Its Receptors 260 Steroid Receptors 263 Steroids and Steroidogenic Enzymes 266 Behavioral Phylogeny, Brains, and the Conservation Paradox 269 Steroid-Modulated Vocalization 272 Mating Behavior 276 Parental Behavior 277 Sex Determination and Sexual Differentiation 279 Conclusions 283 Afterword 285 References 287 Index 365

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Book SynopsisQuantitative models are crucial to almost every area of ecosystem science. This book provides an overview of the status and role of modeling in ecosystem science, including perspectives on the debate over the appropriate level of complexity in models. It contains eight chapters that address the critical issue of evaluating ecosystem models.Trade Review"In the book, a group of excellent ecologists share with you their experience of working with ecological models, their insights into various modeling issues, and their visions of future directions... Experienced modelers or experimentalists with strong interests in modeling can learn a great deal from this book."--Yiqi Luo, Ecology

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Book SynopsisLife is a chancy proposition: from the movement of molecules to the age at which we die, chance plays a key role in the natural world. This book helps readers to apply the probability theory needed to make sense of chance events - using examples from ocean waves to spiderwebs, in fields ranging from molecular mechanics to evolution.Trade Review"An excellent introduction to the uses of probability theory for a reader who is more familiar with biology than with mathematics ... Denny and Gaines have done a valuable service to biologists who are interested in a quantitative approach to life sciences."--Paul Janmey, Nature Cell Biology "A lively, well-written text... A student who reads this book closely will come away with a much deeper appreciation for the universality of diffusion mechanics in science, the deep connections between the distributions central to inferential statistics, the importance of extreme events and how to deal with them analytically, and, most importantly, the power and limitations inherent in the underpinning of the inferential statistics that the student has learned elsewhere."--Mark R. Patterson, American Scientist "This is a fantastic book. Indeed, one would be hard-pressed to find a more readable and lucid introduction to probability theory."--Gary B. Gillis, Journal of Experimental BiologyTable of ContentsPreface xi 1 The Nature of Chance 3 1.1 Silk, Strength, and Statistics 3 1.2 What Is Certain?7 1.3 Determinism versus Chance 8 1.4 Chaos 9 1.5 A Road Map 11 2 Rules of Disorder 12 2.1 Events, Experiments, and Outcomes 12 2.1.1 Sarcastic Fish 13 2.1.2 Bipolar Smut 14 2.1.3 Discrete versus Continuous 17 2.1.4 Drawing Pictures 18 2.2 Probability 19 2.3 Rules and Tools 20 2.3.1 Events Are the Sum of Their Parts 20 2.3.2 The Union of Sets 21 2.3.3 The Probability of a Union 23 2.3.4 Probability and the Intersection of Sets 24 2.3.5 The Complement of a Set 25 2.3.6 Additional Information and Conditional Probabilities 27 2.3.7 Bayes' Formula 29 2.3.8 AIDS and Bayes' Formula 30 2.3.9 The Independence of Sets 32 2.4 Probability Distributions 34 2.5 Summary 37 2.6 Problems 37 3 Discrete Patterns of Disorder 40 3.1 Random Variables 40 3.2 Expectations Defined 42 3.3 The Variance 46 3.4 The Trials of Bernoulli 48 3.5 Beyond 0's and 1's 50 3.6 Bernoulli = Binomial 51 3.6.1 Permutations and Combinations 53 3.7 Waiting Forever 60 3.8 Summary 65 3.9 Problems 66 4 Continuous Patterns of Disorder 68 4.1 The Uniform Distribution 69 4.1.1 The Cumulative Probability Distribution 70 4.1.2 The Probability Density Function 71 4.1.3 The Expectation 74 4.1.4 The Variance 76 4.2 The Shape of Distributions 77 4.3 The Normal Curve 79 4.4 Why Is the Normal Curve Normal?82 4.5 The Cumulative Normal Curve 84 4.6 The Standard Error 86 4.7 A Brief Detour to Statistics 89 4.8 Summary 92 4.9 Problems 93 4.10 Appendix 1: The Normal Distribution 94 4.11 Appendix 2: The Central Limit Theorem 98 5 Random Walks 106 5.1 The Motion of Molecules 106 5.2 Rules of a Random Walk 110 5.2.1 The Average 110 5.2.2 The Variance 112 5.2.3 Diffusive Speed 115 5.3 Diffusion and the Real World 115 5.4 A Digression on the Binomial Theorem 117 5.5 The Biology of Diffusion 119 5.6 Fick's Equation 123 5.7 A Use of Fick's Equation: Limits to Size 126 5.8 Receptors and Channels 130 5.9 Summary 136 5.10 Problems 137 6 More Random Walks 139 6.1 Diffusion to Capture 139 6.1.1 Two Absorbing Walls 142 6.1.2 One Reflecting Wall 144 6.2 Adrift at Sea: Turbulent Mixing of Plankton 145 6.3 Genetic Drift 148 6.3.1 A Genetic Diffusion Coefficient 149 6.3.2 Drift and Fixation 151 6.4 Genetic Drift and Irreproducible Pigs 154 6.5 The Biology of Elastic Materials 156 6.5.1 Elasticity Defined 156 6.5.2 Biological Rubbers 157 6.5.3 The Limits to Energy Storage 161 6.6 Random Walks in Three Dimensions 163 6.7 Random Protein Configurations 167 6.8 A Segue to Thermodynamics 169 6.9 Summary 173 6.10 Problems 173 7 The Statistics of Extremes 175 7.1 The Danger of Cocktail Parties 175 7.2 Calculating the Maximum 182 7.3 Mean and Modal Maxima 185 7.4 Ocean Waves 186 7.5 The Statistics of Extremes 189 7.6 Life and Death in Rhode Island 194 7.7 Play Ball! 196 7.8 A Note on Extrapolation 204 7.9 Summary 206 7.10 Problems 206 8 Noise and Perception 208 8.1 Noise Is Inevitable 208 8.2 Dim Lights and Fuzzy Images 212 8.3 The Poisson Distribution 213 8.4 Bayes' Formula and the Design of Rods 218 8.5 Designing Error-Free Rods 219 8.5.1 The Origin of Membrane Potentials 220 8.5.2 Membrane Potential in Rod Cells 222 8.6 Noise and Ion Channels 225 8.6.1 An Electrical Analog 226 8.6.2 Calculating the Membrane Voltage 227 8.6.3 Calculating the Size 229 8.7 Noise and Hearing 230 8.7.1 Fluctuations in Pressure 231 8.7.2 The Rate of Impact 232 8.7.3 Fluctuations in Velocity 233 8.7.4 Fluctuations in Momentum 235 8.7.5 The Standard Error of Pressure 235 8.7.6 Quantifying the Answer 236 8.8 The Rest of the Story 239 8.9 Stochastic Resonance 239 8.9.1 The Utility of Noise 239 8.9.2 Nonlinear Systems 242 8.9.3 The History of Stochastic Resonance 244 8.10 Summary 245 8.11 A Word at the End 246 8.12 A Problem 247 8.13 Appendix 248 9 The Answers 250 9.1 Chapter 2 250 9.2 Chapter 3 256 9.3 Chapter 4 262 9.4 Chapter 5 266 9.5 Chapter 6 269 9.6 Chapter 7 271 9.7 Chapter 8 273 Symbol Index 279 Author Index 284 Subject Index 286

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive synthesis of parasite variation at the molecular, population, and evolutionary levels, this book is suitable for students and researchers throughout biology and biomedicine. It uses an evolutionary perspective to meld the terms and findings of molecular biology, immunology, pathogen biology, and population dynamics.Trade Review"[This] is a rich source of ideas for scientists working in immunology and molecular biology as well as evolution... Newcomers are offered a comprehensive introduction to basic questions of immunology, as well as a synthesis that cuts across large areas of biology. Specialists will find detailed discussions of specific infectious agents from a highly original, evolutionary perspective, and inspiration for future research."--Franziska Michor and Martin A. Nowak, Nature "Frank's book, short and clearly written, can be read through with ease, and it will serve as an excellent introduction to infectious disease dynamics for final-year undergraduates and research students, and for those who attempt to bridge the gulf between mathematics and biology. It will be particularly useful as a stimulus for new research... [F]or an integrated and digestible account of the role of antigenic variation in the immunology and evolution of microparasites, this book has few rivals, and is highly recommended."--Charles R. M. Bangham, Trends in Ecology and Evolution "This is the first volume to comprehensively survey the integration of evolution, epidemiology, ecology, genetics, and immunology of pathogen and host population. As such, it is a valuable resource for both students and researchers."--Allison P. Galvani, Quarterly Review of Biology "This book is definitely worth reading. Frank provides a thought-provoking and timely agenda of research questions in evolutionary immunology and parasitology that will undoubtedly stay relevant for many years to come."--Paul Schmid-Hempel, Science "This book should be read by anyone interested in the evolution of infectious disease, as well as by those interested in molecular evolution or in experimental evolution... It will appeal broadly."--J.J. Bull and Dieter Ebert, Evolution "A valuable resource for both students and researchers... This stimulating book makes an important contribution by bridging the gap between immunology and epidemiology."--Alison P. Galvani, Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of ContentsAcknowledgments xi 1. Introduction 3 PART I: BACKGROUND 2. Vertebrate Immunity 13 2.1 Nonspecific Immunity 14 2.2 Specific Immunity: Antigens and Epitopes 15 2.3 B Cells and Antibodies 16 2.4 T Cells and MHC 19 2.5 Summary 20 3. Benefits of Antigenic Variation 22 3.1 Extend Length of Infection 23 3.2 Infect Hosts with Prior Exposure 24 3.3 Infect Hosts with Genetically Variable Resistance 26 3.4 Vary Attachment Characters 26 3.5 Antigenic Interference 28 3.6 Problems for Future Research 29 PART II: MOLECULAR PROCESSES 4. Specificity and Cross-Reactivity 33 4.1 Antigens and Antibody Epitopes 35 4.2 Antibody Paratopes 36 4.3 Antibody Affinity Maturation 38 4.4 Natural Antibodies-Low-Affinity Binding to Diverse Antigens 39 4.5 Affinity versus Specificity 40 4.6 Cross-Reaction of Polyclonal Antibodies to Divergent Antigens 42 4.7 T Cell Epitopes 44 4.8 Every Host Differs 52 4.9 Problems for Future Research 54 5. Generative Mechanisms 57 5.1 Mutation and Hypermutation 58 5.2 Stochastic Switching between Archival Copies 61 5.3 New Variants by Intragenomic Recombination 66 5.4 Mixing between Genomes 67 5.5 Problems for Future Research 68 PART III: INDIVIDUAL INTERACTIONS 6. Immunodominance within Hosts 73 6.1 Antibody Immunodominance 74 6.2 CTL Immunodominance 79 6.3 Sequence of Exposure to Antigens: Original Antigenic Sin 87 6.4 Problems for Future Research 89 7. Parasite Escape within Hosts 93 7.1 Natural Selection of Antigenic Variants 94 7.2 Pathogen Manipulation of Host Immune Dynamics 97 7.3 Sequence of Variants in Active Switching from Archives 98 7.4 Ecological Coexistence of Variants within a Host 102 7.5 Problems for Future Research 106 PART IV: POPULATION CONSEQUENCES 8. Genetic Variability of Hosts 111 8.1 Polymorphisms in Specificity 112 8.2 Polymorphisms in Immune Regulation 115 8.3 Problems for Future Research 121 9. Immunological Variability of Hosts 124 9.1 Immunological Memory 125 9.2 Kinds of Parasites 129 9.3 Immunodominance of Memory 132 9.4 Cross-Reactivity and Interference 135 9.5 Distribution of Immune Profiles among Hosts 136 9.6 Problems for Future Research 144 10. Genetic Structure of Parasite Populations 148 10.1 Kinds of Genetic Structure 149 10.2 Pattern and Process 151 10.3 Genome-wide Linkage Disequilibrium 153 10.4 Antigenic Linkage Disequilibrium 164 10.5 Population Structure: Hosts as Islands 166 10.6 Problems for Future Research 168 PART V: STUDYING EVOLUTION 11. Classifications by Antigenicity and Phylogeny 175 11.1 Immunological Measures of Antigenicity 176 11.2 Phylogeny 178 11.3 Hypothetical Relations between Immunology and Phylogeny 179 11.4 Immunology Matches Phylogeny over Long Genetic Distances 181 11.5 Immunology-Phylogeny Mismatch with Radiations into New Hosts 181 11.6 Short-Term Phylogenetic Diversification Driven by Immunological Selection 183 11.7 Discordant Patterns of Phylogeny and Antigenicity Created by Within-Host Immune Pressure 183 11.8 Problems for Future Research 186 12. Experimental Evolution: Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus 188 12.1 Overview of Antigenicity and Structure 189 12.2 Antibody Escape Mutants 192 12.3 Cell Binding and Tropism 196 12.4 Fitness Consequences of Substitutions 200 12.5 Problems for Future Research 202 13. Experimental Evolution: Influenza 205 13.1 Overview of Antigenicity and Structure 206 13.2 Antibody Escape Mutants 214 13.3 Cell Binding and Tropism 216 13.4 Fitness Consequences of Substitutions 218 13.5 Experimental Evolution of Other Pathogens 224 13.6 Problems for Future Research 227 14. Experimental Evolution: CTL Escape 230 14.1 Cleavage and Transport of Peptides 231 14.2 MHC Binding 232 14.3 TCR Binding 237 14.4 Functional Consequences of Escape 239 14.5 Kinetics of Escape 240 14.6 Problems for Future Research 243 15. Measuring Selection with Population Samples 246 15.1 Kinds of Natural Selection 247 15.2 Positive Selection to Avoid Host Recognition 249 15.3 Phylogenetic Analysis of Nucleotide Substitutions 251 15.4 Predicting Evolution 255 15.5 Problems for Future Research 260 16. Recap of Some Interesting Problems 265 16.1 Population-Level Explanation for Low Molecular Variability 265 16.2 Molecular-Level Explanation for Population Dynamics 266 16.3 Binding Kinetics and the Dynamics of Immunodominance 266 16.4 Diversity and Regulation of Archival Repertoires 267 16.5 Final Note 268 References 269 Author Index 313 Subject Index 337

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Book SynopsisA guide to dragonflies and damselflies of the south-central United States. It covers 263 species, representing more than half of the North American fauna. It features: discussions of habitats, zoogeography, and seasonality; details on dragonfly and damselfly life history and conservation; and, range maps for these species; and, more.Trade Review"Recent interest in the amazing order of insects that includes dragonflies and damselflies has sparked numerous publications. This book, by odontologist John C. Abbott is certainly one of the best."--Choice "Each section is full of information ... with expertly drawn illustrations. The photos ... are astonishing... Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas and the South-Central United States is a fine book that easily dispels the unfortunate myths that have arisen over this misunderstood group since 15th century Europe."--Biology Diges "For the serious naturalist, however, this present book would seem to be the definitive guide to the region and I give it my strong recommendation!"--Guy Padfield, UK ButterfliesTable of ContentsPreface vii Introduction 1 Habitats and Zoogeography of the South-Central United States 1 Life History of Odonata 4 Seasonality of Odonata in the South-Central United States 6 Conservation 7 Studying Odonata 8 Photographing Odonata 9 External Anatomy of Adult Odonata 10 A Guide to the Species Accounts 15 DAMSELFLIES (Suborder Zygoptera) 19 Broad-winged Damsels (Family Calopterygidae)21 Spreadwings (Family Lestidae) 29 Threadtails (Family Protoneuridae) 46 Pond Damsels (Family Coenagrionidae) 52 DRAGONFLIES (Suborder Anisoptera) 149 Petaltails (Family Petaluridae) 151 Darners (Family Aeshnidae) 153 Clubtails (Family Gomphidae) 176 Spiketails (Family Cordulegastridae) 215 Cruisers and Emeralds (Family Corduliidae) 218 Skimmers (Family Libellulidae) 240 Additional Species 309 Checklist of South-Central United States Odonata 311 Glossary 315 Bibliography 319 Field Guides and Other Reference Works 319 Odonata Societies 319 Sources Cited in Text 319 Photo Credits 335 Index 337

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive guide to understanding the evolution and ecology of photosynthesis in aquatic environments. This second edition describes how one of the most fundamental metabolic processes evolved and transformed the surface chemistry of the Earth. It focuses on biochemical and biophysical advances and the molecular biological techniques.Trade Review"Despite the ubiquity and critical importance of this topic to the study of aquatic ecology, there are very few books dedicated primarily to aquatic photosynthesis, and none cover the subject matter with comparable elegance or continuity from the molecule to the ecosystem as does this one, authored by two of the leading researchers in the subject... [I]t is a pleasure to have this important volume back in print after a hiatus of several years. No other text covers the subject as lucidly or completely as this one, and that makes it an extremely valuable pedagogical reference. It will be a welcome addition to any library or personal collection."--Richard C. Zimmerman, Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin "Indeed a magnificent book that will, perhaps, be welcomed as one of the best and the most useful ones for all biologists and oceanographers... No other text covers the subject as lucidly or completely as this one, and that makes it an extremely valuable pedagogical reference. It will be a welcome addition to any library or personal collection."--Richard C. Zimmerman, Current Engineering PracticeTable of ContentsPreface to the Second Edition ix Preface to the First Edition xi Chapter 1: An Introduction to Photosynthesis in Aquatic Systems 1 Chapter 2: Light Absorption and Energy Transfer in the Photosynthetic Apparatus 44 Chapter 3: The Photosynthetic Light Reactions 81 Chapter 4: Photosynthetic Electron Transport and Photophosphorylation 118 Chapter 5: Carbon Acquisition and Assimilation 156 Chapter 6: The Molecular Structure of the Photosynthetic Apparatus 201 Chapter 7: Photosynthesis in Continuous Light 237 Chapter 8: Making Cells 278 Chapter 9: Photosynthesis and Primary Production in Nature 319 Chapter 10: Aquatic Photosynthesis in Biogeochemical Cycles 364 References 411 Index 465

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Book SynopsisA primer on self-organization in biological systems for students and other enthusiasts, this book introduces readers to the basic concepts and tools for studying self-organization and then examines numerous examples of self-organization in the natural world.Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2002 Winner of the 2001 Award for Best Professional/Scholarly Book in Biological Science, Association of American Publishers "We suspect that the ideas associated with self-organization will play an increasingly prominent role in biology for some time to come... Self-Organization in Biological Systems presents a unique opportunity to watch a group of active researchers apply these intriguing concepts to formerly mystifying feats of social organization in animals. We know of no better guide for those who wish to understand how modeling can be used to dissect the mechanisms of self-organized biological systems."--John W. Pepper and Guy Hoelzer, Science "[An] exceptionally well organized and superbly illustrated volume."--Choice "An important contribution to biology, and to complex systems research more generally, and certainly an enthralling subject."--Carl Anderson, Complexity "This is a fascinating and thought-provoking book... The authors provide an excellent introduction to the main ideas underlying the theory of self-organization and also deal with some of the criticisms leveled at this emerging field... An eminently readable and stimulating book."--Jens Krause and Iain Couzin, The Quarterly Review of Biology "This book is an entertaining and well-written introduction to the basics of self-organization... Given the clear prose and interesting examples, this book should have wide appeal."--Diane Lipscomb, Science Books & Film "Considering the complexity of the subject, this account is surprisingly and pleasantly accessible and readable. It is one of the few biology books that will appeal equally to research workers and undergraduates."--Bulletin of the British Ecological Society "Broad in scope, thorough yet accessible, this book is a self-contained introduction to self-organization and complexity in biology--at the forefront of life sciences research."--Zentralblatt MATHTable of ContentsExplanation of Color Plates vii Prologue: Aims and Scope of the Book 2 Part I. Introduction to Biological Self-Organization 5 Chapter 1. What Is Self-Organization? 7 Chapter 2. How Self-Organization Works 15 Chapter 3. Characteristics of Self-Organizing Systems 29 Chapter 4. Alternatives to Self-Organization 47 Chapter 5. Why Self-Organization? 63 Chapter 6. Investigation of Self-Organization 69 Chapter 7. Misconceptions about Self-Organization 88 Part II. Case Studies 93 Chapter 8. Pattern Formation in Slime Molds and Bacteria 95 Chapter 9. Feeding Aggregations of Bark Beetles 121 Chapter 10. Synchronized Flashing among Fireflies 143 Chapter 11. Fish Schooling 167 Chapter 12. Nectar Source Selection by Honey Bees 189 Chapter 13. Trail Formation in Ants 217 Chapter 14. The Swarm Raids of Army Ants 257 Chapter 15. Colony Thermoregulation in Honey Bees 285 Chapter 16. Comb Patterns in Honey Bee Colonies 309 Chapter 17. Wall Building by Ants 341 Chapter 18. Termite Mound Building 377 Chapter 19. Construction Algorithms in Wasps 405 Chapter 20. Dominance Hierarchies in Paper Wasps 443 Part III. Conclusions 483 Chapter 21. Lessons, Speculations, and the Future of Self-Organization 485 Notes 495 References 497 Index 525

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