Endangered species and extinction of species Books

Book SynopsisFrom the underreported frontlines of the climate emergency, an at-turns alarming and awe-inspiring work that follows the harrowing migrations of animals and plants fleeing rising temperatures and drought in their natural habitats. As humans accelerate global warming while laying waste to the environment, animals and plants must flee to the margins: on scattered nature reserves, between major highways, or among urban sprawl. And when even these places become too hot and inhospitable, wildlife is left with only one path to survival: an often-formidable journey toward the poles as they race to find a new home in a warming world. Tropical zones lose their inhabitants, beavers settle in Alaska, and gigantic shoals of fish disappear — just to reappear along foreign coastlines. Award-winning environmental journalist Benjamin von Brackel traces these awe-inspiring journeys and celebrates the remarkable resilience of species around the world. But the lengths these plants and animals must go to avoid extinction are as alarming as they are inspirational: Sea animals — like fish — move on average 45 miles a decade to cooler regions, while land animals — like beavers and butterflies — move 11 miles. As even the poles of the Earth heat up, we’re left with a stark and irreversible choice: Halt the climate emergency now, or face a massive die-off of species, who are increasingly left with nowhere else to go.

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Book SynopsisCaught on camera prior to their demise, this book reveals the surprisingly rich photographic record of now-extinct animals.A photograph of an animal long-gone evokes a feeling of loss more than a painting ever can. Often tinted sepia or black-and-white, these images were mainly taken in zoos or wildlife parks, and in a handful of cases featured the last known individual of the species. There are some familiar examples, such as Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon, or the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, recently fledged and perching happily on the hat of one of the biologists that had just ringed it. But for every Martha there are a number of less familiar extinct birds and mammals that were caught on camera.The photographic record of extinction is the focus of this remarkable book, written by the world''s leading authority on vanished animals, Errol Fuller. Lost Animals features photographs dating from around 1870 to as recently as 2004, the year that saw the demise of the HawaiianTrade ReviewA remarkable collection of photos. * Daily Express *Mildly saddening while also fascinating. * Sport *Valuable...this brings together extraordinary photographs of now-extinct species. * The Guardian *...highlight[s] the spectre of extinction. * Sunday Express *...rare and remarkable images that reveal the last days of some of the planet's most iconic extinct creatures. * The Lady *...a striking collection of photos. * Science Uncovered *Table of ContentsIntroduction Atitlán Giant Grebe Alaotra Grebe Pink-headed Duck Heath Hen Wake Island Rail Laysan Rail Eskimo Curlew Passenger Pigeon Carolina Parakeet Paradise Parrot Laughing Owl Ivory-billed Woodpecke Imperial Woodpecker New Zealand Bush Wren Aldabra Brush Warbler Bachman’s Warbler Kaua ´i ´O ´o O ´u Mamo Po ´ouli Guam Flycatcher Thylacine Greater Short-tailed Bat Caribbean Monk Seal Yangtze River Dolphin Quagga Schomburgk’s Deer Bubal Hartebeest Appendix Further reading Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisLife on Earth is facing a mass extinction event of our own making. Human activity is changing the biology and the meaning of extinction. What Is Extinction? examines several key moments that have come to define the terms of extinction over the past two centuries, exploring instances of animal and human finitude and the cultural forms used to document and interpret these events. Offering a critical theory for the critically endangered, Joshua Schuster proposes that different discourses of limits and lastness appear in specific extinction events over time as a response to changing attitudes toward species frailty. Understanding these extinction events also involves examining what happens when the conceptual and cultural forms used to account for species finitude are pressed to their limits as well. Schuster provides close readings of several case studies of extinction that bring together environmental humanities and multispecies methods with media-specific analyses at the terminus of life. What Is Extinction? delves into the development of last animal photography, the anthropological and psychoanalytic fascination with human origins and ends, the invention of new literary genres of last fictions, the rise of new extreme biopolitics in the Third Reich that attempted to change the meaning of extinction, and the current pursuit of de-extinction technologies. Schuster offers timely interpretations of how definitions and visions of extinction have changed in the past and continue to change in the present.Table of ContentsIntroduction | 1 Part I 1 Photographing the Last Animal | 43 2 Indigeneity and Anthropology in Last Worlds | 69 Part II 3 Literary Extinctions and the Existentiality of Reading | 109 4 Concepts of Extinction in the Holocaust | 134 Part III 5 Critical Theory for the Critically Endangered | 167 6 What Is De-Extinction? | 198 Conclusion | 231 Acknowledgments | 247 Notes | 251 Index | 279

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Book SynopsisAn insightful exploration of the iconic Galápagos tortoises, and how their fate is inextricably linked to our own in a rapidly changing worldTrade ReviewFinalist for the 2020 E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, sponsored by PEN America Literary Awards“Wonderfully interesting, informative, and engaging, as well as scholarly.”—Janet Browne, author of Charles Darwin: Voyaging and Charles Darwin: The Power of Place“Timely, fresh, and compelling . . . a must-read for anyone interested in the environmental history of the Galapagos and tortoise conservation.”—Jamie Lorimer, University of Oxford, author of Wildlife in the Anthropocene: Conservation after Nature“Hennessy’s book isn’t just about the controversial efforts to preserve the world’s most famous tortoises—it also provides an expansive tour de force of Darwinian ideas, the Galapagos, human entanglements in evolution, and the risks of icon-making.”—Daniel Lewis, author of Belonging on an Island: Birds, Extinction, and Evolution in Hawai‘i“Hennessy’s enthralling history of the iconic Galápagos Islands focuses on the tortoises after which they are named to deftly unpack the contradictions of global conservation in the name of science.”—Claudia Leal, author of Landscapes of Freedom: Building a Postemancipation Society in the Rainforests of Western Colombia“Hennessy finds that even though this archipelago is 97 percent a national park, humans can no longer consider themselves distinct from nature, but rather are an inseparable part of it with consequences for the identity of each.”—Deborah Cramer, author of The Narrow Edge: A Tiny Bird, an Ancient Crab, and an Epic Journey

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Book SynopsisPeregrine falcons have their share of claims to fame. With a diving speed of over two hundred miles per hour, these birds of prey are the fastest animals on earth or in the sky, and they are now well known for adapting from life on rocky cliffs to a different kind of mountain: modern skyscrapers. But adaptability only helps so much. In 1951, there were no peregrines left in Illinois, and it looked as if the species would be wiped out entirely in North America. Today, however, peregrines are flourishing. In The Peregrine Returns, Mary Hennen gives wings to this extraordinary conservation success story. Drawing on the beautiful watercolors of Field Museum artist-in-residence Peggy Macnamara and photos by Field Museum research assistant Stephanie Ware, as well as her own decades of work with peregrines, Hennen focuses her tale on Illinois's Chicago Peregrine Program, a collaboration between researchers and citizen scientists. She follows the journey of Illinois's peregrines from their d

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Book SynopsisThis second edition presents how genetic information can be used to conserve threatened species, as well as manage ecologically or commercially important species.Trade Review“Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above.” (Choice, 1 October 2013)Table of ContentsGuest Box authors, ix Preface to the second edition, xi Preface to the first edition, xiii List of symbols, xv PART I: INTRODUCTION, 1 1 Introduction, 3 1.1 Genetics and civilization, 4 1.2 What should we conserve?, 5 1.3 How should we conserve biodiversity?, 9 1.4 Applications of genetics to conservation, 10 1.5 The future, 12 Guest Box 1: L. Scott Mills and Michael E. Soulé, The role of genetics in conservation, 13 2 Phenotypic variation in natural populations, 14 2.1 Color pattern, 17 2.2 Morphology, 20 2.3 Behavior, 23 2.4 Phenology, 25 2.5 Differences among populations, 27 2.6 Nongenetic inheritance, 31 Guest Box 2: Chris J. Foote, Looks can be deceiving: countergradient variation in secondary sexual color in sympatric morphs of sockeye salmon, 32 3 Genetic variation in natural populations: chromosomes and proteins, 34 3.1 Chromosomes, 35 3.2 Protein electrophoresis, 45 3.3 Genetic variation within natural populations, 48 3.4 Genetic divergence among populations, 50 Guest Box 3: E. M. Tuttle, Chromosomal polymorphism in the white-throated sparrow, 52 4 Genetic variation in natural populations: DNA, 54 4.1 Mitochondrial and chloroplast organelle DNA, 56 4.2 Single-copy nuclear loci, 60 4.3 Multiple locus techniques, 68 4.4 Genomic tools and markers, 69 4.5 Transcriptomics, 72 4.6 Other ‘omics’ and the future, 73 Guest Box 4: Louis Bernatchez, Rapid evolutionary changes of gene expression in domesticated Atlantic salmon and its consequences for the conservation of wild populations, 74 PART II: MECHANISMS OF EVOLUTIONARY CHANGE, 77 5 Random mating populations: Hardy- Weinberg principle, 79 5.1 Hardy-Weinberg principle, 80 5.2 Hardy-Weinberg proportions, 82 5.3 Testing for Hardy-Weinberg proportions, 83 5.4 Estimation of allele frequencies, 88 5.5 Sex-linked loci, 90 5.6 Estimation of genetic variation, 92 Guest Box 5: Paul Sunnucks and Birgita D. Hansen, Null alleles and Bonferroni ‘abuse’: treasure your exceptions (and so get it right for Leadbeater’s possum), 93 6 Small populations and genetic drift, 96 6.1 Genetic drift, 97 6.2 Changes in allele frequency, 100 6.3 Loss of genetic variation: the inbreeding effect of small populations, 101 6.4 Loss of allelic diversity, 102 6.5 Founder effect, 106 6.6 Genotypic proportions in small populations, 110 6.7 Fitness effects of genetic drift, 112 Guest Box 6: Menna E. Jones, Reduced genetic variation and the emergence of an extinction-threatening disease in the Tasmanian devil, 115 7 Effective population size, 117 7.1 Concept of effective population size, 118 7.2 Unequal sex ratio, 119 7.3 Nonrandom number of progeny, 121 7.4 Fluctuating population size, 125 7.5 Overlapping generations, 125 7.6 Variance effective population size, 126 7.7 Cytoplasmic genes, 126 7.8 Gene genealogies, the coalescent, and lineage sorting, 129 7.9 Limitations of effective population size, 130 7.10 Effective population size in natural populations, 132 Guest Box 7: Craig R. Miller and Lisette P. Waits, Estimation of effective population size in Yellowstone grizzly bears, 134 8 Natural selection, 136 8.1 Fitness, 138 8.2 Single locus with two alleles, 138 8.3 Multiple alleles, 144 8.4 Frequency-dependent selection, 147 8.5 Natural selection in small populations, 149 8.6 Natural selection and conservation, 151 Guest Box 8: Paul A. Hohenlohe and William A. Cresko, Natural selection across the genome of the threespine stickleback fish, 154 9 Population subdivision, 156 9.1 F-Statistics, 158 9.2 Spatial patterns of relatedness within local populations, 161 9.3 Genetic divergence among populations and gene flow, 163 9.4 Gene flow and genetic drift, 165 9.5 Continuously distributed populations, 168 9.6 Cytoplasmic genes and sex-linked markers, 169 9.7 Gene flow and natural selection, 172 9.8 Limitations of FST and other measures of subdivision, 174 9.9 Estimation of gene flow, 179 9.10 Population subdivision and conservation, 184 Guest Box 9: M.K. Schwartz and J.M. Tucker, Genetic population structure and conservation of fisher in western North America, 185 10 Multiple loci, 187 10.1 Gametic disequilibrium, 188 10.2 Small population size, 192 10.3 Natural selection, 192 10.4 Population subdivision, 196 10.5 Hybridization, 196 10.6 Estimation of gametic disequilibrium, 199 10.7 Multiple loci and conservation, 200 Guest Box 10: Robin S. Waples, Estimation of effective population size using gametic disequilibrium, 203 11 Quantitative genetics, 205 11.1 Heritability, 206 11.2 Selection on quantitative traits, 212 11.3 Finding genes underlying quantitative traits, 217 11.4 Loss of quantitative genetic variation, 220 11.5 Divergence among populations, 223 11.6 Quantitative genetics and conservation, 225 Guest Box 11: David W. Coltman, Response to trophy hunting in bighorn sheep, 229 12 Mutation, 230 12.1 Process of mutation, 231 12.2 Selectively neutral mutations, 235 12.3 Harmful mutations, 239 12.4 Advantageous mutations, 239 12.5 Recovery from a bottleneck, 241 Guest Box 12: Michael W. Nachman, Color evolution via different mutations in pocket mice, 242 PART III: GENETICS AND CONSERVATION, 245 13 Inbreeding depression, 247 13.1 Pedigree analysis, 248 13.2 Gene drop analysis, 252 13.3 Estimation of F with molecular markers, 253 13.4 Causes of inbreeding depression, 256 13.5 Measurement of inbreeding depression, 258 13.6 Genetic load and purging, 264 13.7 Inbreeding and conservation, 267 Guest Box 13: Lukas F. Keller, Inbreeding depression in song sparrows, 268 14 Demography and extinction, 270 14.1 Estimation of census population Size, 272 14.2 Inbreeding depression and extinction, 274 14.3 Population viability analysis, 277 14.4 Loss of phenotypic variation, 286 14.5 Loss of evolutionary potential, 288 14.6 Mitochondrial DNA, 289 14.7 Mutational meltdown, 289 14.8 Long-term persistence, 291 14.9 The 50/500 rule, 292 Guest Box 14: A. G. Young, M. Pickup, and B. G. Murray, Management implications of loss of genetic diversity at the selfincompatibility locus for the button wrinklewort, 293 15 Metapopulations and fragmentation, 296 15.1 The metapopulation concept, 297 15.2 Genetic variation in metapopulations, 298 15.3 Effective population size of metapopulations, 301 15.4 Population divergence and connectivity, 303 15.5 Genetic rescue, 304 15.6 Landscape genetics, 306 15.7 Long-term population viability, 311 Guest Box 15: Robert C. Vrijenhoek, Fitness loss and genetic rescue in stream-dwelling topminnows, 313 16 Units of conservation, 316 16.1 What should we protect?, 318 16.2 Systematics and taxonomy, 320 16.3 Phylogeny reconstruction, 322 16.4 Genetic relationships within species, 327 16.5 Units of conservation, 336 16.6 Integrating genetic, phenotypic, and environmental information, 346 16.7 Communities, 348 Guest Box 16: David J. Coates, Identifying units of conservation in a rich and fragmented flora, 350 17 Hybridization, 352 17.1 Natural hybridization, 353 17.2 Anthropogenic hybridization, 358 17.3 Fitness consequences of hybridization, 360 17.4 Detecting and describing hybridization, 364 17.5 Hybridization and conservation, 370 Guest Box 17: Loren H. Rieseberg, Hybridization and the conservation of plants, 375 18 Exploited populations, 377 18.1 Loss of genetic variation, 378 18.2 Unnatural selection, 381 18.3 Spatial structure, 385 18.4 Effects of releases, 388 18.5 Management and recovery of exploited populations, 391 Guest Box 18: Guðrún Marteinsdóttir, Long-term genetic changes in the Icelandic stock of Atlantic cod in response to harvesting, 393 19 Conservation breeding and restoration, 395 19.1 The role of conservation breeding, 398 19.2 Reproductive technologies and genome banking, 400 19.3 Founding populations for conservation breeding programs, 403 19.4 Genetic drift in captive populations, 405 19.5 Natural selection and adaptation to captivity, 407 19.6 Genetic management of conservation breeding programs, 410 19.7 Supportive breeding, 412 19.8 Reintroductions and translocations, 414 Guest Box 19: Robert C. Lacy, Understanding inbreeding depression: 25 years of experiments with Peromyscus mice, 419 20 Invasive species, 421 20.1 Why are invasive species so successful?, 422 20.2 Genetic analysis of introduced species, 425 20.3 Establishment and spread of invasive species, 429 20.4 Hybridization as a stimulus for invasiveness, 430 20.5 Eradication, management, and control, 431 20.6 Emerging diseases and parasites, 433 Guest Box 20: Richard Shine, Rapid evolution of introduced cane toads and native snakes, 438 21 Climate change, 440 21.1 Predictions and uncertainty about future climates, 441 21.2 Phenotypic plasticity, 442 21.3 Maternal effects and epigenetics, 445 21.4 Adaptation, 446 21.5 Species range shifts, 448 21.6 Extirpation and extinction, 449 21.7 Management in the face of climate change, 451 Guest Box 21: S. J. Franks, Rapid evolution of flowering time by an annual plant in response to climate fluctuation, 453 22 Genetic identification and monitoring, 455 22.1 Species identification, 457 22.2 Metagenomics and species composition, 464 22.3 Individual identification, 465 22.4 Parentage and relatedness, 469 22.5 Population assignment and composition analysis, 471 22.6 Genetic monitoring, 477 Guest Box 22: C. Scott Baker, Genetic detection of illegal trade of whale meat results in closure of restaurants, 481 Appendix: Probability and statistics, 484 A1 Paradigms, 485 A2 Probability, 487 A3 Statistical measures and distributions, 489 A4 Frequentist hypothesis testing, statistical errors, and power, 496 A5 Maximum likelihood, 499 A6 Bayesian approaches and MCMC (Markov Chain Monte Carlo), 500 A7 Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC), 504 A8 Parameter estimation, accuracy, and precision, 504 A9 Performance testing, 506 A10 The coalescent and genealogical Information, 506 Guest Box A: James F. Crow, Is mathematics necessary?, 511 Glossary, 513 References, 531 Index, 587 Color plates section between page 302 and page 303

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Book SynopsisAt the start of the nineteenth century, Passenger Pigeons were perhaps the most abundant birds on the planet, numbering literally in the billions. The flocks were so large and so dense that they blackened the skies, even blotting out the sun for days at a stretch. Yet by the end of the century, the most common bird in North America had vanished froTrade ReviewHonorable Mention for the 2015 National Outdoor Book Awards, Nature and the Environment, NOBA Foundation One of The Independent's Best Nature Books of 2014 Selected for the American Scientist Science Book Gift Guide 2014 One of The Seattle Times 8 Books to Put under a Bird-Lover's Tree 2014 One of The Globe and Mail 75 Book Ideas for Christmas 2014 One of TheAustralian.com's "In the Good Books" 2014 "Lavishly illustrated with rare photographs of the birds... This book provides a general introduction to the history of the passenger pigeon through its collection of rare photographs and other visual materials that most people have not seen before."--Devorah Bennu, The Guardian, GrrlScientist "Visually beautiful... Gives a fine account of the species, its biology and its demise."--Adrian Barnett, New Scientist "A handsome, well-produced volume concentrating on paintings and photographs of the long-lost birds."--Rob Hardy, Columbus Dispatch "A beautifully illustrated, elegantly written 'celebration' of the passenger pigeon and the artists who illustrated and photographed the species... It is a haunting tale, and if you want a readable, engrossing but not lengthy account, I highly recommend this book."--Donna Schulman, 10,000 Birds "Informative... A celebration of this departed species through a mix of prose, paintings and photographs... Filled with interesting tidbits."--Herb Wilson, Portland Press Herald "A timely reminder of just how tenuous life can be for a species, regardless of how numerous they might be. This hardback book is beautifully illustrated. Mr. Fuller has put together a complete natural history of the passenger pigeon drawing upon historical illustrations, photographs, specimens, poems, ornithological journal articles and historical accounts."--Penny Miller, A Charm of Finches "A must have for anyone with an interest in this species."--Ian Paulsen, Birdbooker Report "Beautifully illustrated, this easy-to-read book will appeal to anyone who wishes to understand the concept of extinction."--Jennifer J. Meyer, Orange County Register "From start to finish, the text is informative and entertaining and the photos and artwork are fascinating. Whether you've studied the Passenger Pigeon for years or haven't even heard of the species, I would highly recommend this book."--Rob Ripma, Nutty Birder "Beautifully illustrated, including rare archival images as well as haunting photographs of live birds, this is an evocative memorial to one of the great icons of extinction."--Leslie Geddes-Brown, Country Life "If a picture is worth a thousand words, then Errol Fuller's slim book, The Passenger Pigeon, is surely stuffed full of them... It will probably appeal to younger readers, it is a fast read and it could be a satisfying companion volume to the other two passenger pigeon books that have been recently published."--Grrl Scientist "The most visually beautiful [of recently published books on the passenger pigeon] is Errol Fuller's The Passenger Pigeon, which gives a fine account of the species, its biology and its demise."--Adrian Barnett, New Scientist "[It] is THE monograph for the passenger pigeon. I imagine everyone would learn something from this book. I personally was left with a feeling that we should not stand idle and allow mankind to eradicate any other living species. An excellent read, recommended."--Mike King, Gloster Birder "Written with both clarity and feeling. Most impressive is the breadth and depth of research crammed into what is a relatively slim volume... A masterful summary of what we know about this remarkable bird. To read it is a joy, but one tinged with sadness and regret."--Andy Stoddart, Birdwatch "I would highly recommend reading The Passenger Pigeon by Errol Fuller... Beautifully illustrated."--David Lewis, Birds from Behind "The Passenger Pigeon is an excellent introduction to this bird, what made it so special, and the tragedy of its extinction. If you want to learn about the Passenger Pigeon, or just enjoy the art and photographs, then I'd highly recommend it."--Grant McCreary, Birder's Library "This is a book that should be on every reader's shelf as a reminder as to what we have missed; and to help ensure such an avian tragedy does not occur again."--David Saunders, Bird Watching "[I]f you want to learn more about the Passenger Pigeons, this is a great book to have and to share."--North Durham Nature Newsletter "The heartbreaking illustrated history of a bird that, having once numbered in the billions, vanished from the planet in 1914. On the centenary of the species' extinction Fuller, an expert on extinct birds, reflects on what we lost."--Globe and Mail "A book about a long extinct bird could easily have been a dry, academic tome full of dull facts and figures, but Errol Fuller has managed to avoid this, and instead has produced an engaging book to fire the imagination, to encourage empathy with Martha, alone in her cage for the last four years of her life, to provoke outrage that the species was driven to extinction, and above all, a desire to fight to prevent the same fate befalling others."--Andy Mackay, Grebe "A sad and gorgeous book."--Stephen Romei, Australian "Sumptuously illustrated."--Michael McCarthy, Independent "Passenger Pigeon takes just the opposite approach. Though there is an informative and gracefully written text, this handsome volume tells its stories most eloquently in pictures."--Rick Wright, ABA Blog "Writing in a clear, conversational tone, artist/writer Fuller highlights important aspects of this bird's natural history and its remarkable downhill spiral into oblivion. He provides fascinating accounts of the last wild birds; of 'Martha,' the last of her species, who died in the Cincinnati Zoo; and historical testimony from people who observed the birds' enormous flocks firsthand. Illustrated with numerous historical photographs and exquisite artwork (modern and period), this lasting tribute to one of the most magnificent birds to have ever lived will interest anyone who cares about conservation of the natural world."--Choice "In The Passenger Pigeon, Erroll Fuller brings his artist's eye to a recently popular, much-covered, yet little-understood phenomenon... Fuller's vivid account is the one new book on the species you must buy."--Living Bird Magazine "It is easy to read and thought-provoking, and will be of interest to anyone concerned about conservation today."--Ian Woodward,BTO News "Fuller's book will appeal to a much larger audience and is worth the price just for the photos and illustrations... The Passenger Pigeon should make us vow to never lose another species because of our own greed or neglect."--D.R.K., Wildlife Activist "[L]yrical and artistic. Short enough to hold your attention, detailed enough to convey the essential facts, and elegantly presented."--Alan Knox, Scottish BirdsTable of ContentsPROLOGUE 9 INTRODUCTION 10 THE ANNALS OF EXTINCTION 12 IMAGINE 20 THE BIRD 28 THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL 48 EXTINCTION: THE CAUSES 70 THE LAST CAPTIVES 90 MARTHA 110 ART AND BOOKS 122 QUOTATIONS 148 APPENDIX: A MAGNIFICENT FLYING MACHINE 162 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 170 FURTHER READING 172 INDEX 175

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Book SynopsisA look at what it takes for animals to live at the edges of existence. Each chapter of this book takes readers on a different journey to remote environs and in chase of an understanding of the species that live there.

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Book SynopsisJoseph M. Forshaw, one of the world’s leading authorities on parrots, calls attention to the threats they face: They are one of the most endangered groups of birds, with a growing number of species nearing extinction. The main threats arise from habitat loss through deforestation and agricultural development and from the taking of birds for the...Trade ReviewThis encyclopedic work has beautiful color plates, references, and index. Bird lovers and ornithology researchers will find this title a valuable reference. * American Reference Books Annual *Forshaw and Knight have provided a thorough, well-organized, and aesthetic work that not only inspires us to look back at what we have lost but also forward to prevent further extinctions; we can learn from past mistakes. * The Quarterly Review of Biology *In sum, this is a valuable book with a great many strengths. Forshaw is a master of collecting pertinent information from a broad array of sources; the result is a rich collection of species accounts that surpasses in detail those in any of his preceding books. The artwork by Knight complements these accounts and brings them to vibrant life. * The Condor *Table of ContentsForeword Preface Introduction Fossil History of Parrots Australasian Distribution Afro-Asian Distribution Neotropical Distribution References Cited Index

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Book SynopsisWould you ask a honeybee to point at a screen and recognise a facial expression? Or ask an elephant to climb a tree? While humans and non-human species may inhabit the same world, it''s likely that our perceptual worlds differ significantly. Emphasising Uexküll''s concept of ''umwelt'', this volume offers practical advice on how animal cognition can be successfully tested while avoiding anthropomorphic conclusions. The chapters describe the capabilities of a range of animals - from ants, to lizards to chimpanzees - revealing how to successfully investigate animal cognition across a variety of taxa. The book features contributions from leading cognition researchers, each offering a series of examples and practical tips drawn from their own experience. Together, the authors synthesise information on current field and laboratory methods, providing researchers and graduate students with methodological advice on how to formulate research questions, design experiments and adapt studies to diTrade Review'Field and Laboratory Methods in Animal Cognition, edited by Bueno-Guerra and Amici, manages also to implicitly teach some of the fundamentals of cognition in the way it showcases methods. By illuminating how similar cognitive principles need to be tested differently across species, the existence of the volume itself proves the importance of the 'Umwelt' concept it champions. With a star-studded lineup of authors, the book serves as a snapshot of who is doing what and how in the field of comparative cognition.' Alison L. Greggor, The Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of ContentsForeword Josep Call; Introduction: the concept of umwelt in experimental animal cognition Nereida Bueno-Guerra and Federica Amici; 1. Ants – individual and social cognition Zhanna Reznikova; 2. Bats – using sound to reveal cognition Yossi Yovel and Stefan Greif; 3. Bees – the experimental umwelt of honeybees Randolf Menzel; 4. Carib grackles – field and lab work on a tame, opportunistic island icterid Simon Ducatez, Sarah E. Overington, Jean-Nicolas Audet, Marine Battesti and Louis Lefebvre; 5. Chicken – cognition in the poultry yard Cinzia Chiandetti and Giorgio Vallortigara; 6. Chimpanzees – investigating cognition in the wild Roman M. Wittig and Catherine Crockford; 7. Dolphins and whales – taking cognitive research out of the tanks and into the wild Volker B. Deecke; 8. Elephants – studying cognition in the African Savannah Lucy A. Bates; 9. Fish – how to ask them the right questions Catarina Vila Pouca and Culum Brown; 10. Hermit crabs – information gathering by the hermit crab, pagurus bernhardus Robert W. Elwood; 11. Hyenas – testing cognition in the umwelt of the spotted hyena Lily Johnson-Ulrich, Kenna D. S. Lehman, Julie W. Turner and Kay E. Holekamp; 12. Lizards – measuring cognition in lizards: practical challenges and the influence of ecology and social behaviour Martin J. Whiting and Daniel W. A. Noble; 13. Meerkats – identifying cognitive mechanisms underlying meerkat coordination and communication: experimental designs in their natural habitat Marta Manser; 14. Octopuses – mind in the waters Jennifer A. Mather and Michael J. Kuba; 15. Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) – cognitive and communicative abilities Irene M. Pepperberg; 16. Sharks – elasmobranch cognition Tristan L. Guttridge, Kara E. Yopak and Vera Schluessel; 17. Spiders – hints for testing cognition and learning in jumping spiders Elizabeth M. Jakob, Skye M. Long and Margaret Bruce; 18. Tortoises – cold-blooded cognition: how to get a tortoise out of its shell Anna Wilkinson and Ewen Glass; Epilogue Nereida Bueno-Guerra.

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Book SynopsisAs our closest primate relatives, chimpanzees offer tantalizing clues about the behavior of early human ancestors. This book provides a rich and detailed portrait of chimpanzee social life in the wild, synthesizing hundreds of thousands of hours of research at seven long-term field sites. Why are the social lives of males and females so different? Why do groups of males sometimes seek out and kill neighboring individuals? Do chimpanzees cooperate when they hunt monkeys? Is their vocal behaviour like human speech? Are there different chimpanzee ''cultures''? Addressing these questions and more, Adam Arcadi presents a fascinating introduction to the chimpanzee social universe and the challenges we face in trying to save this species from extinction. With extensive notes organized by field site and an appendix describing field methods, this book is indispensable for students, researchers, and anyone else interested in the remarkable and complex world of these intelligent apes.Trade Review'… the first book to compile the available information about field studies of wild chimpanzees. To do so has required an immense effort on the part of the author, Adam Clark Arcadi. The long-term field studies at Gombe, Kibale, Budongo, Mahale, Bossou, and Tai, together with a large number of shorter term studies, are synthesised on a topic by topic basis. This gives the reader an overall perspective of wild chimpanzees which has hitherto been lacking. We see many features of behaviour and social organisation that all chimps have in common. And we also see ecological and cultural differences between different chimp communities across Africa. … a good book for all those seeking to understand our closest relatives in the animal kingdom: undergraduates in particular will benefit from this synthesis of all that is known at the present time. [Simultaneously], the author writes well so his book is accessible to the general reader.' Vernon Reynolds, University of Oxford'Wild Chimpanzees is a superbly original and incisive overview of the behavior, ecology and conservation of a critically important species. Arcadi provides a broad primate context for his synthesis, presents a rich history of the main field-sites and the behavioral differences associated with them, and explores the evolutionary significance of numerous types of cooperation, competition and communication. Arcadi's clarity of exposition, systematic consideration and crisp thinking make this an invaluable source for students and professionals alike.' Richard Wrangham, Harvard University, Massachusetts'Arcadi's Wild Chimpanzees weaves new research on the social behavior of wild chimpanzees into an accessibly written account of our closest relatives. Highly recommended for the library of anyone interested in new frontiers of great ape research.' Craig Stanford, University of Southern California'… along with the clear explanations that are rooted in theory, makes this a perfect volume to assign in undergraduate courses in primatology. In fact, I used this book for an undergraduate seminar on chimpanzee behavioral ecology. One reason that the students enjoyed this volume was that Arcadi provides an objective voice … I think this is very well suited for an academic's bookshelf …' Zarin Machanda, The Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of ContentsPreface; 1. Primates, apes, and the study of chimpanzee social behavior; 2. Seven long-term field studies; 3. Chimpanzee fission-fusion social organization and its conservation implications; 4. Sex differences in ranging and association patterns; 5. Female social relationships and the defining influence of offspring care; 6. Male social relationships and the dynamic interplay of competition and cooperation; 7. Sexual behavior: conflicting strategies of males and females; 8. Coalitionary lethal aggression between and within communities; 9. Hunting, eating, and sharing meat; 10. Communication: the form and content of signals; 11. Community differences in grooming postures and tool use: innovation, social learning, and the question of 'culture'; Epilogue; Appendix: field methods for studying wild chimpanzees.

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Book SynopsisElephants have captivated the human imagination for as long as they have roamed the earth, appearing in writings and cultures from thousands of years ago and still much discussed today. In Thirty-Three Ways of Looking at an Elephant, veteran scientific writer Dale Peterson has collected thirty-three essential writings about elephants from across history, with geographical perspectives ranging from Africa and Southeast Asia to Europe and the United States. An introductory headnote for each selection provides additional context and insights from Peterson’s substantial knowledge of elephants and natural history. The first section of the anthology, “Cultural and Classical Elephants,” explores the earliest mentions of elephants in African mythology, Hindu theology, and Aristotle and other ancient Greek texts. “Colonial and Industrial Elephants” finds elephants in the crosshairs of colonial exploitation in accounts pulled from memoirs commodifying African elephants as a source of ivory, novel targets for bloodsport, and occasional export for circuses and zoos. “Working and Performing Elephants” gives firsthand accounts of the often cruel training methods and treatment inflicted on elephants to achieve submission and obedience.As elephants became an object of scientific curiosity in the mid-twentieth century, wildlife biologists explored elephant families and kinship, behaviors around sex and love, language and self-awareness, and enhanced communications with sound and smell. The pieces featured in “Scientific and Social Elephants” give readers a glimpse into major discoveries in elephant behaviors. “Endangered Elephants” points to the future of the elephant, whose numbers continue to be ravaged by ivory poachers. Peterson concludes with a section on literary elephants and ends on a hopeful note with the 1967 essay “Dear Elephant, Sir,” which argues for the moral imperative to save elephants as an act of redemption for their systematic abuse and mistreatment at human hands. Essential to our understanding of this beloved creature, Thirty-Three Ways of Looking at an Elephant is a must for any elephant lover or armchair environmentalist.Trade Review"An illuminating collection...Will strike a chord with readers fascinated by the mysteries of the animal kingdom, and by humans’ commonality with other species.“ — Publishers Weekly "Elephants are amazing beings. They're really smart and have legendary memories; are deeply emotional, compassionate, and empathic; and form and maintain strong family ties for generations on end. This landmark book shows just how special these mammoths truly are. It's a game-changer for sure.” — Marc Bekoff, author of The Animals' Agenda: Freedom, Compassion, and Coexistence in the Human Age “A thoughtfully crafted and valuable resource for ethnozoologists and animal lovers more widely. From accounts of the trained elephants of the ancient Mediterranean to tales of the First Indochina War's anticolonial elephant-human duos, from essays on elephants' complex emotional lives to critical looks at the elephant ivory trade, this elegant and fascinating book offers a broad sampling of how both elephant species groupings—Asian and African—have interacted with human cultures over the last several millennia.” — Jacob Shell, author ofGiants of the Monsoon Forest: Living and Working with Elephants “To know what our species is like, read this book about elephants. I swear by all that’s holy that no book like it has ever appeared before. It will leave you gasping, sometimes with pleasure, other times with unimaginable horror. It’s carefully, beautifully presented, brimming with accuracy, and so utterly fascinating that you cannot put it down.” — Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Hidden Life of Life "A must-have treasure for anyone who loves elephants—and who doesn’t? Humorous, heartbreaking, and revelatory, it contains a pachyderm’s worth of facts, stories, and wisdom." — Sy Montgomery, author of How to Be a Good CreatureTable of ContentsTable of Contents Part 1: Cultural and Classical Elephants The Meaning of Elephants The Origin of Elephants War Elephants Aristotle's Elephant Pliny's Elephants Beasts of the Book Part 2: Colonial and Industrial Elephants Killers and Heroes Industrial Killers Part 3: Working and Performing Elephants To Break and Tame A Mother's Love Jumbomania: A Circus Story Death and the Circus Cutting the Chain Abusing Captive Elephants in India Part 4: Scientific and Social Elephants Individuals Families Green Penis Disease Sex Part 5: Emotional and Cognitive Elephants Joy Triumph and Grief Big Love A Concept of Death The Secret Language of Elephants Elephant in the Mirror An Interest in Ivory and Skulls Part 6: Empathic and Endangered Elephants The Good Samaritans Rescuing the Antelopes Scents and Sensibilities Blood Ivory In Praise of Pachyderms Part 7: Fictional and Literary Elephants The Faithful Elephants A Mahout and His War Elephant "Dear Elephant, Sir"

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Book SynopsisMeet 20 remarkable species facing the challenge of survival.From the rainforest to the savannah to the depths of the ocean, animal life in every continent and habitat has been affected by human activity. Louise McNaught's powerful animal portraits bring to life 20 stunning creatures and their fight for survival. Discover the dangers they face, the action being taken to protect them and their vital importance on Earth. Be inspired to join the movement to conserve species and find out how you can make a difference. "We all have a fantastic opportunity to do more for wildlife right now. We must not leave it too late: extinction is forever." - Charlie Mayhew MBE, Chief Executive of TuskTrade ReviewAs habitat loss now poses the greatest threat to our precious wildlife, discover the inspirational stories of 20 threatened species facing a fight for survival. Statistics show our planet is losing species between 1,000 and 10,000 times faster than the natural extinction rate, and it is caused almost entirely by human activity. Published in association with Tusk, a British charity set up in 1990 to help to protect African wildlife including African elephants, black rhino and the mountain gorilla, this beautifully illustrated book puts the world's extinction crisis and conservation issues into sharp focus and inspires all of us to join the conservation movement. From the rainforest and the savannah to the depths of the ocean, artist Louise McNaught's compelling animal portraits bring to life 20 stunning but endangered creatures, including secretary birds which fly across Africa south of the Sahara Desert, and the giant panda which now only survives in a handful of remote mountain areas in China. McNaught's vivid and energetic illustrations feature animals set on bright neon hues of green, yellow, pink, red and blue in an almost street-art style, giving them an elevated status whilst also suggesting the delicate relationship between nature and humans. Through words and intensely powerful pictures, Survival explores the dangers these amazing creatures face in their fight for survival, the action being taken to protect them, and their vital importance to life on Earth. In his foreword to this inspirational book, Charlie Mayhew, chief executive of Tusk, warns: 'We all have a fantastic opportunity to do more for wildlife right now. We must not leave it too late: extinction is forever.' * Lancashire Evening Post *The world is experiencing anextinction crisis. Earth is losingspecies between 1,000 and 10,000times faster than the naturalextinction rate. This book introducesyou to 20 remarkable species thatare struggling to survive. * Science and Nature *This eye-catching book has been published in association with Tusk (a wildlife charity) with the aim of highlighting the tenuous balance the survival of some species hangs in. The eye-catching artwork of Louise McNaught has a pop art feel to it, making the 20 endangered species featured the celebrities of the animal kingdom.All habitats are explored: the oceans, savannah, forests. Endangered species exist in all these places, no thanks to interference from the local human populations.Pages are clearly laid-out with a map, quick fact section and a more detailed explanation of the dangers each creature faces. A thought-provoking gift for those aged 8+. * Library Girl and Book Boy *Survival, published in association with conservation charity Tusk, takes a fascinating and informative look at twenty animal species that are facing the challenge of survival. It's an eye opening look at the dangers that they face and how extremely low the numbers of some species are.Human activity has endangered animals from every continent and every habitat, it's the number one cause of the decline in the majority of species. Our lifestyles and consumption of natural resources have contributed to this decline and several of the species included in this book are almost extinct or have come very close but are now slowly increasing in number.The book starts with a forward from Tusk which explains their work and how they protect animals from extinction. There's also a page about illustrator Louise McNaught and how she creates her pictures. A double page spread then shows a timeline of conservation and explains how different continents are working to ensure the preservation of endangered species.Animals, birds and insects from a variety of habitats, savannah, rainforests, oceans, are all included in this book. Each double spread includes a full page drawing of the creature and a map showing where that creature lives. Facts about each animal include information about their size, their habitat, how many there are in the world and their status - statuses range from critically endangered to vulnerable. More facts are given about each creature including the history and the reasons that they are in danger as well as the steps that are being taken to ensure their survival.Survival is a fantastic coffee table book to dip in and out of and it's really interesting to read about the threats faced by a range of individual species including bees, butterflies, Giant Pandas, Secretary Birds, Hawksbill Turtles and Black Rhinos. The Bornean Orangutang's habitat is being destroyed due to human's high consumption of palm oil, the Scalloped Hammerhead is endangered due to overfishing and urban development has led to the Sapphire-Bellied Hummingbird being critically endangered.Ideas as to how we can help endangered animals are given at the end of the book, it's heartening to see that the population numbers of some species are rising again but ultimately it is our behaviour and lifestyles that are causing the problem. If we don't act now, many of these species will become extinct. * Story Snug *Twenty creatures who are facing extinction are captured in powerfully vivid animal portraits. Discover the dangers they face, why they are important to the Earth and what is being done to protect them * South Wales Evening Post *

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Book SynopsisA dramatic account of the rate of language extinction, and how it endangers the future of biodiversityFew people know that nearly 100 native languages once spoken in what is now California are near extinction, or that most of Australia''s 250 aboriginal languages have vanished. In fact, at least half of the world''s languages may die out in the next century. What has happened to these voices? Should we be alarmed about the disappearance of linguistic diversity?The authors of Vanishing Voices assert that this trend is far more than simply disturbing. Making explicit the link between language survival and environmental issues, they argue that the extinction of languages is part of the larger picture of near-total collapse of the worldwide ecosystem. Indeed, the authors contend that the struggle to preserve precious environmental resources-such as the rainforest-cannot be separated from the struggle to maintain diverse cultures, and that the causes of language death, like that of ecological destruction, lie at the intersection of ecology and politics.And while Nettle and Romaine defend the world''s endangered languages, they also pay homage to the last speakers of dying tongues, such as Red Thundercloud, a Native American in South Carolina, Ned Mandrell, with whom the Manx language passed away in 1974, and Arthur Bennett, an Australian, the last person to know more than a few words of Mbabaram. In our languages lies the accumulated knowledge of humanity. Indeed, each language is a unique window on experience. Vanishing Voices is a call to preserve this resource, before it is too late.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition "[A] superb study of endangered languages.... The tapestry of supporting detail is every bit as compelling as the central thesis-- from an examination of how indigenous languages function as museums of local culture to a history of the way in which dominant languages like English,Mandarin, and Spanish have vanquished more vulnerable tongues." * The New Yorker *"Language extinction is a great tragedy for human culture and for scholarship on all things human. This fascinating book is the latest word on this important issue, containing a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. If we have the good sense to rescue the priceless legacy of linguistic diversity before it vanishes forever, Vanishing Voices will surely deserve a good part of the credit." * Steven Pinker, author of The Language Instinct and Words and Rules *". . . this clear, cogent and immensely knowledgeable book. . . . Vanishing Voices is a book that needs to be chain-read, therefore: read it, then tell someone else to." * Prof David Crystal, THES *"Vanishing Voices is an urgent call to arms about the impending loss of one of our great resources. Nettle and Romaine paint a breathtaking landscape that shows why so many of the world's languages are disappearing and more importantly, why it matters. They put the problem of linguistic diversity into the wider context of global biodiversity, and propose the revolutionary idea that saving endangered languages is not about dictionaries and educational programs, but about preserving the cultures and habitats of the people who speak them. Along the way it's also a fascinating introduction to how language works: how languages are born, how they die, and how we can prevent their death." * Deborah Tannen, Georgetown University *a "splendid and disturbing book." * The Irish Times (Dublin) *Table of Contents1. Where have All the Languages Gone ; 2. A World of Diversity ; 3. Lost Words / Lost Worlds ; 4. The Ecology of Language ; 5. The Biological Wave ; 6. The Economic Wave ; 7. Why Something Should be Done ; 8. Sustainable Futures ; References and Further Reading ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisAfrican Silences is a powerful and sobering account of the cataclysmic depredation of the African landscape and its wildlife. In this critically acclaimed work Peter Matthiessen explores new terrain on a continent he has written about in two previous books, A Tree Where Man Was Born -- nominated for the National Book Award -- and Sand Rivers.Through his eyes we see elephants, white rhinos, gorillas, and other endangered creatures of the wild. We share the drama of the journeys themselves, including a hazardous crossing of the continent in a light plane. And along the way, we learn of the human lives oppressed by bankrupt political regimes and economies, and threatened by the slow ecological catastrophe to which they have only begun to awaken.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive exploration of this unique animal. With 78 contributors, this exciting work presents an accurate, evidence-based profile of the thylacine, examining its ecology, evolution, encounters with humans, persecution, assumed extinction and its appearance in fiction.Trade Review"A newly published book has provided fresh perspectives on the thylacine, delving into everything from de-extinction efforts to the role of the internet in boosting the cultural profile of the extinct species. Thylacine: The History, Ecology and Loss of the Tasmanian Tiger, published by CSIRO, features the work of 78 contributors and is purported to be the first major summary of the available evidence relating to the carnivorous marsupial in 20 years." -- Rob Inglis * Herald Sun *"This is a most creditable attempt to gather all possible information about the thylacine." -- Malcom Ward * Papers and Proceedings of the THRA 70(1) *

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Book SynopsisThis book is also available in paperback. What is it like to rehabilitate sun bears in the rainforests of Malaysia? Why are sloth bears trained to dance? How is traditional Chinese medicine implicated in the deaths of black bears in North America? Bear Necessities answers all of these questions, and many more. Through the voices of activists, scientists, and educators, readers walk alongside those who pull sun bears from Vietnamese bile farms, track Andean bears in the rugged hills of Ecuador, work to protect Montana’s grizzlies in the courtroom, and gently heal the many wounded bears who live in sanctuaries around the world. Though almost every bear species is endangered or severely threatened, Bear Necessities offers hope through knowledge and understanding, which reside at the heart of change.Trade Review"Lisa Kemmerer's book reveals not only the tragedy and cruelty being imposed upon bears internationally, but also the successes in combating it...Equally thought provoking, sad, joyful, inspiring, the reader will experience all these emotions as the pages reveal realities rarely known before. This book commands a treasured space on any bear-lover's bookshelf." -Mick W., North Shore Black Bear NetworkTable of ContentsList of Contributors Introduction, Lisa Kemmerer PART I: Bear Basics 1.Bear Basics, Lisa Kemmerer 2.Bear-Aware for Twenty Years, Victor Watkins 3.Making a Difference for Bears in Asia, Amy Corrigan 4.Polar Bears: Watching Extinction in Real Time, Kassie Siegel and Brendan Cummings PART II: A World of Problems 5.Franzi: Beloved Ambassador for Bears on Bile Farms, Jill Robinson 6.Little Bears, Big Trees, Tiny Insects: Protecting Sun Bears and their Rainforest, Lisa Kemmerer and Siew Te Wong 7.Libearty Sanctuary Zarnesti: Sharing Love and Sheltering Life in Eastern Europe, Cristina Lapis 8.9,540,000 Square Miles, 800,000 American Black Bears, 3 Rescues, Charlotte Lorraine Cressey 9.Failing Giant Pandas: Captive Breeding and Conservation, Sarah M. Bexell 10.Bear Baiting in Pakistan, Fakhar -i- Abbas 11.Dirty Dancing: Caring for Sloth Bears in India, Lisa Kemmerer 12.Sliding Down Mountainsides on My Butt in Search of the Elusive Andean Bear, Dalma Zsalakó 13.Finding Enrico: Protecting Andean Bears and their Habitat, Lisa Kemmerer, Kerry Fugett, and Simona Kobel PART III: Policy 14.Brown Bears, Salmon, People: Traveling Upstream to a Sustainable Future, Chris Darimont, et al 15.Cleaning up a Community for Black Bears, Mick Webb 16.U.S. Wildlife Agencies: Outdated, Misguided, and Destructive, Lisa Kemmerer 17.The Assignment: Breaking Laws to Build Laws on behalf of Lake Tahoe’s Black Bears, Ann Bryant 18.A Grizzly Battle: Government Agencies, Endangered Species, and the U.S. Legal System, Tara Zuardo 19.Panda Preservation 2.0: Shifting Gears to Save a Species, Anna Beech and Marc Brody PART IV: Bears and Beyond 20.Canary in the Arctic, Lisa Kemmerer 21.Bears, Birds, and Human Hubris: Imagining Bears in the Andes, Tom Regele 22.The Damage and Hope of Total Institutions: Visiting a Bear Sanctuary in Cambodia, Lisa Kemmerer and Daniel Kirjner 23.Bear Naked: Compassion and Wilderness, Dana Medoro Index

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Book SynopsisWhat is it like to rehabilitate sun bears in the rainforests of Malaysia? Why are sloth bears trained to dance? How is traditional Chinese medicine implicated in the deaths of black bears in North America? Bear Necessities answers all of these questions, and many more. Through the voices of activists, scientists, and educators, readers walk alongside those who pull sun bears from Vietnamese bile farms, track Andean bears in the rugged hills of Ecuador, work to protect Montana’s grizzlies in the courtroom, and gently heal the many wounded bears who live in sanctuaries around the world. Though almost every bear species is endangered or severely threatened, Bear Necessities offers hope through knowledge and understanding, which reside at the heart of change.Trade Review"Lisa Kemmerer's book reveals not only the tragedy and cruelty being imposed upon bears internationally, but also the successes in combating it...Equally thought provoking, sad, joyful, inspiring, the reader will experience all these emotions as the pages reveal realities rarely known before. This book commands a treasured space on any bear-lover's bookshelf." -Mick W., North Shore Black Bear NetworkTable of ContentsList of Contributors Introduction, Lisa Kemmerer PART I: Bear Basics 1.Bear Basics, Lisa Kemmerer 2.Bear-Aware for Twenty Years, Victor Watkins 3.Making a Difference for Bears in Asia, Amy Corrigan 4.Polar Bears: Watching Extinction in Real Time, Kassie Siegel and Brendan Cummings PART II: A World of Problems 5.Franzi: Beloved Ambassador for Bears on Bile Farms, Jill Robinson 6.Little Bears, Big Trees, Tiny Insects: Protecting Sun Bears and their Rainforest, Lisa Kemmerer and Siew Te Wong 7.Libearty Sanctuary Zarnesti: Sharing Love and Sheltering Life in Eastern Europe, Cristina Lapis 8.9,540,000 Square Miles, 800,000 American Black Bears, 3 Rescues, Charlotte Lorraine Cressey 9.Failing Giant Pandas: Captive Breeding and Conservation, Sarah M. Bexell 10.Bear Baiting in Pakistan, Fakhar -i- Abbas 11.Dirty Dancing: Caring for Sloth Bears in India, Lisa Kemmerer 12.Sliding Down Mountainsides on My Butt in Search of the Elusive Andean Bear, Dalma Zsalakó 13.Finding Enrico: Protecting Andean Bears and their Habitat, Lisa Kemmerer, Kerry Fugett, and Simona Kobel PART III: Policy 14.Brown Bears, Salmon, People: Traveling Upstream to a Sustainable Future, Chris Darimont, et al 15.Cleaning up a Community for Black Bears, Mick Webb 16.U.S. Wildlife Agencies: Outdated, Misguided, and Destructive, Lisa Kemmerer 17.The Assignment: Breaking Laws to Build Laws on behalf of Lake Tahoe’s Black Bears, Ann Bryant 18.A Grizzly Battle: Government Agencies, Endangered Species, and the U.S. Legal System, Tara Zuardo 19.Panda Preservation 2.0: Shifting Gears to Save a Species, Anna Beech and Marc Brody PART IV: Bears and Beyond 20.Canary in the Arctic, Lisa Kemmerer 21.Bears, Birds, and Human Hubris: Imagining Bears in the Andes, Tom Regele 22.The Damage and Hope of Total Institutions: Visiting a Bear Sanctuary in Cambodia, Lisa Kemmerer and Daniel Kirjner 23.Bear Naked: Compassion and Wilderness, Dana Medoro Index

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Book Synopsis"This book is particularly interesting for both horse breeders and molecular geneticists. Equids (horses and asses) have a particular place in the human culture and history. There are strong arguments for conservation of rare, endangered horse breeds and populations, however the maintenance of native breeds does not result in profitable business. Some populations and namely rare horse breeds need to be re-evaluated yet, others need to be saved from extinction very urgently. Enlisting the aid of modern science gives us many tools for reaching decisions to realize the preservation of different rare populations and not to use solely pedigrees, conformation and historical data. The molecular genetic approach and the phenotypic estimation of the values of different breeds is more and more useful. Hence, it was the right time for Horse Commission of EAAP together with Rare Breeds International (RBI) to perform a session devoted to the topic of progress in molecular genetics of horses. This book summarizes the papers on molecular genetic description of horse breeds and some aspects of evolution of horse species."Table of ContentsForeword 7; Introduction 11; Molecular methods and equine genetic diversity 15; E.P. Cunningham; The use of markers for characterising genetic resources 25; L. Ollivier, C. Chevalet and J.L. Foulley; A review on the methods of parentage and inbreeding analysis with molecular markers 35; B. Langlois; Genetic distance as a tool in the conservation of rare horse breeds 55; E.G. Cothran and C. Luis; Variation of mitochondrial DNA in Lipizzan horses 73; T. Kavar, F. Habe, H. Solkner and P. Dovc; Analysis of inbreeding in the genetic resource of the "Old Kladrub horse" in the period from 1993 to 2003 85; V. Jakubec, J. Volenec, I. Majzlik and W. Schlote; The numerical and genetic status of native horse and pony breeds in Britain 91; G.L.H. Alderson; Characterisation of several Connemara Pony populations 99; D. Feely, P. Brophy and K. Quinn; Genetic characterisation of the Croatian autochthonous horse breeds based on polymorphic blood proteins and mtDNA data 105; A. Ivankovic, P. Dovc, P. Caput, P. Mijic and M. Konjacic; Estimation of genetic distance between traditional horse breeds in Hungary 111; S. Mihok, B. Ban, C. Jozsa, and I. Bodo; Genetic diversity of the Akhal-Teke horse breed in Turkmenistan based on microsatellite analysis 123; A. Szontagh, B. Ban, I. Bodo, E.G. Cothran, W. Hecker, Cs. Jozsa, A. Major; Rare horse breeds in Northern Europe 129; M.T. Saastamoinen and M. Maenpaa; Use of probabilities of gene origin to describe genetic varation in two endangered Norwegian horse breeds 137; H.F. Olsen, G. Klemetsdal, J. Ruane and T. Helfjord; Bardigiano horse selection: a genetic global index for linear type traits 147; M. Fioretti, A.L. Catalano, A. Rosati and F. Martuzzi; The Italian Heavy Draught Horse breed: origin, breeding program, efficiency of the selection scheme and inbreeding 155; R. Mantovani, G. Pigozzi and G. Bittante; Genetic characterization of Pentro young horses by microsatellite markers 163; D. Iamartino, M. Fidotti, N. Miraglia and F. Pilla. The Retuertas horse: the "missing link" in the Iberoamerican horse breeds origin? 167; J.L. Vega-Pla, J. Calderon, P.P. Rodriguez-Gallardo, B. Alcaide, F.T.P.S. Sereno, M.R. Costa, E. Perez-Pineda, J.V. Delgado and C. Rico; Genetic diversity of the Zemaitukai Horse 177; R. Juras and E.G. Cothran; Keyword index 185; Author index 187.

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