Zoology and animal sciences Books

Book SynopsisOver half a billion years ago life on earth took an incredible step in evolution, when animals learned to build skeletons. Using many different materials, from calcium carbonate and phosphate, and even silica, to make shell and bone, they started creating the support structures that are now critical to most living forms, providing rigidity and strength. Manifesting in a vast variety of forms, they provided the framework for sophisticated networks of life that fashioned the evolution of Earth''s oceans, land, and atmosphere. Within a few tens of millions of years, all of the major types of skeleton had appeared. Skeletons enabled an unprecedented array of bodies to evolve, from the tiniest seed shrimp to the gigantic dinosaurs and blue whales. The earliest bacterial colonies constructed large rigid structures - stromatolites - built up by trapping layers of sediment, while the mega-skeleton that is the Great Barrier Reef is big enough to be visible from space. The skeletons of millions Trade ReviewThe authors make the journey enchanting with stories of how fossils are found and why they are so important in the skeletal record. * Sandra Shefelbine, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, The Quarterly Review of Biology *An engaging story... woven together here by tales of discovery and discoverers. * Robert Montgomerie, Times Higher Education *Skeletons is a superb, highly enjoyable book ... very informative and engaging. * Melanie Brehaut, Palaeontological Association Newsletter *In this book, Zalasiewicz and Williams provide an accessible and fun introduction to all kinds of skeletons, from the tiny capsules of microscopic diatoms to the great bones of the dinosaurs, and from lignified vascular plants to coral reefs. A great introduction to the evolution of life and especially to understanding why some organisms are small and some are large. * Michael Benton, University of Bristol *Table of ContentsPrologue 1: A world (mostly) without skeletons 2: Skeleton diversity 3: A shell on the outside 4: A shell on the inside 5: Greening the land 6: Mega-skeletons 7: Mini-skeletons 8: Flying skeletons 9: Skeleton archives 10: Future skeletons Index

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Book SynopsisOur senses are very limited compared to those of other species; some animals see ultraviolet light, communicate using electricity, or navigate long distances with magnetic information. Martin Stevens discusses the remarkable senses in nature and what they are used for, uncovering how they work and how they are shaped by ecology and the environment.Trade Reviewa riveting new volume that explores the extraordinary senses of animals....This volume brings the wonders of these sensory worlds to a more general audience. * Michael J. Ryan, Quarterly Review of Biology, Vol.97, no.1 *While paying its dues to those amazing abilities of animals, Secret Worlds has some very intriguing things to say about the evolution and plasticity of the sense - and above all, the cost of acquiring them. [... ] One can only hope that Stevens will return with fresh insights in a few years. * Simon Ings, New Scientist *Table of ContentsPreface 1: A Plethora of Senses 2: Singing Mice and Painting Pictures with Sound 3: For My Eyes Only 4: Electric Attraction 5: Stars of the Tactile World 6: Smelling in Stereo 7: Homing Turtles and Animal Magnetism 8: A Changing World

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Book SynopsisMartin Stevens explores the extraordinary variety of senses in the animal kingdom, and discusses the cutting-edge science that is shedding light on these secret worlds. Our senses of vision, smell, taste, hearing, and touch are essential for us to respond to threats, communicate and interact with the world around us. This is true for all animals - their sensory systems are key to survival, and without them animals would be completely helpless. However, the sensory systems of other animals work very differently from ours. For example, many animals from spiders to birds can detect and respond to ultraviolet light, to which we are blind. Other animals, including many insects, rodents, and bats can hear high-frequency ultrasonic sounds well beyond our own hearing range. Many other species have sensory systems that we lack completely, such as the magnetic sense of birds, turtles, and other animals, or the electric sense of many fish. These differences in sensory ability have a major bearing on the ways that animals behave and live in different environments, and also affect their evolution and ecology.In this book, Martin Stevens explores the remarkable sensory systems that exist in nature, and what they are used for. Discussing how different animal senses work, he also considers how they evolve, how they are shaped by the environment in which an animal lives, and the pioneering science that has uncovered how animals use their senses. Throughout, he celebrates the remarkable diversity of life, and shows how the study of sensory systems has shed light on some of the most important issues in animal behaviour, physiology, and evolution. He also describes evidence of the disruptive effects of human activities on the way other animals navigate the world.Trade Reviewa riveting new volume that explores the extraordinary senses of animals....This volume brings the wonders of these sensory worlds to a more general audience. * Michael J. Ryan, Quarterly Review of Biology, Vol.97, no.1 *While paying its dues to those amazing abilities of animals, Secret Worlds has some very intriguing things to say about the evolution and plasticity of the sense - and above all, the cost of acquiring them. [... ] One can only hope that Stevens will return with fresh insights in a few years. * Simon Ings, New Scientist *Table of ContentsPreface 1: A Plethora of Senses 2: Singing Mice and Painting Pictures with Sound 3: For My Eyes Only 4: Electric Attraction 5: Stars of the Tactile World 6: Smelling in Stereo 7: Homing Turtles and Animal Magnetism 8: A Changing World

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Book SynopsisConcepts from evolution, ecology, parasitology, and immunology have informed a new synthesis of host-parasite interactions. The book builds on these established approaches whilst including some of the most successful interdisciplinary areas of modern biology - evolutionary epidemiology and ecological immunology.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition ... a wonderful and updated introduction to parasitology, full of fascinating examples and thought-provoking ideas. I think any current researcher in parasitology, or anyone with a slight interest in the field, would undoubtedly benefit from reading at least some of the various topics presented in this book. * Alejandra G. Jaramillo, TREE *Table of Contents1: Parasites and their significance 2: The study of evolutionary parasitology 3: The diversity and natural history of parasites 4: The natural history of defences 5: Ecological immunology 6: Parasites, immunity, and sexual selection 7: Specificity 8: Parasite immune evasion and manipulation of host phenotype 9: Transmission, infection, and pathogenesis 10: Host-parasite genetics 11: Between-host dynamics (epidemiology) 12: Within-host dynamics and evolution 13: Virulence evolution 14: Host-parasite co-evolution 15: Ecology Glossary

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Book SynopsisOver the last 20 years, there has been a huge increase in the number of scientific papers published on these remarkable creatures, and an authoritative synthesis is now timely. This accessible text goes beyond their natural history to describe the impacts on humans, conflict mitigation, animal husbandry, management, and conservation.Trade ReviewThis work could stimulate more research on North American Beavers across their northern range (in Canada) and better define their role in carbon storage through build-up and storage of sediment and plant material. Just as carbon will persist for decades in rich meadows after beavers move on, this book's overall usefulness as a handy reference about all things beaver will also persist. * Rosemary Curley, Stratford,PE,Canada, CanadianField-Naturalist *Table of ContentsPreface 1: Introducing the Beaver 2: Utilization and Distribution of Beavers 3: Beaver Morphology and Physiology 4: Habitat Use and Constructions 5: The Seasonal Vegetarian 6: Activity Patterns and Life History 7: Territoriality, Communication, and Populations 8: Mortality and Morbidity 9: The Ecological Engineer 10: Animal Management and Population Monitoring 11: Living with Beavers: An 'Adorable Nuisance'?

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Book SynopsisUrban Evolutionary Biology fills an important knowledge gap on wild organismal evolution in the urban environment, whilst offering a novel exploration of the fast-growing new field of evolutionary research. The growing rate of urbanization and the maturation of urban study systems worldwide means interest in the urban environment as an agent of evolutionary change is rapidly increasing.We are presently witnessing the emergence of a new field of research in evolutionary biology. Despite its rapid global expansion, the urban environment has until now been a largely neglected study site among evolutionary biologists. With its conspicuously altered ecological dynamics, it stands in stark contrast to the natural environments traditionally used as cornerstones for evolutionary ecology research. Urbanization can offer a great range of new opportunities to test for rapid evolutionary processes as a consequence of human activity, both because of replicate contexts for hypothesis testing, but also because cities are characterized by an array of easily quantifiable environmental axes of variation and thus testable agents of selection. Thanks to a wide possible breadth of inference (in terms of taxa) that may be studied, and a great variety of analytical methods, urban evolution has the potential to stand at a fascinating multi-disciplinary crossroad, enriching the field of evolutionary biology with emergent yet incredibly potent new research themes where the urban habitat is key. Urban Evolutionary Biology is an advanced textbook suitable for graduate level students as well as professional researchers studying the genetics, evolutionary biology, and ecology of urban environments. It is also highly relevant to urban ecologists and urban wildlife practitioners.Trade ReviewIn summary, we find the volume to be a valuable resource for summarizing the current state of urban evolutionary biology and helping future researchers to develop new questions that will expand this growing field. * Anthony J. Dant, Alexandra D. Burnett, Leah N. Veldhuisen, and Katrina M. Dlugosch, Quarterly Review of Biology *Urban Evolutionary Biology fills an important knowledge gap on wild organismal evolution in the urban environment, whilst offering a novel exploration of the fast-growing new field of evolutionary research. * CENTRE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES, University of Warsaw *Table of ContentsMarina Alberti: Foreword 1: Marta Szulkin, Jason Munshi-South and Anne Charmantier: Introduction 2: Marta Szulkin, Colin J. Garroway, Michela Corsini, Andrzej Z. Kotarba and Davide Dominoni: How to quantify urbanisation when testing for urban evolution 3: James S. Santangelo, Lindsay S. Miles, Sophie T. Breitbart, David Murray-Stoker, L. Ruth Rivkin, Marc T. J. Johnson and Rob W. Ness: Urban environments as a framework to study parallel evolution 4: Jason Munshi-South and Jonathan L. Richardson: Landscape genetic approaches to understanding movement and gene flow in cities 5: Charles Perrier, Aude Caizergues and Anne Charmantier: Adaptation genomics in urban environments 6: Sarah E. Diamond and Ryan A. Martin: Evolutionary consequences of the urban heat island 7: Rebecca E. Irwin, Elsa Youngsteadt, Paige S. Warren and Judith L. Bronstein: The evolutionary ecology of mutualisms in urban landscapes 8: P.O. Cheptou and S. Lambrecht: Sidewalk plants as a model for studying adaptation to urban environments 9: Amanda J. Gorton, Liana T. Burghardt and Peter Tiffin: Adaptive evolution of plant life history in urban environments 10: R. Brian Langerhans and Elizabeth M.A. Kern: Urbanization and evolution in aquatic environments 11: Kristien I. Brans, Lynn Govaert and Luc De Meester: Evolutionary dynamics of metacommunities in urbanized landscapes 12: Kristin M. Winchell, Andrew C. Battles, Talia Y. Moore: Terrestrial locomotor evolution in urban environments 13: Caroline Isaksson and Frances Bonier: Urban evolutionary physiology 14: Tuul Sepp, Kevin J. McGraw and Mathieu Giraudeau: Urban sexual selection 15: Daniel Sol, Oriol Lapiedra, and Simon Ducatez: Cognition and adaptation to urban environments 16: Emmanuel Milot and Stephen C. Stearns: Selection on humans in cities

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Book SynopsisTo date, more than a million insect species have been described, with probably at least another 5-8 million species waiting in the wings for a name. Insects are a fascinatingly diverse and beautiful spectrum of animals. They range in size from the tiny parasitic wasp, measuring a mere 139m, to the aptly named Titan beetle, which can reach lengths of up to 17cm. They can be found on all continents of the world, from the Sahara Desert to the frozen wastes of Antarctica; in caves, under the ground, inside plants, other insects and vertebrates, in rivers, streams, lakes and ponds, in puddles, in the watery interiors of pitcher plants; and in our houses. While no insects live beneath the waves, the intrepid sea skaters skim the surface of some of the world''s oceans.This Very Short Introduction explores the extraordinary world of insects. It analyses insect evolution, taxonomy and development, and describes their behaviour, their life styles, and the interactions they have with other insects and other animals. As Simon Leather shows, insects are the bedrock on which human civilisation rests; without them we would almost certainly not exist. Although they can be seen as pests of our crops plants, they are also invaluable for pollinating our flowering plants and are an invaluable link in all land ecosystems. As they face challenges from climate change and pesticides it has never been more important to understand these oft-dismissed creatures.Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewThis excellent primer can be recommended to all insect enthusiasts, particularly those who advocate the value of insects. * Marco Ferrante, Community Ecology *This excellent primer can be recommended to all insect enthusiasts, particularly those who advocate the value of insects. * Community Ecology *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: In the beginning 2: Prolific procreators - reproduction and host selection 3: On the move - finding somewhere to live and something to eat 4: Living together - social insects, parental care, mutualism 5: Aquatic insects - skaters, divers, and bottom dwellers 6: Mimicry, crypsis, and blatant advertising 7: Against the odds - behaviour and survival in extreme conditions 8: The good, the bad, and the ugly - how insects help and hinder us 9: Ecological Armageddon - insects in decline? References Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisIn this, the first of two ground-breaking volumes on the nature of language in the light of the way it evolved, James Hurford looks at how the world first came to have a meaning in the minds of animals and how in humans this meaning eventually came to be expressed as language. He reviews a mass of evidence to show how close some animals, especially primates and more especially apes, are to the brink of human language. Apes may not talk to us but they construct rich cognitive representations of the world around them, and here, he shows, are the evolutionary seeds of abstract thought - the means of referring to objects, the memory of events, even elements of the propositional thinking philosophers have hitherto reserved for humans. What then, he asks, is the evolutionary path between the non-speaking minds of apes and our own speaking minds? Why don''t apes communicate the richness of their thoughts to each other? Why do humans alone have a unique disposition to reveal their thoughts in Trade Reviewthis is a model exercise in how substantial theorizing about language evolution can be achieved. It is entertainingly written but not oversimplistic, interdisciplinary but not at the expense of rigor; and [Hurford] is open about the limits of his own expertise, yet never afraid to stretch them. He is to be congratulated on formulating insights that he offers with a precision that makes disagreement, hence advances, possible ... this is a delightful and thought-provoking read. [Hurford] has set in train a rich vein of research that continues to provide an unceasing flow of insights. I warmly recommend it and very much look forward to its follow-up volume. * Ruth Kempson, Language18/04/2011 *we are fortunate when scholars like Hurford...offer us carefully constructed proposals based on years of toil... both accessible and respectful of the reader's intelligence. * N.J.Enfiled, Times Literary Supplement *very readable and satisfying book...admirably persuasive and thought provoking... * Grover Hudson, Linguistlist *Has Hurford achieved his goal of describing the evolutionary foundations of language? Yes, elegantly and in accomplished detail. * Nature *valuable * Roy Harris, Times Higher Education Supplement *A wonderful read - lucid, informative, and entertaining, while at the same time never talking down to the reader by sacrificing argumentation for the sake of "simplicity". It is likely to be heralded as the major publication dealing with language evolution to date. * Frederick J. Newmeyer, University of Washington *Hurford's aim is nothing less than to bring language into Darwin's reach. Many attempts to press natural selection into innovative service fail through too analogical an approach failing to mesh with the realities of some other discipline. Hurford's sheer practicality and professional appreciation of modern biology have produced a work of the highest academic seriousness that would without question have delighted Darwin himself. The project can fairly be described as the abolition of the division between linguistics and biology, and has significant broad implications for philosophers and social scientists, as well as more focussed ones for biologists, linguists and anthropologists. * Alan Grafen, Professor of Theoretical Biology, University of Oxford *To explain the evolution of language, one must explain the evolution of both a system of communication and a system of thought - a way of representing and communicating about the world. In The Origins of Meaning, James Hurford does just this. Writing as a linguist, he clarifies for biologists the complexities that must be explained in an evolutionary account of language, while at the same time illuminating for his colleagues in linguistics the rich communicative and representational abilities of animals - from which we can begin to reconstruct the semantic and pragmatic origins of language. The Origins of Meaning is synthetic, provocative, and intellectually rich. * Robert Seyfarth, professor of psychology, University of Pennsylvania, and co-author of Baboon Metaphysics. *[a] fascinating examination... * Morning Star *...a unique, interdisciplinary story of the development of language as we know it today... Hurford is undoubtedly comfortable with his subject matter. He weaves science and theory together expertly. * Science and Spirit *Table of ContentsPART I MEANING BEFORD COMMUNICATION ; 1. Let's Agree on Terms ; 2. Animals Approach Human Cognition ; 3. A New Kind of Memory Evolves ; 4. Animals Form proto-propositions ; 5. Towards Human Semantics ; PART II COMMUNICATION: WHAT AND WHY? ; 6. Communication by Dyadic Acts ; 7. Going Triadic: Precursors of Reference ; 8. Why Communicate? Squaring With Evolutionary Theory ; 9. Cooperation, Fair Play and Trust in Primates ; 10. Epilogue ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisRNA viruses provide unique insights into the patterns and processes of evolutionary change in real time. The study of viral evolution is especially topical given the growing awareness that emerging and re-emerging diseases (most of which are caused by RNA viruses) represent a major threat to public health. However, while the study of viral evolution has developed rapidly in the last 30 years, relatively little attention has been directed toward linking work on the mechanisms of viral evolution within cells or individual hosts, to the epidemiological outcomes of these processes. This novel book fills this gap by considering the patterns and processes of viral evolution across their entire range of spatial and temporal scales. The Evolution and Emergence of RNA Viruses provides a comprehensive overview of RNA virus evolution, with a particular focus on genomic and phylogenetic approaches. This is the first book to link mechanisms of viral evolution with disease dynamics, using high-profiTrade ReviewThe aim of the Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution is to stimulate ideas in new research fields, and The Evolution and Emergence of RNA viruses is an excellent addition to this series. * Robert Belshaw, Trends in Ecology and Evolution *Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. The Origins of RNA Viruses ; 3. The Mechanisms of RNA Virus Evolution ; 4. The RNA Virus Quasispecies ; 5. Comparative Genomics and the Macroevolution of RNA Viruses ; 6. The Molecular Epidemiology, Phylogeography and Emergence of RNA Viruses ; 7. Case Studies in RNA Virus Evolution and Emergence ; 8. Epilogue ; References ; Index

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Book SynopsisBirds have colonized almost every terrestrial habitat on the planet - from the poles to the tropics, and from deserts to high mountain tops. Ecological and Environmental Physiology of Birds focuses on our current understanding of the unique physiological characteristics of birds that are of particular interest to ornithologists, but also have a wider biological relevance. An introductory chapter covers the basic avian body plan and their still-enigmatic evolutionary history. The focus then shifts to a consideration of the essential components of that most fundamental of avian attributes: the ability to fly. The emphasis here is on feather evolution and development, flight energetics and aerodynamics, migration, and as a counterpoint, the curious secondary evolution of flightlessness that has occurred in several lineages. This sets the stage for subsequent chapters, which present specific physiological topics within a strongly ecological and environmental framework. These include gas exTrade ReviewThis book is a comprehensive monograph on all the aspects of the molecular reaction dynamics and is useful for all the specialists in physico-chemical and chemical fields. * Corina Cernatescu, IASI Polytechnic Magazine *Table of Contents1. Introduction - Blueprint of a Bird (Bauplan/Body plan) ; 2. General Physiological Principles ; 3. Physiological Bases of Fecundity/Longevity Tradeoffs ; 4. Adaptations: Obtaining and Processing Food ; 5. Adaptations: Living in Specific Environments ; 6. Adaptations: Neural and Sensory ; 7. Adaptations: Developmental Physiology ; 8. Approaches and Techniques ; 9. Conclusions and Future Directions ; References ; Index

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Book SynopsisThis book outlines the main methods and techniques available to entomologists. With up to a quarter of all insect species heading towards extinction over the next few decades, there is a pressing need to summarize the techniques available for measuring insect diversity in order to develop effective conservation strategies.Trade ReviewIt should be on the bookshelf of every practising conservationist or environmental manager and will be a great source-book for undergraduates, postgraduates and established researchers.It will certainly be on the essential reading list of the MSc in Invertebrate Ecology and Conservation that we run at Staffordshire! * John W. Glover, Journal of Insect Conservation *This volume is a summary of how to approach insect conservation and its associated research from a rigorous scientific and statistical perspective.The authors have provided an excellent summary of experimental design, sampling techniques,specimen storage and data analysis.Although their intended audience is the early - career researcher, there is no doubt that seasoned scientists, managers and curators could benefit from this synthesis of important information. * Diane M. Debinski, Quarterly Review of Biology *Insect Conservation's greatest strength is its careful descriptions of field methods that no longer are commonly taught. * Ecology *Table of Contents1. Introducing Insect Conservation ; 2. Taxonomy and Curation of Insects ; 3. Designing Sampling Protocols for Insect Conservation ; 4. Collecting and Recording Insects ; 5. Measuring Environmental Variables ; 6. Estimating Population Size and Condition ; 7. The Population and the Landscape ; 8. Ex Situ Conservation: Captive Rearing and Reintroduction Programmes ; 9. Biodiversity and Assemblage Studies ; 10. Studying Insects in the Changing Environment ; Useful software in insect ecology and conservation ; Glossary ; References ; Index

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Book SynopsisBird flight has always intrigued mankind. This book provides an up to date account of our existing knowledge on the subject, as well as offering new insights and challenging some established views. A brief history of the science of flight introduces the basic physical principles governing aerial locomotion. A treatment of flight-related functional morphology concentrates on the difference in shape of the arm and hand part of the wings, on the structure and function of tails, and on the shape of the body. The anatomy and mechanical properties of feathers receive special attention. Aerodynamic principles used by birds are explained in theory by simply applying Newton''s laws, and in practice by showing the direction and velocity of the attached flow around an arm wing cross section and of the leading edge vortex flow above a hand wing. The Archaeopteryx fossils remain crucial in our understanding of the evolution of bird flight despite the recent discovery of a range of well-preserved anTrade Review...this is an expertly written introduction into all aspects of bird flight. What makes it even better is that Videler's narrative emphasis is not so much on the mechanical minutiae of avian flight, but rather on explaining and describing what makes it all work...His writing style, moreover, is enthusiastic and colourful. * PalArch's Journal of Vetebrate Palaeontology, 2007 *The strength of the book is its comprehensive coverage of the field...Videler tells us about old work that is still enlightening as well as about the newest and most fashionable research. * Ethology, 2006 *Videler is an enthusiast in every sense of the word, and this is a book for enthsiasts...a key achievement of Videler's book, in reviewing the current state of our knowledge, is to reveal how many lacunae remain. * Ibis *Regardless, the book does a splendid job of conveying the reasons for the author's entusiasm for studying avian flight...the book will serve as an excellent foundation for seminars for advanced undergraduates or graduates and as an essential motivational tool for all avian biologists. * JEB, Bret W. Tobalske, University of Portland *...the book is lucidly written, with clear explanations * British Birds, Vol 99 *Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. Acquisition of knowledge ; 2. The flight apparatus ; 3. Feathers for flight ; 4. Aerodynamics ; 5. Evolution of bird flight ; 6. Bird flight modes ; 7. The bird flight engine ; 8. Energy required for flight ; 9. Comparing the metabolic costs of flight

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Book SynopsisAquatic insects are the dominant invertebrate fauna in most freshwater ecosystems, and figure prominently in the work of a diverse range of researchers, students, and environmental managers. Often employed as indicators of ecosystem health, aquatic insects are also commonly used as model systems to test hypotheses in ecological topics including metapopulation and metacommunity dynamics, recruitment limitation, trophic interactions, and trophic networks. Due to their complex life cycles, aquatic insects must master both terrestrial and aquatic environments, crossing these ecosystem boundaries during different stages of development and reproduction. In this wide-ranging text, life under and on top of the water surface are covered in unusual detail, including the biomechanics of life in water, locomotion underwater and on surface films, gas exchange, physico-chemical stressors, feeding, sensory perception and communication, reproduction, egg-laying and development, and the evolution of aqTrade ReviewThis is the most comprehensive publication on aquatic entomology to date, covering all the facets of aquatic insect development. Generally, it is an excellent publication that will be invaluable to both aquatic and terrestrial ecologists...It brings together a wealth of information from a diverse range of sources,including journals that are difficult to access, has sufficient detail for post-graduate research, but will also be useful for undergraduate students and a general audience, with clear and well-illustrated explanations of complex concepts. * Anne Watson, Austral Ecology *The book is well written, and its different parts and chapters are well connected using references ... this book, in my opinion, will meet the broad audience anticipated by the authors. * Helena Shaverdo, The Quarterly Review of Biology *Researchers, as well as students in entomology with a special interest in aquatic insects have got a handbook on the biology of these species with nearly no wishes left open * Bulletin of Fish Biology *Aquatic Entomology provides an excellent introduction to the subject, and one which is suitable for a wide readership * Freshwater Biology *Readers desiring a fundamental understanding of the biology of aquatic insects, with the goal of using that understanding to add depth and breadth to applied purposes, will be rewarded with detailed answers to diverse and complex questions. * Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin *the book represents a high quality overview of aquatic entomology ... It will please and provide help not only to students of aquatic insects and entomologists angaged in research on this topic but is a suitable textbook for courses in freshwater entomology, biology of aquatic invertebrates/organisms and a supplementary textbook for courses on freshwater ecology, hydrobiology, limnology and conservation of water biota. * M Papacek, European Journal of Entomology *The text is illustrated with many very clear text figures and half-tone photographs and is supported by a huge range of references, so that it is possible to follow up any specific topic that becomes of interest. * BES Bulletin *Table of ContentsPART 1 - INTRODUCTION TO AQUATIC INSECTS; PART 2 - ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS ON DISTRIBUTION; PART 3 - SENSORY SYSTEMS, MOVEMENT, AND DISPERSAL; PART 4 - POPULATION DYNAMICS AND POPULATION PERSISTENCE; PART 5 - TROPHIC RELATIONSHIPS

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Book SynopsisThe animal world is immensely diverse, and our understanding of it has been greatly enhanced by analysis of DNA and the study of evolution and development (''evo-devo''). In this Very Short Introduction Peter Holland presents a modern tour of the animal kingdom. Beginning with the definition of animals (not obvious in biological terms), he takes the reader through the high-level groupings of animals (phyla) and new views on their evolutionary relationships based on molecular data, together with an overview of the biology of each group of animals. The phylogenetic view is central to zoology today and the volume will be of great value to all students of the life sciences, as well as providing a concise summary for the interested general reader.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1. What is an animal? ; 2. Animal phyla ; 3. The evolutionary tree of animals ; 4. Basal animals: corals, sponges and jellyfish ; 5. The bilaterians: building a body ; 6. Lophotrochozoa: wondrous worms ; 7. Ecdysozoa: insects and nematodes ; 8. Deuterostomes I: starfish, sea squirts and amphioxus ; 9. Deuterostomes II: the rise of vertebrates ; 10. Deuterostomes III: vertebrates on land ; 11. Enigmatic animals ; Further reading

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Book SynopsisOrigins of Biodiversity is a unique introduction to the fields of macroevolution and macroecology, which explores the evolution and distribution of biodiversity across time, space and lineages. Using an enquiry-led framework to encourage active learning and critical thinking, each chapter is based around a case-study to explore concepts and research methods from contemporary macroevolution and macroecology.The book focuses on the process of science as much as the biology itself, to help students acquire the research skills and intellectual tools they need to understand and investigate the biological world around them. In particular, the emphasis on hypothesis testing encourages students to develop and test their own ideas.This text builds upon the foundations offered in most general introductory evolutionary biology courses to introduce an exciting range of ideas and research tools for investigating patterns of biodiversity.Trade ReviewAn exceptionally well-written textbook on large-scale evolution and ecology, which engages students by using a problem-based approach to recent controversies and debates. * Dr Peter Bennett, University of Kent *The treatment of the topics is authoritative and up-to-date, and it is certainly written with modern undergraduates in mind. * Prof Arne Mooers, Simon Fraser University *This book is well-placed to invigorate the fields of macroevolution and macroecology by filling a gap that will open up the subject to the next generation of budding young scientists. * Dr Kevin Arbuckle, Swansea University *This book succeeds in being a different sort of textbook: one which helps the students to understand science better by helping them understand the process of knowledge creation. * Dr Richard Field, University of Nottingham *Table of Contents1: What is macroevolution? What is macroecology?2: How did evolution get started?3: Does evolution favour increased size and complexity?4: What caused the explosion of animal evolution in the Cambrian?5: Were dinosaurs evolutionary failures?6: Was the diversification of mammals due to luck?7: Is sex good for survival?8: Why are most species small?9: Why are there so many kinds of beetles?10: Why are there so many species in the tropics?11: What is the future of biodiversity?

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Book SynopsisMammals are the so-called pinnacle group of vertebrates, successfully colonising virtually all terrestrial environments as well as the air (bats) and sea (especially pinnipeds and cetaceans). How mammals function and survive in these diverse environments has long fascinated mammologists, comparative physiologists and ecologists.Ecological and Environmental Physiology of Mammals explores the physiological mechanisms and evolutionary necessities that have made the spectacular adaptation of mammals possible. It summarises our current knowledge of the complex and sophisticated physiological approaches that mammals have for survival in a wide variety of ecological and environmental contexts: terrestrial, aerial, and aquatic. The authors have a strong comparative and quantitative focus in their broad approach to exploring mammal ecophysiology. As with other books in the Ecological and Environmental Physiology Series, the emphasis is on the unique physiological characteristics of mammals, their adaptations to extreme environments, and current experimental techniques and future research directions are also considered.This accessible text is suitable for graduate level students and researchers in the fields of mammalian comparative physiology and physiological ecology, including specialist courses in mammal ecology. It will also be of value and use to the many professional mammologists requiring a concise overview of the topic.Trade ReviewEcological and Environmental Physiology of Mammals belongs on the shelf of every mammologist or anyone interested in the physiology of mammalian adaptation and long-term survival. * Kenneth B. Armitage, The Quarterly Review of Biology *Table of Contents1: Introduction to Mammals 2: General Physiological Principles 3: Physiological Characteristics of Mammals 4: Physiological Adaptations to Extreme Environments 5: Concepts/Approaches/Techniques/Applications 6: Conclusions and Future Directions

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Book SynopsisTeeth are amazing - the product of half a billion years of evolution. They provide fuel for the body by breaking apart other living things; and they must do it again and again over a lifetime without themselves being broken in the process. This means that plants and animals have developed tough or hard tissues for protection, and teeth have evolved ways to sharpen or strengthen themselves to overcome those defences. And just as different jobs require different tools, animals with different diets have different shaped teeth to deal with the variety of foods that they eat.In this Very Short Introduction, Peter S. Ungar, an award-winning author and leading scientist, presents the story of teeth. Ungar outlines the key concepts, including insights into the origin of teeth and their evolution. Considering why teeth are important, he describes how they are made, and how they work, including their fundamental importance in the fossil record. Ungar finishes with a review of mammal teeth, lookiTable of Contents1. Teeth matter ; 2. Types and parts of teeth ; 3. What teeth do: food and feeding ; 4. The origin of teeth and teeth in non-mammals ; 5. The evolution of teeth in mammals ; 6. Mammal teeth today ; 7. Human teeth and their history ; 8. Endless forms ; Further reading

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Book SynopsisHuman-wildlife conflict (HWC) has classically been defined as a situation where wildlife impacts humans negatively (physically, economically, or psychologically), and where humans likewise negatively impact wildlife. However, there is growing consensus that the conflict between people about wildlife is as important as the conflict between people and wildlife. HWC not only affects the conservation of one species in a particular geographic area, but also impacts the willingness of an individual, a community, and wider society to support conservation programs in general. This book explores the complexity inherent in these situations, covering the theory, principles, and practical applications of HWC work, making it accessible and usable for conservation practitioners, as well as of interest to researchers more concerned with a theoretical approach to the subject. Through a series of case studies, the book''s authors and editors tackle a wide variety of subjects relating to conflict, from the challenges of wicked problems and common pool resources, to the roles that storytelling and religion can play in conflict. Throughout the book, the authors work with a Conservation Conflict Transformation (CCT) approach, adapted from the peacebuilding field to address the reality of conservation today. The authors utilise one of CCT''s key analytic components, the Levels of Conflict model, as a tool to provide insight into their case studies. Although the examples discussed are from the world of marine conservation, the lessons they provide are applicable to a wide variety of global conservation issues, including those in the terrestrial realm. Human-Wildlife Conflict will be essential reading for graduate students and established researchers in the field of marine conservation biology. It will also be a valuable reference for a global audience of conservation practitioners, wildlife managers, and other conservation professionals.Trade ReviewOne of the goals of this book is to inject new concepts into old conflicts * Joe Roman, Trends in Ecology and EvolutionJoe Roman, TREE *Table of ContentsSECTION 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE LEVELS OF CONFLICT; SECTION 2: POLICY AND HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT; SECTION 3: NARRATIVES AND HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT

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Book SynopsisIn recent years, species and ecosystems have been threatened by many anthropogenic factors manifested in local and global declines of populations and species. Although we consider conservation medicine an emerging field, the concept is the result of the long evolution of transdisciplinary thinking within the health and ecological sciences and the better understanding of the complexity within these various fields of knowledge. Conservation medicine was born from the cross fertilization of ideas generated by this new transdisciplinary design. It examines the links among changes in climate, habitat quality, and land use; emergence and re-emergence of infectious agents, parasites and environmental contaminants; and maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem functions as they sustain the health of plant and animal communities including humans. During the past ten years, new tools and institutional initiatives for assessing and monitoring ecological health concerns have emerged: landscape epiTable of ContentsIntroduction ; (A. Alonso Aguirre and Sara E. Howard) ; Part I: Conservation Medicine: Ecological Health in Practice ; 1. Conservation Medicine: Ontogeny of an Emerging Discipline ; A. Alonso Aguirre, G.M. Tabor and Richard S. Ostfeld ; 2. EcoHealth: Creating a Truly a Global Transdiscipline ; Bruce A. Wilcox, Pierre Horwitz, and A. Alonso Aguirre ; 3. One Health, One Medicine ; Laura H. Kahn, Thomas P. Monath, Bob H. Bokma, Paul Gibbs, A. Alonso Aguirre ; 4. Biodiversity and Human Health ; Aaron Bernstein ; 5. An Ecosystem Service of Biodiversity - The Protection of Human Health Against Infectious Disease ; Felicia Keesing and Richard S. Ostfeld ; 6. Parasite Conservation, Conservation Medicine and Ecosystem Health ; Andres Gomez, Elizabeth Nichols and Susan L. Perkins ; 7. Stress and Immunosuppression as Factors in the Decline and Extinction of Populations: The Concepts, the Evidence and the Challenges ; Heribert Hofer and Marion L. East ; Part II: Anthropogenic Change and Conservation Medicine ; 8. Predicted Impacts of Climate on Emerging Diseases: A Model for Global Change ; Raina K. Plowright, Paul C. Cross, Gary M. Tabor, Emily Almberg, Leslie Bienen, and Peter Hudson ; 9. Wildlife Health in a Changing North: A Model for Global Environmental Change ; Morten Tryland, Susan Kutz and Patricia Curry ; 10. Habitat Fragmentation and Infectious Disease Ecology ; Gerardo Suzan, Fernando Esponda, Roberto Carrasco-Hernandez, A. Alonso Aguirre ; 11. Wildlife Trade and the Spread of Disease ; Katherine F. Smith, Lisa M. Schloegel, and Gail E. Rosen ; 12. Bushmeat and Infectious Disease Emergence ; Matthew LeBreton, Brian L. Pike, Karen E. Saylors, Joseph L. Diffo, Joseph N. Fair, Anne W. Rimoin, Nancy Ortiz, Cyrille F. Djoko, Ubald Tamoufe, Nathan D. Wolfe ; 13. Human Migration, Border Controls and Infectious Disease Emergence ; Anne M. Alexander, David C. Finnoff and Jason F. Shogren ; Part III: Emerging Infectious Diseases and Conservation Medicine ; 14. Are Bats Exceptional Viral Reservoirs? ; Kevin J. Olival, Jonathan H. Epstein, Lin-Fa Wang, Hume E. Field and Peter Daszak ; 15. SARS: A Case Study for Factors Driving Disease Emergence ; Wolfgang Preiser ; 16. H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza: Breaking the Rules in Disease Emergence ; Thijs Kuiken and Timm Harder ; 17. Bartonellosis: An Emerging Disease of Humans, Domestic Animals and Wildlife ; Ricardo G. Maggi, Craig A. Harms, Edward B. Breitschwerdt ; 18. Brucella ceti and Brucella pinnipedialis Infections in Marine Mammals ; Jacques Godfroid, Ingebjorg Nymo, Morten Tryland, Axel Cloeckaert, Thierry Jauniaux, Adrian M. Whatmore, Edgardo Moreno, Geoffrey Foster ; 19. Infectious Cancers in Wildlife ; Hamish McCallum and Menna Jones ; 20. From Protozoan Infection in Monarch Butterflies to Colony Collapse Disorder in Bees: Are Emerging Infectious Diseases Proliferating in the Invertebrate World? ; Rebecca Bartel and Sonia Altizer ; 21. Fungal Diseases in Neotropical Forests Disturbed by Humans ; Julieta Benitez-Malvido ; 22. Emerging Infectious Diseases in Fisheries and Aquaculture ; E. Scott Weber ; 23. Southern Sea Otters: Sentinels of Land-Sea Pathogens and Pollutants ; David A. Jessup and Melissa A. Miller ; Part IV: Ecotoxicology and Conservation Medicine ; 24. Ecotoxicology: Bridging Wildlife, Humans and Ecosystems ; Jeffrey M. Levengood and Val R. Beasley ; 25. Wildlife Toxicology: Environmental Contaminants and their National and International Regulation ; K. Christiana Grim, Anne Fairbrother, Barnett A. Rattner ; 26. Marine Biotoxins: Emergence of Harmful Algal Blooms as Health Threats to Marine Wildlife ; Spencer E. Fire, Frances M. Van Dolah ; 27. Beluga from the St Lawrence Estuary: A Case Study of Cancer and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ; Daniel Martineau ; Part V: Place Based Conservation Medicine ; 28. Sense and Serendipity: Conservation and Management of Bison in Canada ; Margo J. Pybus and Todd K. Shury ; 29. Pathogens, Parks and People: The Role of Bovine Tuberculosis in South African Conservation ; Claire Geoghegan ; 30. Disease Ecology and Conservation of Ungulates, Wild Rabbits and the Iberian Lynx in the Mediterranean Forest ; Fernando Martinez, Guillermo Lopez and Christian Gortazar ; 31. The Kibale EcoHealth Project: Exploring the Connections among Human Health, Animal Health, and Landscape Dynamics in Western Uganda ; Tony L. Goldberg, Sarah B. Paige and Colin A. Chapman ; 32. Conservation Medicine in Brazil: Case Studies of Ecological Health in Practice ; Paulo Rogerio Mangini, Rodrigo Silva Pinto Jorge, Marcelo Renan de Deus Santos, Alessandra Nava, Carlos Eduardo da Silva Verona, Maria Fernanda Vianna Marvulo, Jean Carlos Ramos Silva ; 33. Linking Conservation of Biodiversity and Culture with Sustainable Health and Wellness: The Itzama Model and Global Implications for Healing Across Cultures ; Todd J. Pesek, Victor Cal, Kevin Knight, John Arnason ; 34. Biodiversity and Human Health: Using Plants and Traditional Ethnomedical Knowledge to Improve Public Health and Conservation Programs in Micronesia ; Michael J. Balick, Katherine Herrera, Francisca Sohl, Wayne Law, Roberta Lee and William C. Raynor ; Part VI: Applied techniques Of Conservation Medicine ; 35. Human Health in the Biodiversity Hotspots: Applications of Geographic Information System Technology and Implications for Conservation ; Larry J. Gorenflo ; 36. Determining when Parasites of Amphibians are Conservation Threats to their Hosts: Methods and Perspectives ; Trent W. J. Garner, Cheryl J. Briggs, Jon Bielby and Matthew C. Fisher ; 37. Strategies for Wildlife Disease Surveillance ; Jonathan M. Sleeman, Christopher J. Brand, Scott D. Wright ; 38. Wildlife Health Monitoring in North America: From Sentinel Species to Public Policy ; Michelle M. Willette, Julia B. Ponder, Dave L. McRuer, Edward E. Clark, Jr. ; 39. The Establishment of Serum Banks for Eco-Epidemiological Investigations of Infectious Diseases in Marine Mammals ; A. Alonso Aguirre, Melinda K. Rostal, Thomas J. Keefe ; 40. Sorta Situ: The New Reality of Management Conditions for Wildlife Populations in the Absence of 'Wild' Spaces ; Barbara A. Wolfe, Roberto F. Aguilar, A. Alonso Aguirre, Glenn H. Olsen, Evan S. Blumer ; 41. Modeling Population Viability and Extinction Risk in the Presence of Parasitism ; Patrick Foley and Janet E. Foley ; 42. Using Mathematical Models in a Unified Approach to Predicting the Next Emerging Infectious Disease ; Tiffany L. Bogich, Kevin J. Olival, Parviez R. Hosseini, Sebastian Funk, Ilana L. Brito, Jonathan H. Epstein, John S. Brownstein, Damien O. Joly, Marc A. Levy, Kate E. Jones, Stephen S. Morse, A. Alonso Aguirre, William B. Karesh, Jonna AK Mazet, and Peter Daszak ; Index

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Book SynopsisIslands with large colonies of seabirds are found throughout the globe. Seabird islands provide nesting and roosting sites for birds that forage at sea, deposit marine nutrients on land, and physically alter these islands. Habitats for numerous endemic and endangered animal and plant species, seabird islands are therefore biodiversity hotspots with high priority for conservation.Successful campaigns to eradicate predators (e.g., rats and cats) from seabird islands have been conducted worldwide. However, removal of predators will not necessarily lead to natural recovery of seabirds or other native species. Restoration of island ecosystems requires social acceptance of eradications, knowledge of how island food webs function, and a long-term commitment to measuring and assisting the recovery process. This book, written collaboratively by and for ecologists and resource managers, provides the first large-scale cross-system compilation, comparison, and synthesis of the ecology of seabird iTable of ContentsPREFACE; ACKNOWLEDGMENTS; PART I: NATURAL HISTORY OF SEABIRD ISLANDS; W.B. ANDERSON AND C.P.H. MULDER; J.L. SMITH, C.P.H. MULDER, AND J.C. ELLIS; D.R. TOWNS, G.V. BYRD, H.P. JONES, M.J. RAUZON, J.C. RUSSELL, AND C. WILCOX; D.R. DRAKE, T.W. BODEY, J.C. RUSSELL, D.R. TOWNS, M. NOGALES, AND L. RUFFINO; PART II: CROSS-SYSTEM COMPARISONS OF ISLAND ECOSYSTEMS; C.P.H. MULDER, H. JONES, K. KAMEDA, C. PALMBORG, S. SCHMIDT, J.C. ELLIS, J L. ORROCK, D.A. WAIT, D.A. WARDLE, L. YANG, H. YOUNG, D.A. CROLL, AND E. VIDAL; J.C. ELLIS, P.J. BELLINGHAM, E.K. CAMERON, D.A. CROLL, G.S. KOLB, C. KUEFFER, G.H. MITTELHAUSER, S. SCHMIDT, E. VIDAL, AND D.A. WAIT; G.S. KOLB, H.S. YOUNG, AND W.B. ANDERSON; H.S. YOUNG, L. HURREY, AND G.S. KOLB; J.C. RUSSELL; PART III: RESTORATION OF SEABIRD ISLANDS; P. DUNLEVY, S.E. EBBERT, J.C. RUSSELL, AND D.R. TOWNS; H. JONES, D.R. TOWNS, T. BODEY, C. MISKELLY, J.C. ELLIS, M. RAUZON, S. KRESS, AND M. MCKOWN; D.R. TOWNS, A. AGUIRRE MUNOZ, S.W. KRESS, P.J. HODUM, A.A. BURBIDGE, AND A. SAUNDERS; M.S. DURRETT AND C.P.H. MULDER; APPENDIX A: DESCRIPTIONS OF FOCAL ISLAND SYSTEMS; APPENDIX B: SEABIRD SPECIES; APPENDIX C: SEABIRD PREDATORS; GLOSSARY; INDEX

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Book SynopsisThailand is home to over 350 species of reptiles, consisting of many kinds of turtles and tortoises, lizards, snakes and crocodiless. With its extensive network of protected areas, Thailand is one of the richest and most ecologically diverse countries in the world. However, many of these species are being threatened more than ever before, including habitat loss caused by agricultural expansion and intensification, and from wildlife trade. For herpetologists and naturalists, understanding the reptiles of Thailand is now more important than ever before. With A Field Guide to the Reptiles of Thailand, Tanya Chan-ard, John Parr, and Jarujin Nabhitabhata present the definitive resource for identifying and understanding all known species of reptile in the region. It is the only updated and complete guide to the country''s reptilian life in existence. The book contains an account of every species, complete with nomenclature, colour illustrations, and range maps of known locations. The accountTrade ReviewThe work of three Thailand-based herpetologists, this is the first authoritative, all-inclusive guide to the turtles, lizards, snakes, and crocodilians of the authors' ecologically diverse country. ... Accurate, well written, and user-friendly, this guide will be an invaluable resource for anyone with interests in the rich and diverse reptilian fauna of Thailand. ... Highly recommended. * CHOICE *A Field Guide to the Reptiles of Thailand is a concise, yet reasonably thorough field-worthy book that will be of value to herpetologists and naturalists, whether amateur or professional, exploring the rich reptile fauna of Thailand. * David S. McLeod, Quarterly Review of Biology *A handy size and informative work including over 350 turtle, lizard, snake, and crocodile species, this is one of the first field guidebooks to focus exclusively on the reptiles of Thailand. * Mary Robinson, Reference Reviews. *Table of ContentsFOREWORD ; ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ; INTRODUCTION ; History of Herpetology in Thailand ; Physiography ; Climate ; Habitats ; Zoogeography ; The Conservation of Reptiles ; The Protected Area System ; HOW TO USE THIS BOOK ; SYSTEMATIC SECTION ; THE PLATES ; 1. Big-headed Turtle and leatherback ; 2. Sea Turtles I ; 3. Sea Turtles II ; 4. Pond Turtles ; 5. Pond Turtles ; 6. Pond Turtles ; 7. Tortoises ; 8. Turtles & Softshell Turtles ; 9. Softshell Turtles ; 10. Gliding Lizards I ; 11. Gliding Lizards ; 12. Tree Lizards ; 13. Anglehead Lizards & Crested Lizards ; 14. Crested Lizards ; 15. Water Dragon. Phu Wua Lizard & Earless Lizard ; 16. Butterfly Lizards ; 17. Snake Skinks & Legless Skinks I ; 18. Legless Skinks ; 19. Larut Skink, Striped Skinks & Slender Skinks ; 20. Slender Skinks II ; 21. Tree Skink & Skinks ; 22. Slender Skinks & Ground Skinks ; 23. Forest Skinks ; 24. Stream Skinks I ; 25. Stream Skinks II, Lizards & Cat Gecko ; 26. Slender-toed Geckos I ; 27. Slender-toed Geckos II ; 28. Slender-toed Geckos III ; 29. Rock Geckos ; 30. Ground Geckos, House Geckos & Frilly Geckos ; 31. Four-clawed Geckos & Dwarf Gecko ; 32. Tockay Geckos ; 33. Parachute Geckos ; 34. Monitors ; 35. Blind Snakes I ; 36. Blind Snakes II ; 37. Pipe Snake & Sunbeam Snake ; 38. Pythons ; 39. Slug Snakes ; 40. Tree Snake, White-bellied Snake & Blackheads ; 41. Trunk Snakes ; 42. Red Snakes & Racers I ; 43. Racers II ; 44. Rat Snakes ; 45. Wolf Snakes I ; 46. Wolf Snakes II & Bridle Snakes ; 47. Kukri Snakes I ; 48. Kukri Snakes II ; 49. Kukri Snakes ; 50. Ringnecks ; 51. Reed Snakes ; 52. Bronzebacks ; 53. Bronzebacks & Keelbacks I ; 54. Keelbacks ; 55. Keelbacks ; 56. Mountain Keelbacks ; 57. Cat Snakes I ; 58. Cat Snakes II ; 59. Whip Snakes ; 60. Keelbacks & Tree Snakes ; 61. Water Snakes I ; 62. Water Snakes II ; 63. Water Snakes III ; 64. Kraits ; 65. Cobras ; 66. King Cobra ; 67. Coral Snakes ; 68. Sea Snakes I ; 69. Sea Snakes II ; 70. Sea Snakes III ; 71. Sea Snakes IV ; 72. Sea Snakes V ; 73. Pit Vipers I ; 74. Pit Vipers II ; 75. Crocodiles

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Book SynopsisBiology of Ticks is the most comprehensive work on tick biology and tick-borne diseases. This second edition is a multi-authored work, featuring the research and analyses of renowned experts across the globe. Spanning two volumes, the book examines the systematics, biology, structure, ecological adaptations, evolution, genomics and the molecular processes that underpin the growth, development and survival of these important disease-transmitting parasites. Also discussed is the remarkable array of diseases transmitted (or caused) by ticks, as well as modern methods for their control. This book should serve as a modern reference for students, scientists, physicians, veterinarians and other specialists. Volume I covers the biology of the tick and features chapters on tick systematics, tick life cycles, external and internal anatomy, and others dedicated to specific organ systems, specifically, the tick integument, mouthparts and digestive system, salivary glands, waste removal, salivary glands, respiratory system, circulatory system and hemolymph, fat body, the nervous and sensory systems and reproductive systems. Volume II includes chapters on the ecology of non-nidicolous and nidicolous ticks, genetics and genomics (including the genome of the Lyme disease vector Ixodes scapularis) and immunity, including host immune responses to tick feeding and tick-host interactions, as well as the tick''s innate immune system that prevents and/or controls microbial infections. Six chapters cover in depth the many diseases caused by the major tick-borne pathogens, including tick-borne protozoa, viruses, rickettsiae of all types, other types of bacteria (e.g., the Lyme disease agent) and diseases related to tick paralytic agents and toxins. The remaining chapters are devoted to tick control using vaccines, acaricides, repellents, biocontrol, and, finally, techniques for breeding ticks in order to develop tick colonies for scientific study.Table of ContentsBiology of Ticks, 2nd Edition ; Volume 1: Structure, Systematics, Physiology, and Molecular Biology ; Chapter 1. Overview: Ticks, People and Animals ; Daniel E. Sonenshine and R. Michael Roe ; Chapter 2. Modern Tick Systematics ; Lance A. Durden and Lorenza Beati ; Chapter 3. Life Cycles and Natural History of Ticks ; Dmitry A. Apanaskevich and James H. Oliver, Jr. ; Chapter 4. External and Internal Anatomy ; Daniel E. Sonenshine and R. Michael Roe ; Chapter 5. Integument and Ecdysis ; W. Reuben Kaufman ; Chapter 6. Mouthparts and Digestive System: Anatomy and Molecular biology of Feeding and Digestion ; Daniel E. Sonenshine and Jennifer M. Anderson ; Chapter 7. Salivary Glands: Structure, Physiology and Molecular Biology ; Francisco J. Alarcon-Chaidez ; Chapter 8. Excretion and Water Balance: Hindgut, Malpighian Tubules and Coxal Glands ; Daniel E. Sonenshine ; Chapter 9. Heme Processing and the Evolution of Hematophagy ; Ben J. Mans ; Chapter 10. Respiratory System: Structure and Function ; Laura J. Fielden and Francis D. Duncan ; Chapter 11. Circulatory System and Hemolymph: Structure, Physiology and Molecular Biology ; Libor Grubhoffer, Natalia Rudenko, Marie Vancova, Maryna Golovchenko and Jan Sterba ; Chapter 12. Fat Body and Nephrocytes: Structure and Function ; Lewis B. Coons ; Chapter 13. Nervous and Sensory Systems: Structure, Function, genomics and proteomics Ladislav Simo, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Yeonsoong Park and Dusan Zitnan ; Chapter 14. Molecular Biology and Physiology of Chemical Communication ; Albert Mulenga ; Chapter 15. Heme-binding, lipoglyco-storage proteins ; Sayed M. S. Khalil, Kevin V. Donohue , R. Michael Roe and Daniel E. Sonenshine ; Chapter 16. Hormonal Regulation of Development, Metamorphosis and Reproduction ; R. Michael Roe, Kevin V. Donohue, Sayed M.S. Khalil, Brooke W. Bissinger, Jiwei Zhu and Daniel E. Sonenshine ; Chapter 17. Female Reproductive System: Anatomy, Physiology and Molecular Biology ; Mari H. Ogihara and DeMar Taylor ; Chapter 18. Male Reproductive System: Anatomy, Physiology and Molecular Biology ; Daniel E. Sonenshine and Lewis B. Coons

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Book SynopsisSpanning two volumes, this is the most comprehensive work on tick biology and tick-borne diseasesTable of ContentsBiology of Ticks 2nd Edition ; Volume 2. Ecology, Genomics, Disease and Control ; Chapter 1. Ecology of Non-nidicolous Ticks ; Sarah E. Randolph ; Chapter 2. Ecology of Nidicolous Ticks ; Jeremy S. Gray ; Chapter 3. Tick Genetics, Genomics and Transformation ; Jason Meyer and Catherine A. Hill ; Chapter 4. Host-Tick Interactions ; Stephen K. Wikel ; Chapter 5. How Ticks Control Microbes: The innate immune response ; Wayne L. Hynes ; Chapter 6 . Tick-borne Protozoa ; Adalberto A. Perez de Leon, Edouard Vannier, Consuelo Almazan, and Peter J. Krause ; Chapter 7. Tick-borne Viruses ; Patricia A. Nuttall ; Chapter 8. Tick-borne Rickettsioses I (spotted fever group and other selected rickettsia) ; Kevin R.Macaluso and Christopher D. Paddock ; Chapter 9. Tick-borne Rickettsioses II (Anaplasmataceae) ; Holly D. Gaff, Katherine M. Kocan and Daniel E. Sonenshine ; Chapter 10. Other Tick-borne Bacterial Diseases (including Lyme disease, relapsing fever ; and Tularemia) ; Nicholas H. Ogden, Harvey Artsob, Gabriele Margos and Jean Tsao ; Chapter 11. Tick-induced paralysis and toxicoses ; Agustin Estrada-Pena and Ben J. Mans ; Chapter 12. Development of vaccines for control of tick infestations and interruption of pathogen transmission ; Jose de la Fuente and Katherine M. Kocan ; Chapter 13. Acaricide Research and Development, Resistance and Resistance Monitoring ; Felix D. Guerrero, Adalberto Perez de Leon, Roger I. Rodriguez-Vivas, Nick Jonson, Robert J. Miller and Renato Andreotti ; Chapter 14. Tick Repellent Research, Methods, and Development ; Brooke W. Bissinger and R. Michael Roe ; Chapter 15 Tick control: Trapping, Bio-control, Host Management and Other Alternative Strategies ; Howard Ginsberg ; Chapter 16. Tick Rearing and in vitro Feeding ; Sandra A. Allan

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Book SynopsisCan animals act for moral reasons? Philosophical tradition answers, almost univocally, no. Recent work in cognitive ethology, however, points in the other direction. Philosophical tradition has apparently convincing arguments on its side. But cognitive ethology can point to a growing body of empirical evidence that suggests these arguments must be wrong. This groundbreaking book assimilates both philosophical and ethological frameworks into a unified whole. In part, ethologists have not understood the enormous logical obstacles facing the claim that animals can act morally. But, in part also, philosophers have been guilty of over-intellectualizing crucial concepts such as moral motivation and action. Building on the ethological evidence, this book engages in meticulous philosophical analysis and argument, and the resulting answer to the question is a qualified yes. Animals can act morally in the sense they can act for moral reasons. Or, at least, they are no compelling logical obstacles to supposing that this is the case. This conclusion has important implications not just for our understanding of animals but also of the central concepts we employ in understanding the moral lives of humans, such as motivation, action, and agency.Trade ReviewCan Animals Be Moral? offers the most comprehensive analysis and evaluation to date of the traditional views underlying scepticism about the moral subjecthood of animals and it does an excellent job of clarifying the conceptual and argumentative landscape. * Robert Streifer, Mind *Philosophers will appreciate the carefulness of Rowlands's arguments, the clarity of his writing, and his understated sense of humor. * Jessica Pierce, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews. *An excellent book, not only on what it is for animals to be moral, but what it is for humans to be moral, whether one agrees with the conclusions or not. In short, it is a book on what it is to be moral per se that challenges with skill and imagination goes-without-saying preconceptions of the moral and so deserves to be widely read. * John Shand, The Philosophical Quarterly *This book makes an enormous contribution to an under-explored topic. It makes a novel and persuasive case that animals can be moral within certain limits, and lays the way for future philosophical and empirical enquiry. * Dr. Tom McClelland, Metapsychology *An important contribution to the extended field of Ethics...very crisply and also engagingly written. * Chris Bratcher, Ethical Record *I would strongly recommend this book ... to those who are studying animal behaviour and to those who are working on ethics and moral status of animals. * Martin Whiting, Animal Welfare *Table of Contents1. Can Animals be Moral? ; 2. Attributing Emotions to Animals ; 3. Moral Agents, Patients, and Subjects ; 4. The Reflection Condition: Aristotle and Kant ; 5. The Idiot ; 6. The Phenomenology of Moral Motivation ; 7. Moral Motivation and Meta-Cognition ; 8. Moral Reasons and Practice ; 9. Reconstructing Normativity and Agency ; 10. A Cognitive Ethologist from Mars

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Book SynopsisExamines the unique psychological attitude of human beings toward insects, and discusses why people are scared, disgusted, or enthralled by them.Trade ReviewThis provocative book is valuable for psychologists, entomologists, or general readers who would like to understand how irrational fears of insects and their relatives distort people's view of reality. Highly recommended. * E. R. Lee Jr., Choice, *If someone is interested in a solid and interdisciplinary background about the mechanisms and manifestations of entomophobia as well as techniques to overcome this fear, this book provides a good foundation. * Rick Vetter, American Entomologist *Table of ContentsPROLOGUE. Entomophobia from the inside: Swallowed by a swarm ; CHAPTER 1. The Nature of Fear-and the Fear of Nature ; CHAPTER 2. Entomophobia: A product of our genes? ; CHAPTER 3. Entomophobia: Practice Makes Perfect? ; CHAPTER 4. Disgust: Horror's Other Half ; CHAPTER 5. The Terrible Trio: Imagining Insects into Our Lives ; CHAPTER 6. Treating the Horrified: Finally, some good news ; CHAPTER 7. Entomophilia: Insects as sources of wonder ; EPILOGUE. Tales of Terror: Bed bugs in New York City

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Book SynopsisHow did rodent outbreaks in Germany help to end World War I? What caused the destructive outbreak of rodents in Oregon and California in the late 1950s, the large population outbreak of lemmings in Scandinavia in 2010, and the great abundance of field mice in Scotland in the spring of 2011? This title deals with these questions.Trade Review"This volume thoroughly reviews hypotheses proposed to explain rodent population cycles, critically evaluates empirical evidence for or against each hypothesis, and proposes critical studies that could potentially resolve this ecological enigma. This is an outstanding piece of work by one of the best ecologists in the world." (Madan Oli, University of Florida)"

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Book SynopsisA study of research carried out on foraging behaviour among African baboons and its consequences for survival and reproduction. Detailed data is provided on the feeding habits of each baboon, with an analysis of its nutrient intake. These figures are then compared with those in optimum diets.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments 1: Introduction 2: Eclectic Omnivory 3: Methods 4: Dietary Diversity 5: Adequate and Optimal Diets 6: Real versus Ideal Diets 7: Individual Differences and Age Changes 8: From Food to Fitness 9: Why Be Choosy? 10: How to Be an Eclectic Omnivore App. 1: Primate Nutrient Requirements and Toxin Limits App. 2: Alternative Definitions of Feeding Bouts App. 3: Survival Analysis of Bout Lengths App. 4: Observational Censoring of Feeding Bouts App. 5: Composition of Foods App. 6: Maximizing Rates, Michael A. Altmann App. 7: Procedure for Maximizing Rates App. 8: Seasonal Adjustments App. 9: Estimation of Individual Milk Intakes App. 10: Calculating Intakes of Individuals at Specified Ages Tables Notes Literature Cited Index Abbreviations for the Fifty-two Core Foods

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Book SynopsisA study of research carried out on foraging behaviour among African baboons and its consequences for survival and reproduction. Detailed data is provided on the feeding habits of each baboon, with an analysis of its nutrient intake. These figures are then compared with those in optimum diets.

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Book SynopsisDrawing on data from their 16-year study of red-winged blackbirds in the marshes of Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, the authors of this text analyze the information redwings use to make breeding-season decisions and the consequences these decisions have for lifetime reproductive success.

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Book SynopsisMaps the 169 fish families that swim in fresh water around the world. This book includes the class, subclass, and order; a pronunciation guide to the family name; life cycle information; and various natural history facts. It acts as a reference for students, a research support for professors, and a guide for tropical fish hobbyists and anglers.

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Book SynopsisExamines the theory and methods of quantitative genetics and presents case studies that illustrate the many ways in which the methods can be applied. The author brings together current theoretical and empirical studies to show how quantitative genetics can illuminate diverse topics.Table of ContentsContents Preface Introduction 1 Outlining the Issues, Christine R. B. Boake Quantitative Genetic Theory in Relation to Behavioral Evolution 2 Multivariate Inheritance and Evolution: A Review of Concepts, Stevan J. Arnold 3 Optimality Modeling and Quantitative Genetics: A Comparison of the Two Approaches, Derek A. Roff 4 Quantitative Genetics and the Role of the Environment Provided by Relatives in Behavioral Evolution, James M. Cheverud and Allen J. Moore 5 Quantitative Genetic Models of the Evolution of Mating Behavior, I. Lorraine Heisler 6 Genetic and Nongenetic Approaches to Questions about Sexual Selection, Linda Partridge Applications of Quantitative Genetics to Studies of Behavioral Evolution in Natural Populations 7 Genetic Analyses of Animal Migration, Hugh Dingle 8 Size-Dependent Behavioral Variation and Its Genetic Control within and among Populations, Joseph Travis 9 Genetic Analysis of Territoriality in _Drosophila melanogaster_, Ary A. Hoffman 10 Genetic Analysis of Cannibalism Behavior in _Tribolium_ Flour Beetles, Lori Stevens 11 The Heritability of Mate-Attractive Traits: A Case Study on Field Crickets, Ann V. Hedrick 12 Quantitative Genetics of Locomotor Behavior and Physiology in a Garter Snake, Theodore Garland, Jr. 13 Evolutionary Inferences from Genetic Analyses of Cold Adaptation in Laboratory and Wild Populations of the House Mouse, Carol Becker Lynch Conclusions 14 Evaluation of Applications of the Theory and Methods of Quantitative Genetics to Behavioral Evolution, Christine R. B. Boake

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Book SynopsisExamines the theory and methods of quantitative genetics and presents case studies that illustrate the many ways in which the methods can be applied. The author brings together current theoretical and empirical studies to show how quantitative genetics can illuminate diverse topics.

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Book SynopsisThis study of group travel examines the social, cognitive and ecological processes that underlie patterns and strategies of group travel. It uses field studies of a wide range of human and non-human primate groups as well as hyenas, birds, dolphins and bees.

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Book SynopsisA unique interdisciplinary overview of the way mammals reproduce, this volume synthesizes research done by laboratory physiologists, behaviorists, population ecologists, and animal breeders. F. H. Bronson has drawn together the disparate literature in these areas to provide students and researchers with a comprehensive and biologically integrated approach to the study of mammalian reproduction. Each chapter presents a wealth of issues and questions, summarizing the current consensus on interpretations as well as viable alternatives under debate. The book is principally concerned with how environmental factors regulate reproduction. Bronson proposes that a mammal's reproductive performance routinely reflects simultaneous regulation by several environmental factors that interact in fascinatingly complex ways. Environment is defined broadly, and the chapters give equal weight to ecological and physiological factors when considering how variables such as food availability, ambient temperat

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Book SynopsisBased on a 12-year study of a population of cliff swallows in America, this book analyzes the costs and benefits of coloniality. The authors explore how these costs and benefits are reflected in reproductive success and survivorship, and speculate on the evolution of cliff swallow coloniality.Table of ContentsPreface 1: Introduction 2: Field Methods and Data Analysis 3: Study Site and Study Population 4: Ectoparasitism 5: Competition for Nest Sites 6: Misdirected Parental Care: Extrapair Copulation, Brood Paratisism, and Mixing of Offspring 7: Shortage of Suitable Nesting Sites 8: Avoidance of Predators 9: Social Foraging 1: Natural History, Food Distribution, and Mechanisms of Information Transfer 10: Social Foraging 2: Effects of Colony Size 11: Reproductive Success 12: Survivorship 13: Colony Choice 14: The Evolution of Coloniality Appendix References Index

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Book SynopsisBased on a 12-year study of a population of cliff swallows in America, this book analyzes the costs and benefits of coloniality. The authors explore how these costs and benefits are reflected in reproductive success and survivorship, and speculate on the evolution of cliff swallow coloniality.

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Book SynopsisPronghorn antelope are the fastest runners in North America, reaching speeds of 100 kilometers per hour, yet none of their current predators can run so fast. This text argues that pronghorn shared their grassland home for nearly four million years with other, more dangerous predators.Table of ContentsPreface Ch. 1: Survivors from Another World Ch. 2: Methods and Materials Ch. 3: The Selfish Herd: Modal Social Organization Ch. 4: Birth and the Hiding Strategy Ch. 5: Behavioral Development Ch. 6: Lifetime Dominance Ranks of Females and Males Ch. 7: Female Reproduction: The Level of Expenditure Ch. 8: Female Reproduction: Age, Rank, and Individual Differences Ch. 9: Male Reproduction: A Short, Dangerous Life Ch. 10: The Mating System: Conflict and Cooperation between the Sexes Ch. 11: The Ghosts of Predators Past App. 1: Ungulate Populations on the National Bison Range App. 2: The National Bison Range Pronghorn Population App. 3: A Partial List of Native Flowering Grassland Plants Found in Pronghorn Habitat on the National Bison Range App. 4: Dates of Birth and Death, Focal Hours of Observation, and the Nature of Early Social Experience of Individual Males and Females That Were Followed Longitudinally App. 5: Measurement of Male Size App. 6: Measurement of Rut Activity Costs of Females References AuthorIndex Subject Index

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Book SynopsisCheney and Seyfarth enter the minds of vervet monkeys and other primates to explore the nature of primate intelligence and the evolution of cognition.

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Book SynopsisMammalian Dispersal Patterns examines the ways that social structure affects population genetics and, in turn, rates of evolution, in mammalian groups. It brings together fieldwork in animal behavior and wildlife biology with theoretical work in demography and population genetics. The focus here is dispersalwhether, how, and when individuals leave the areas where they are born. Theoretical work in population genetics indicates that such social factors as skewed sex ratios, restrictive mating patterns, and delayed age of first reproduction will lower the reproductive variability of a population by reducing the number of genotypes passed from one generation to the next. Field studies have shown that many mammalian species do exhibit many such social characteristics. Among horses, elephant seals, and a number of primates, the majority of females are inseminated by only a fraction of the males. In pacts of wolves and mongooses, usually only the highest-ranking male and female breed in a gi

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Book SynopsisThe natural world is filled with diverse - not to mention quirky and odd - animal behaviors. This title examines the bizarre conduct of animals as they mate, parent, feed, defend themselves, and communicate. It points out that diverse and unrelated animals often share seemingly bizarre behaviors.Trade Review"A marvelous introduction to the whys and wherefores of animal behavior." - Booklist "With Crump's thirty-plus years of experience in the field, this beautifully written and charmingly illustrated book combines acute observation with helpful explanation. Nature has never seemed so bizarre and splendid." - Adrian Barnett, New Scientist"

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Book Synopsis

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