Ecology and Classification of North American Freshwater Invertebrates
Ecology and Classification of North American Freshwater Invertebrates

Author: James H. Thorp

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 1036

ISBN-13: 0123748550

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"The third edition of Ecology and Classification of North American Freshwater Invertebrates continues the tradition of in-depth coverage of the biology, ecology, phylogeny, and identification of freshwater invertebrates from the USA and Canada. This text serves as an authoritative single source for a broad coverage of the anatomy, physiology, ecology, and phylogeny of all major groups of invertebrates in inland waters of North America, north of Mexico." --Book Jacket.

Water Bears: The Biology of Tardigrades
Water Bears: The Biology of Tardigrades

Author: Ralph O. Schill

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2019-02-14

Total Pages: 418

ISBN-13: 3319957023

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Offering extensive information on tardigrades, this volume begins with a chapter on the history of tardigrades, from the first description by Goeze in 1773, until 1929, when the most comprehensive monographic approach by E. Marcus was published. Tardigrades’ organ systems, including their integument, body cavity, digestive, muscular, nervous and reproductive systems, as well as their overall external morphology, are summarized in the second chapter. Subsequent chapters present the current state of knowledge on tardigrade phylogeny, biogeography, paleontology, cytology and cytogenetics. In addition, the book provides insights into the ecology of tardigrades in marine, freshwater and terrestrial habitats. The reproduction, development and life cycles are summarized and the extraordinary environmental adaptations of encystment and cyclomorphosis, desiccation tolerance, freezing tolerance and radiation tolerance are discussed in detail. Further chapters provide an overview of key approaches in molecular tardigrade studies and describe techniques for sampling and sample processing. The book closes with a list of tardigrade taxa up to a sub-generic level, including the type species of each genus, the numbers of lower taxa in each taxon, and the main environments in which the taxa were found. Given its depth of coverage, the volume offers an invaluable resource for scientists from various disciplines who plan to research tardigrades, and for all others who are interested in these fascinating animals.

Spider Research in the 21st Century
Spider Research in the 21st Century

Author: David Penney

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 322

ISBN-13: 0957453019

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The result is a great increase in multi-disciplinary research and novel avenues incorporating spiders as model organisms.

Systematics, Morphology and Ecology of Rails (Aves: Rallidae) of the Mascarene Islands, with One New Species
Systematics, Morphology and Ecology of Rails (Aves: Rallidae) of the Mascarene Islands, with One New Species

Author: author 1

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 107

ISBN-13: 9781776706990

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"Abstract: Five species in five genera of extinct endemic rails have been described from the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius, Réunion and Rodrigues: the Mauritian Red Rail or Poule Rouge Aphanapteryx bonasia; Mascarene Coot or Poule d'eau Fulica newtonii; which occurred on Mauritius and Réunion; Réunion Wood Rail Dryolimnas augusti; Réunion Gallinule or Oiseaux bleu 'Porphyrio caerulescens'; and Rodrigues or Leguat's Rail Erythromachus leguati. All are known from fossil remains and/or from contemporary accounts and illustrations. A sixth species of rail Dryolimnas sp. nov. is described herein from fossils from Mauritius, but was not unequivocally previously reported in the contemporary literature. This paper provides an analysis of the Rallidae of the Mascarene Islands based on existing and newly discovered fossil remains, and details historical reports and accounts. Comprehensive osteological descriptions and synonymies are also included. Their ecology and extinction chronologies are interpreted from historical evidence. The relationships of Aphanapteryx and Erythromachus are unresolved, having clearly been isolated for a considerable time; the middle Miocene is the earliest their ancestors could have arrived on the Mascarenes, but this may have happened more recently. Mascarene derivatives of Fulica, Porphyrio and Dryolimnas are of much more recent origin, and appear to have originated in Africa or Madagascar. All terrestrial rails on Mauritius, Réunion and Rodrigues, were probable victims of cat predation following their historic introduction to the islands, whereas over-hunting by humans was probably the primary cause of extinction of 'Porphyrio caerulescens' on Réunion. The only extant rail on the Mascarenes today, the Madagascar race of Eurasian Moorhen Gallinula chloropus pyrrhorrhoa, is a recent arrival, having colonised Mauritius and Réunion after the extinction of Fulica newtonii. Keywords: Aves, Mascarene rails, Rallidae, Aphanapteryx, Erythromachus, Dryolimnas, Porphyrio, Gallinula, Leguatia, extinction, affinities, ecology, sexual dimorphism"--Page 3.

The New Panorama of Animal Evolution
The New Panorama of Animal Evolution

Author: Anastasios Legakis

Publisher: Pensoft Pub

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 738

ISBN-13: 9789546421647

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This manual is aimed to introduce civil engineering students into the various fields of Transportation Engineering. Based on a sound theoretical and practical experience, gained with various road and bridge projects, in road laboratories or in significant research centers from this country and abroad, the author intends through this course, to familiarize the student with the basic concepts, criteria and technical recommendations related with the highway, railway, airfield and bridge engineering. In order to cover a minimum necessary curriculum, correlated with the relative reduced number of hours allocated for this course, the main subjects are concentrated on ten independent lectures, dedicated to the general aspects of transport engineering activities, treating the criteria for route location and survey, route geometric design in horizontal and vertical alignment, the design and construction of earthworks, principles for the design and construction of railways, airports, roads and bridges.