This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
I Twenty-five years ago, at the Conference on the Comparative Reception of Darwinism held at the University of Texas in 1972, only two countries of the Iberian world-Spain and Mexico-were represented.' At the time, it was apparent that the topic had attracted interest only as regarded the "mainstream" science countries of Western Europe, plus the United States. The Eurocentric bias of professional history of science was a fact. The sea change that subsequently occurred in the historiography of science makes 1972 appear something like the antediluvian era. Still, we would like to think that that meeting was prescient in looking beyond the mainstream science countries-as then perceived-in order to test the variation that ideas undergo as they pass from center to periphery. One thing that the comparative study of the reception of ideas makes abundantly clear, however, is the weakness of the center/periphery dichotomy from the perspective of the diffusion of scientific ideas. Catholics in mainstream countries, for example, did not handle evolution much better than did their corre1igionaries on the fringes. Conversely, Darwinians in Latin America were frequently better placed to advance Darwin's ideas in a social and political sense than were their fellow evolutionists on the Continent. The Texas meeting was also a marker in the comparative reception of scientific ideas, Darwinism aside. Although, by 1972, scientific institutions had been studied comparatively, there was no antecedent for the comparative history of scientific ideas.
First published in 1992, this guide has been significantly expanded in a new 3rd edition. The popular, user-friendly field guide, covering all major groups of marine invertebrates encountered by divers on coral reefs and adjacent habitats, has grown to include 900 species beautifully documented with more than 1200 underwater photographs -- nearly doubling the total in the previous editions. Les Wilk has joined Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach authoring the comprehensive new edition.
Detecting Ecological Impacts: Concepts and Applications in Coastal Habitats focuses on crucial aspects of detecting local and regional impacts that result from human activities. Detection and characterization of ecological impacts require scientific approaches that can reliably separate the effects of a specific anthropogenic activity from those of other processes. This fundamental goal is both technically and operationally challenging. Detecting Ecological Impacts is devoted to the conceptual and technical underpinnings that allow for reliable estimates of ecological effects caused by human activities. An international team of scientists focuses on the development and application of scientific tools appropriate for estimating the magnitude and spatial extent of ecological impacts. The contributors also evaluate our current ability to forecast impacts. Some of the scientific, legal, and administrative constraints that impede these critical tasks also are highlighted. Coastal marine habitats are emphasized, but the lessons and insights have general application to all ecological systems.
This new text sets out to establish the key role played by systematics in deciphering patterns of evolution from the fossil record. It begins by considering the nature of the species in the fossil record and then outlines recent advances in the methodology used to establish phylogenetics relationships, stressing why fossil evidence can be crucial. The way species are grouped into higher taxa, and how this affects their utility in evolutionary studies is also discussed. Because the fossil record abounds with sampling and preservational biases, the book emphasizes that observed patterns can rarely be taken at face value. It is argued that evolutionary trees, constructed from combining phylogenetic and biostratigraphic data, provide the best approach for investigating patterns of evolution through geologic time. The only integrated text covering the study of evolutionary patterns from a phylogenetic stance.
Part 1 of The Butterflies of Venezuela was a pioneering work of its kind for South America, being the first authoritative volume in a comprehensive faunistic identification series. The series will prove invaluable to all who wish to learn about the remarkable and diverse butterfly fauna of this country and continent. Approximately 1000 species of adult Nympbalidae, Papilionidae, and Pieridae will be treated in the four-part series, equivalent to over one-third of the total Neotropical species in these families. Drawing on over 20 years of personal research in the field, in collections, and in libraries, the detailed accounts for each species encapsulate all that is known about their identification, distribution, behaviour, habitat, and foodplants. The text, which has been written to appeal to specialists and amateurs alike, has been collated from a wealth of published and unpublished sources. It includes extensive commentary on the systematics and nomenclature employed, and provides detailed notes designed to permit the easy identification of every Venezuelan butterfly. General notes on early stages are provided in the introduction to each genus, and where available those of one representative species are fully described. Readers also benefit from the inclusion of an extensive bibliography, which in Part 2 alone comprises almost 800 works fully referenced in the text. Unlike many other guides, the photographic colour plates illustrate every subspecies, generally showing both sexes and wing surfaces for each, plus several representative specimens for highly variable taxa. In addition, a large number of type specimens are reproduced, many of them for the first time. Part 1 cover 276 species including 2 new species and 23 new subspecies. Part 2 treats 196 species incl. 355 subspecies and the colour plates figures over 450 type specimens. 8 new species and 95 new spubspecies are described. 4 neotypes and 10 lectopypes are designated. Part 3 is projected to treat the Papilionidae, Brassolinae, Danainae, and first part of Satyrinae (Pronophilina and Erebiina). Part 4 will cover the family Pieridae and the remaining Satyrinae and Heliconiinae.
