The Ecology of Reproduction in Wild and Domestic Mammals

The Ecology of Reproduction in Wild and Domestic Mammals

Author: R.M. Sadler

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 318

ISBN-13: 9401165270

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49 about six months ... to well over a year. If there is only one part of the year that is favourable, such as spring and early summer in the temperate climates, then each species must make an evolutionary choice, so to speak, as to which parts of the reproductive cycle - conception, gestation, lactation or weanin- must be protected and which can come in less favourable times of the year. The rhesus and langur monkeys of northern India give birth during the time of year when temperatures are hottest and wells and tanks are often dry. However, gestation and the later months oflactation come during the monsoon season when food and water are abundant. In contrast the east African baboons give birth at the beginning of the small rains, and gestation and the late part of lactation occur during the six months dry season. Whether any pattern of relationship will be found to hold true for other species of primates is still not clear. It may be that a wide variety of patterns have evolved depending on the lengths of gestation and lactation and the particular ecological complex in which each species or even subspecies lives' (pages 503, 504).


Carnivore Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution

Carnivore Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution

Author: John L. Gittleman

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-03-09

Total Pages: 632

ISBN-13: 1475747160

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Carnivores have always fascinated us, even though they make up only 10% of all mammalian genera and only about 2% of all mammalian biomass. In Greek mythology most of the gods adorned their robes and helmets with depictions of carnivores, and the great hero Hercules' most famous feat was killing the "invulnerable" lion with his bare hands. Part· of our fascination with carnivores stems from fright and intrigue, and sometimes even hatred because of our direct competition with them. Cases of "man-eating" lions, bears, and wolves, as well as carnivores' reputation as killers of livestock and game, provoke communities and governrpents to adopt sweeping policies to exterminate them. Even President Theodore Roosevelt, proclaimer of a new wildlife protectionism, described the wolf as "the beast of waste and desolation. " The sheer presence and power of carnivores is daunt ing: they can move quickly yet silently through forests, attaining rapid bursts of speed when necessary; their massive muscles are aligned to deliver powerful attacks, their large canines and strong jaws rip open carcasses, and their scis sor-like carnassials slice meat. Partly because of our fear of these attributes, trophy hunting of carnivores has been, and to a certain extent still is, a sign of bravery and skill. Among some Alaskan Inuit, for example, a man is not eligible for marriage until he has killed a succession of animals of increasing size and dangerousness, culminating with the most menacing, the polar bear.


Mammalian Reproductive Biology

Mammalian Reproductive Biology

Author: F. H. Bronson

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 1989

Total Pages: 340

ISBN-13: 9780226075594

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A 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 temperature, photoperiod, and social cues interact to regulate a mammal's reproduction. Particular attention is given to seasonal breeding, and a taxonomically arranged chapter underscores the importance of comparative and evolutionary biology to an understanding of mammalian reproduction. Mammalian Reproductive Biology is a powerful argument for the value and importance of interdisciplinary approaches to research. Its almost 1,500 references constitute the most comprehensive bibliography to date on this topic. Bronson also gives detailed consideration to promising areas for future research. Well organized, carefully planned, and clearly written, this book will become standard reading for scientists concerned with any aspect of mammalian biology.


In the Light of Evolution

In the Light of Evolution

Author: National Academy of Sciences

Publisher:

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 388

ISBN-13:

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The Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia of the National Academy of Sciences address scientific topics of broad and current interest, cutting across the boundaries of traditional disciplines. Each year, four or five such colloquia are scheduled, typically two days in length and international in scope. Colloquia are organized by a member of the Academy, often with the assistance of an organizing committee, and feature presentations by leading scientists in the field and discussions with a hundred or more researchers with an interest in the topic. Colloquia presentations are recorded and posted on the National Academy of Sciences Sackler colloquia website and published on CD-ROM. These Colloquia are made possible by a generous gift from Mrs. Jill Sackler, in memory of her husband, Arthur M. Sackler.


Reproductive Sciences in Animal Conservation

Reproductive Sciences in Animal Conservation

Author: Pierre Comizzoli

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2019-08-30

Total Pages: 558

ISBN-13: 3030236331

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This second edition emphasizes the environmental impact on reproduction, with updated chapters throughout as well as complete new chapters on species such as sharks and rays. This is a wide-ranging book that will be of relevance to anyone involved in species conservation, and provides critical perspectives on the real utility of current and emerging reproductive sciences. Understanding reproductive biology is centrally important to the way many of the world’s conservation problems should be tackled. Currently the extinction problem is huge, with up to 30% of the world’s fauna being expected to disappear in the next 50 years. Nevertheless, it has been estimated that the global population of animals in zoos encompasses 12,000 – 15,000 species, and we anticipate that every effort will be made to preserve these species for as long as possible, minimizing inbreeding effects and providing the best welfare standards available. Even if the reproductive biology community cannot solve the global biodiversity crisis for all wild species, we should do our best to maintain important captive populations. Reproductive biology in this context is much more than the development of techniques for helping with too little or too much breeding. While some of the relevant techniques are useful for individual species that society might target for a variety of reasons, whether nationalistic, cultural or practical, technical developments have to be backed up by thorough biological understanding of the background behind the problems.


Reproduction in Mammals

Reproduction in Mammals

Author: Virginia Hayssen

Publisher: JHU Press

Published: 2017-10-27

Total Pages: 369

ISBN-13: 1421423154

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"Newborn mammals can weigh as little as a dime or as much as a motorcycle. Some receive milk for only a few days, whereas others nurse for years. Humans typically have only one baby at a time following nine months of pregnancy, but other mammals have 20 or more young after only a few weeks in utero. What causes this incredible reproductive diversity? Reproduction in Mammals is a fascinating examination of the diverse reproductive strategies of a broad spectrum of mammals and the ways in which natural selection has influenced that diversity. While accounts of reproduction in individual taxa abound, this unique book's comprehensive coverage gathers stories from many taxa into a single, cohesive perspective that centers on the reproductive lives of females. The authors shed light on intriguing questions such as: Do bigger moms have bigger babies? Do primates have longer pregnancies than other groups? Do aquatic animals have particular patterns? Do carnivores like lions often produce larger litters than prey species? The book opens with the authors' definition of what constitutes a female perspective and an examination of the evolution of reproduction in mammals. It then outlines the individual female: her genetics, anatomy, and physiology. From this nuanced basis, the text progresses to mirror the female reproductive cycle and includes her interactions with males and offspring. The final section contextualizes the reproductive cycle within the rest of the world--both abiotic and biotic environments. To close, the authors include dedicated chapters on human concerns: conservation and women as mammals. Readers will come away from this thought-provoking book with an understanding not only of how reproduction fits into the lives of female mammals but also of how biology has affected the enormously diverse reproductive patterns of the phenotypes we observe today."-- Provided by publisher.


Reproductive Biology of Bats

Reproductive Biology of Bats

Author: Elizabeth G. Crichton

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2000-06-12

Total Pages: 523

ISBN-13: 0080540538

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The Reproductive Biology of Bats presents the first comprehensive, in-depth review of the current knowledge and supporting literature concerning the behavior, anatomy, physiology and reproductive strategies of bats. These mammals, which occur world-wide and comprise a vast assemblage of species, have evolved unique and successful reproductive strategies through varied anatomical and physiological specialization. These are accompanied by individual and/or group behavioral interactions, usually in response to environmental mechanisms essential to their reproductive success. - Is the first book devoted to the reproductive biology of bats - Contains in-depth reviews of the literature concerned with bat reproduction - Contributors are widely recognized specialists - Provides a powerful database for future research


Workforce Needs in Veterinary Medicine

Workforce Needs in Veterinary Medicine

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2013-11-17

Total Pages: 322

ISBN-13: 0309257441

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The U.S. veterinary medical profession contributes to society in diverse ways, from developing drugs and protecting the food supply to treating companion animals and investigating animal diseases in the wild. In a study of the issues related to the veterinary medical workforce, including demographics, workforce supply, trends affecting job availability, and capacity of the educational system to fill future demands, a National Research Council committee found that the profession faces important challenges in maintaining the economic sustainability of veterinary practice and education, building its scholarly foundations, and evolving veterinary service to meet changing societal needs. Many concerns about the profession came into focus following the outbreak of West Nile fever in 1999, and the subsequent outbreaks of SARS, monkeypox, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, highly pathogenic avian influenza, H1N1 influenza, and a variety of food safety and environmental issues heightened public concerns. They also raised further questions about the directions of veterinary medicine and the capacity of public health service the profession provides both in the United States and abroad. To address some of the problems facing the veterinary profession, greater public and private support for education and research in veterinary medicine is needed. The public, policymakers, and even medical professionals are frequently unaware of how veterinary medicine fundamentally supports both animal and human health and well-being. This report seeks to broaden the public's understanding and attempts to anticipate some of the needs and measures that are essential for the profession to fulfill given its changing roles in the 21st century.


Creative Conservation

Creative Conservation

Author: P.J. Olney

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 560

ISBN-13: 9401107211

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Past progress and future challenges R.J. Wheater Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK. In the past two decades much has been achieved in the sphere of breeding endangered species, and we should be pleased that our co operative efforts have already borne so much fruit. However, on balance and despite the best efforts of conservationists, the position of wildlife in the wild places where they are best conserved has become worse, often dramatically worse. Before returning to the United Kingdom in 1972, I was in Uganda for 16 years, most of which time was spent as Chief Warden of Murchison Falls National Park. Our main problem was that an over-population of large mammals was having a devastating impact on the habitat. Devas tation was being wrought on woodland areas by the arrival of large numbers of elephants into the sanctuary of the Park, following changes in land use in the areas outside the Park. These changes were in response to the requirements of an ever-expanding human population.


Mammalian Sexuality

Mammalian Sexuality

Author: Alan F. Dixson

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2021-06-03

Total Pages: 405

ISBN-13: 1108426182

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The first detailed account of post-copulatory sexual selection and the evolution of reproduction in mammals.