This text provides a concise introduction to the field of animalbiology. Readers discover general principles of evolution, ecology, animal bodyplans, and classification and systematics. After these introductory chapters,readers delve into the biology of all groups of animals. The basic features ofeach group are discussed, along with evolutionary relationships among groupmembers. Chapter highlights include newly discovered features of animals asthey relate to ecology, conservation biology, and value to human society.Regular updates to the phylogenies within the book keep it current.
This book has been written with two main purposes in mind, page. At the same time animals show immense variation the first being to give a general review of the entire animal and none is truly typical. Some idea of the immense variety kingdom, and the second to give more detailed functional of animals is given in the diversity sections, with a synopsis accounts of the anatomy of a representative of each major of the classification of each major phylum. animal group. It is intended to be used by those who are Zoology has a language of its own, which appears highly interested in animals and does not start with the assumption complicated but in most cases can, in fact, be derived simply of any great zoological knowledge. It is hoped that it will from either Latin or Greek. Translations and derivations prove particularly helpful to those studying biology or have been given of a selection of zoological terms; these zoology at 'A' level, or in the early stages of a university should be regarded as examples. The interested zoologist course. may find the use of a Greek and Latin dictionary rewarding.
This book offers a comprehensive study of species- and genus-level diversity and chorology of the global freshwater fauna to date. It gives a state of the art assessment of the diversity and distribution of Metazoa in the continental waters of the world.
A top choice among students and instructors alike, Animal Diversity continues to earn the appreciation of both science majors and non-majors alike. The book uses the theme of evolution to develop a broad-scale view of animal diversity—students focus not only the organisms themselves, but also the processes that produce evolutionary diversity. The book is unique in its comprehensive survey of zoological diversity and its emphasis on evolutionary, systematic and ecological principles, all in one package.
In the life sciences, there is wide-ranging debate about biodiversity. While nearly everyone is in favor of biodiversity and its conservation, methods for its assessment vary enormously. So what exactly is biodiversity? Most theoretical work on the subject assumes it has something to do with species richness—with the number of species in a particular region—but in reality, it is much more than that. Arguing that we cannot make rational decisions about what it is to be protected without knowing what biodiversity is, James Maclaurin and Kim Sterelny offer in What Is Biodiversity? a theoretical and conceptual exploration of the biological world and how diversity is valued. Here, Maclaurin and Sterelny explore not only the origins of the concept of biodiversity, but also how that concept has been shaped by ecology and more recently by conservation biology. They explain the different types of biodiversity important in evolutionary theory, developmental biology, ecology, morphology and taxonomy and conclude that biological heritage is rich in not just one biodiversity but many. Maclaurin and Sterelny also explore the case for the conservation of these biodiversities using option value theory, a tool borrowed from economics. An erudite, provocative, timely, and creative attempt to answer a fundamental question, What Is Biodiversity? will become a foundational text in the life sciences and studies thereof.
This study, first published in 1942, helped to revolutionize evolutionary biology by offering a new approach to taxonomic principles, and correlating the ideas and findings of modern systematics with those of other life disciplines. This book is one of the foundational documents of the Evolutionary Synthesis. It is the book in which Ernst Mayr pioneered his concept of species based chiefly on such biological factors as interbreeding and reproductive isolation, taking into account ecology, geography and life history. In the introduction to this edition, Mayr reflects on the place of this work in the subsequent history of his field.
This volume investigates the contemporary fauna that inhabit the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin. Divided into 15 chapters, it addresses and describes their diversity, taxonomic and biogeogaphic affinities, and ecological characteristics. The Cuatro Ciénegas Valley is a unique oasis in the south-central region of the State of Coahuila, part of the Sonoran Desert, in Mexico. Several clues, specially derived from the study of the microbiota, suggest a very ancient origin of the valley and its permanence through time. This condition had promoted a high level of endemism and led to unique interactions between the resident species.
Global Biodiversity is the most comprehensive compendium of conservation information ever published. It provides the first systematic report on the status, distribution, management, and utilisation of the planet's biological wealth.
To some potential readers of this book the description of Biological System atics as an art may seem outdated and frankly wrong. For most people art is subjective and unconstrained by universal laws. While one picture, play or poem may be internally consistent comparison between different art products is meaningless except by way of the individual artists. On the other hand modern Biological Systematics - particularly phenetics and cladistics - is offered as objective and ultimately governed by universal laws. This implies that classifications of different groups of organisms, being the products of systematics, should be comparable irrespective of authorship. Throughout this book Minelli justifies his title by developing the theme that biological classifications are, in fact, very unequal in their expressions of the pattern and processes of the natural world. Specialists are imbibed with their own groups and tend to establish a consensus of what constitutes a species or a genus, or whether it should be desirable to recognize sub species, cultivars etc. Ornithologists freely recognize subspecies and rarely do bird genera contain more than 10 species. On the other hand some coleopterists and botanists work with genera with over 1500 species. This asymmetry may reflect a biological reality; it may express a working practicality, or simply an historical artefact (older erected genera often contain more species). Rarely are these phenomena questioned.
In this Special Issue, we address the state of the art of the systematics of the main annelid groups and the improvements in the diversity they hold, with special emphasis on the latest discoveries in well-studied areas, expeditions to unsurveyed areas or environments, or the use of novel techniques that allow for the improvement of biodiversity knowledge. We are hoping that this Special Issue will provide a platform facilitating a review of current knowledge on the subject, identifying current research problems, as well as indicating directions and research trends for the future.
