The New Natural History of Madagascar

The New Natural History of Madagascar

Author: Steven M. Goodman

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2022-11-15

Total Pages: 2297

ISBN-13: 0691229406

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A marvelously illustrated reference to the natural wonders of one of the most spectacular places on earth Separated from Africa’s mainland for tens of millions of years, Madagascar has evolved a breathtaking wealth of biodiversity, becoming home to thousands of species found nowhere else on the planet. The New Natural History of Madagascar provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date synthesis available of this island nation’s priceless biological treasures. Now fully revised and expanded, this beautifully illustrated compendium features contributions by more than 600 globally renowned experts who cover the history of scientific exploration in Madagascar, as well as the island’s geology and soils, climate, forest ecology, human ecology, marine and coastal ecosystems, plants, invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. This invaluable two-volume reference also includes detailed discussions of conservation efforts in Madagascar that showcase several successful protected area programs that can serve as models for threatened ecosystems throughout the world. Provides the most comprehensive overview of Madagascar’s rich natural history Coedited by 18 different specialists Features hundreds of new contributions by world-class experts Includes hundreds of new illustrations Covers a broad array of topics, from geology and climate to animals, plants, and marine life Sheds light on newly discovered species and draws on the latest science An essential resource for anyone interested in Madagascar or tropical ecosystems in general, from biologists and conservationists to ecotourists and armchair naturalists


Zoogeography of Arachnida

Zoogeography of Arachnida

Author: Petar Beron

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-07-27

Total Pages: 995

ISBN-13: 3319744186

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This volume merges all geographical and paleogeographical data on all groups of the arachnofauna. The book features topics such as the ecological factors, climate and other barriers that influence the distribution of arachnida. It also elaborates on the characteristics of the distribution such as arachnida at high altitude (e.g. Himalaya), in caves, in polar regions and highlights differences between the arachnofauna of e.g. Mediterranean regions vs Central Europe, West African vs Indomalayan and more. Furthermore, amongst other topics the volume also includes chapters on the systems of arachnida, fossil orders, dispersal and dispersion, endemics and relicts, regional arachnogeography, cave and high altitude arachnida.


Lepidopterorum Catalogus

Lepidopterorum Catalogus

Author: Poole

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 1989-01-01

Total Pages: 326

ISBN-13: 9780916846459

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The noctuidae of the world, a family with numerous important agricultural pests, comprises about a third of the entire order Lepidoptera. This new three-volume set is the first complete catalog for the world. About 38,000 named species (including known synonyms) are listed alphabetically under each genus name in over 1,000 pages of text. Genera area also listed alphabetically, but subfamily affiliations are noted for each of the valid names to enable users to segregate genera by subfamily. Valid names are noted in boldface. Synonyms are listed for each genus and species; the species synonyms are also listed alphabetically among the valid names, thus enabling users to make two kinds of searches in the text as well as in the index. The catalog provides citation data on all described names (other than infraspecific names), with references cited in the compete bibliography at the end. Reference is also made to more important papers on the biology, larvae, host plants, and illustrations for each species, again with full titles noted in the bibliography. The main host plants for each species, where known, are listed under each. Details of holotypes, where known, are also noted. The bibliography has entries for approximately 4,400 papers.


Coleoptera, Beetles. Morphology and Systematics

Coleoptera, Beetles. Morphology and Systematics

Author: Rolf G. Beutel

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2016-03-21

Total Pages: 704

ISBN-13: 3110373920

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This book is a revised edition of the first of three volumes in the Handbook of Zoology series which treats the systematics and biology of Coleoptera. With over 380,000 described species, Coleoptera are by far the most species-rich order of insects and the largest group of animals of comparable geological age. Moreover, numerous species are tremendously important economically. The beetle volumes meet the demand of modern biologists seeking to answer questions about Coleoptera phylogeny, evolution, and ecology. This first Coleoptera volume covers the suborders Archostemata, Myxophaga and Adephaga, and the basal series of Polyphaga, with information on world distribution, biology, morphology of all life stages, phylogeny and comments on taxonomy.


Studies on Malacostraca: Lipke Bijdeley Holthuis Memorial Volume

Studies on Malacostraca: Lipke Bijdeley Holthuis Memorial Volume

Author: Charles Fransen

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2011-01-07

Total Pages: 766

ISBN-13: 9047427750

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This volume is devoted to the memory of the Dutch carcinologist Lipke Bijdeley Holthuis (1921-2008) who dedicated his life to the taxonomy and systematics of Crustacea. His scientific career started in 1941 with his first publications and continued for 68 years in which he produced over 600 titles totalling almost 13000 pages describing more than 400 taxa new to science. In this volume his friends and colleagues pay tribute to his legacy. Included are an extensive biography and over 50 papers mainly dealing with systematic and taxonomic issues, which emanate from his knowledge and inspiration.


Reconstructing Behavior in the Primate Fossil Record

Reconstructing Behavior in the Primate Fossil Record

Author: J. Michael Plavcan

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 444

ISBN-13: 146151343X

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This volume brings together a series of papers that address the topic of reconstructing behavior in the primate fossil record. The literature devoted to reconstructing behavior in extinct species is ovelWhelming and very diverse. Sometimes, it seems as though behavioral reconstruction is done as an afterthought in the discussion section of papers, relegated to the status of informed speculation. But recent years have seen an explosion in studies of adaptation, functional anatomy, comparative sociobiology, and development. Powerful new comparative methods are now available on the internet. At the same time, we face a rapidly growing fossil record that offers more and more information on the morphology and paleoenvironments of extinct species. Consequently, inferences of behavior in extinct species have become better grounded in comparative studies of living species and are becoming increas ingly rigorous. We offer here a series of papers that review broad issues related to reconstructing various aspects of behavior from very different types of evi dence. We hope that in so doing, the reader will gain a perspective on the various types of evidence that can be brought to bear on reconstructing behavior, the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches, and, perhaps, new approaches to the topic. We define behavior as broadly as we can including life-history traits, locomotion, diet, and social behavior, giving the authors considerable freedom in choosing what, exactly, they wish to explore.