Meeresbiologische Exkursionen sind besondere Hohepunkte des Biologiestudiums, weil Studenten bei kaum einer anderen Gelegenheit die uberwaltigende Formenmannigfaltigkeit der Organismen so unmittelbar lebend kennenlernen konnen.

47 Meeresbiologen aus Deutschland, Frankreich, Grossbritannien und Osterreich haben aus ihrem Erfahrungsschatz 60 faunistische und floristische, okophysiologische und ethologische Versuche zusammengetragen, die jeweils eine geschlossene Einheit mit Anleitung, Material und Literaturangaben darstellen. Die Gliederung folgt den drei Lebensgemeinschaften Benthos, Plankton und Nekton.

Dieses Buch soll Exkursionsleitern und -teilnehmern dazu dienen, Exkursionen an Nordsee, Atlantik und Mittelmeer vorzubereiten, durchzufuhren und auszuwerten, wozu auch die Anschriften und Hinweise uber die Ausstattung der grossen meeresbiologischen Stationenbeitragen."

The Yucatan Peninsula is today divided among Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. Travelers to this region discover both astonishing archaeological sites and a stunning array of wildlife, including crocodiles, turtles, lizards, snakes, frogs, toads, and salamanders. This book written by the world's leading authority on the herpetology of the lowland Maya area is the only comprehensive field guide to all the species of amphibians and reptiles found there. This field guide*allows identification of all native and introduced species of amphibians and reptiles of the region.*features nearly 180 color photographs and 180 drawings.*offers valuable techniques for field identification, and a glossary of herpetological terms.*provides in each species account: description, natural history, similar species, and geographic distribution (complete with maps of each animal's range). *includes suggested readings for those who want to know more about a particular species.*illustrates all tadpoles.*describes the most characteristic vocalizations of the reptiles and amphibians in the volume.*introduces the physical geography, climate, and vegetation of the region, with emphasis on the habitats of amphibians and reptiles."

Professor Wever studies the structure of the ear and its functioning as a receptor of sounds in all amphibian species (139) for which living representatives could be obtained

Originally published in 1985.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

For nearly 100 million years, amphibians and their ancestors dominated the terrestrial and shallow water environments of the earth. Archaic animals with an amphibious way of life gave rise not only to modern frogs, salamanders, and caecilians but also to the ancestors of reptiles, birds, and mammals. In this landmark publication, one of the leading paleontologists of our time explores a pivotal moment in vertebrate evolution, the rise of amphibians.

Synthesizing findings from the rich and highly diverse fossil record of amphibians, Robert Carroll traces their origin back 365 million years, when particular species of fish traveled down an evolutionary pathway of fin modification that gave rise to legs. This period of dramatic radiation was followed by a cataclysmic extinction 250 million years ago. After a long gap, modern amphibian groups gradually emerged. Now the number of amphibian species and individuals throughout the tropical and temperate regions of the earth exceeds that of mammals.

"The Rise of Amphibians" is documented with more than two hundred illustrations of fossil amphibians and sixteen exquisite color plates depicting amphibians in their natural habitats throughout their long existence. The most comprehensive examination of amphibian evolution ever produced, "The Rise of Amphibians" is an essential resource for paleontologists, herpetologists, geologists, and evolutionary biologists.