There is often confusion over the meaning and usage of terms such as efficiency, economy, effectiveness, optimization, and perfection in biology. This book defines and discusses these concepts within a broad evolutionary perspective and considers how evolutionary pressures can affect the economy and efficiency of animals. Chapters consider biomaterials, skeletal systems, muscular function, aquatic and terrestrial locomotion, and cardiovascular systems. The result is a book of interest to all biologists, particularly those working in the field of comparative physiology and evolutionary biology.

However well the anatomy of the gastro-intestinal tracts of a wide range of mammals is described and quantified, there can be no real explanation of observed patterns without consideration of the mechanical and chemical properties of the food consumed, and of the digestive stages involved in its processing. This book aims to integrate findings from the many different types of investigations of mammalian digestive systems into a coherent whole. Using the themes of food, form and function, researchers discuss models of digestive processes, linking this with evolutionary aspects of food utilisation. Macroscopic and ultrastructural studies of the gastro-intestinal tract are also presented, as are physiological, ecological and biochemical aspects of the digestion of different food types. The book ends with an integrative chapter, bringing together the themes running through the earlier sections.

Many aspects of human activity involve energy transfer of some type. Human Energetics in Biological Anthropology examines some of the ways in which measurements of energy intake, expenditure and balance have been used to study human populations by biological anthropologists and human biologists. The book provides an integration of human adaptation and adaptability approaches, placing these issues in an ecological context by considering traditional subsistence economies in the developing world. This is the first volume to present such an integrated approach, and will be useful in the teaching of biological anthropology, human population biology, nutritional anthropology, and third world nutrition at senior undergraduate and graduate student level.

Covering the psychological aspects of ergonomics, this volume places considerable emphasis on the radical changes in work practices over the past twenty years stimulated by high technology systems and computerization. Ergonomics is a multidisciplinary activity concerned mainly with people at work, but also with other human purposeful activities such as war, sports, games and leisure. The objective of ergonomics is to make these activities more effective and safer by applying established principles of anatomy, physiology and psychology. Together with Singleton's earlier volume, The Body at Work, this book forms a comprehensive textbook of ergonomics. This is a useful text for undergraduate and graduate students of psychology, physiology, management, social sciences, engineering, industrial design, computer science and information technology.

Ecophysiology attempts to clarify the role and importance of physiological processes in the ecological relations of species in their natural habitats. Including blood collection and the measurement of plasma components and hormone levels, the basic principles and methods relevant to any ecophysiological study are covered in this text. Examples are collected from a wide range of vertebrates living in deserts, cold climates and oceans. The book is an introduction to ecophysiology for advanced students, as well as researchers in ecology, biodiversity and conservation.

Primate Dentition provides a comparative dental anatomy of living non-human primates that brings together information from many disciplines to present the most useful and comprehensive database possible in one consolidated text. The core of the book consists of comparative morphological and metrical descriptions with analyses, reference tables, and illustrations of the permanent dentitions of 85 living primate species to establish a baseline for future investigations. The volume also discusses dental microstructure and its importance in understanding taxonomic relationships between species, data on deciduous dentitions, prenatal dental development and ontogenetic processes, and material to aid age estimation and life history studies.

A growing body of evidence has begun to reveal flaws in the traditional assumption of female passivity and lack of discrimination after copulation has begun. William Eberhard has compiled an impressive array of research on the ability of females to shape the outcome of mating. He describes studies of many different cryptic mechanisms by which a female can accept a male for copulation but nevertheless reject him as a father. Evidence from various fields indicates that such selectivity by females may be the norm rather than the exception. Because most post-copulatory competition between males for paternity is played out within the bodies of females, female behavior, morphology, and physiology probably often influence male success in these contests. Eberhard draws examples from a diversity of organisms, ranging from ctenophores to scorpions, nematodes to frogs, and crickets to humans.

Cryptic female choice establishes a new bridge between sexual selection theory and reproductive physiology, in particular the physiological effects of male seminal products on female reproductive processes, such as sperm transport, oviposition, and remating. Eberhard interweaves his review of previous studies with speculation on the consequences of this theoretical development, and indicates promising new directions for future research.

Physiology of Molluscs: A Collection of Selected Reviews is an informative two-volume sent that brings together some of the most important recent and unique developments in molluscan physiology. Volume One focuses on shell structure, mineralization, the dynamics of calcium transport, shell drilling, byssus proteins, locomotion, and reproduction. Volume Two includes reviews on the neural mechanisms of learning, reproductive behavior, responses to environmental stress and hormones, and neurotransmitters. With the rapid development of cutting-edge proteomic, molecular biological, and cellular imaging techniques, our understanding of molluscan physiology, specifically in the areas of neurobiology, reproductive biology, and shell formation, has increased exponentially over the last several years. With contributions from some of the world's leading experts in the field of molluscan physiology, this valuable two-volume set fills this void and will serve as an important resource for researchers, professors, and students. Chapters report on a variety of recent developments and new understanding, including * biology of byssus threads * physiology of reproduction in cephalopods * learning and memory of molluscs * endocrine disruption in molluscs * nautilus biology and behavior * cephalopod locomotion * neuronal circuitry in molluscs * reproductive endocrinology * bioactive peptides in molluscs The reviews in these two volumes will make a significant contribution to our understanding not only of molluscan physiology but also the physiology of animals in general.

This new edition of the bestselling Clinical Signs in Small Animal Medicine presents 800 all new color photographs of the highest quality, with detailed captions that focus on key pointers to diagnosis and treatment. The book is organised into chapters by body system, each beginning with a list of 'Clinical Pearls'. These amusing and accurate key points will be invaluable when considering conditions or highlighting common concerns. Within each chapter, the superb photographs of real cases are annotated with brief, key information that provides a succinct and useful reminder of lessons learned.

Marsupial Nutrition describes the food resources used by marsupials from small insectivores to large folivores. It discusses the ways in which these animals' digestive systems and metabolism are designed to cope with foods as different as nectar and fungus, tree sap and tough perennial grasses, and insects and eucalypt foliage. Although the subject species are marsupials, the general principles of nutritional ecology and digestive strategies that are introduced at the beginning of the chapters are applicable to all mammals. Advanced undergraduates and graduate students in the areas of vertebrate zoology, nutrition, ecology, and digestive physiology will find Marsupial Nutrition particularly instructive, and wildlife biologists, veterinarians, and nutritionists will also find much of interest.

Fat has a bad reputation in modern society despite being an essential part of our health and well-being. Across the animal kingdom, fat plays all sorts of vital roles in energy storage and insulation for migration, breeding and mating. Written by an expert in the field, this intriguing popular science book fills the gap between unscientific comments about dietary fats, weight control and the health hazards of high- or low-fat diets found in magazines; and technical medical reports about lipid biochemistry and obesity in animals and humans. It explains in clear, nontechnical language where fats come from and how the body handles them; the natural roles of fats; and the biology of feasting and fasting, and fattening and slimming in wild animals as well as people. All readers with an interest in fat and its uses and manifestations will find this book an enjoyable and informative read.

The long-awaited third edition of this popular textbook, which has been unavailable for several years, is completely revised and updated. It retains the successful format of previous editions, dealing with the nature, actions and roles of hormones among vertebrate animals. Special emphasis is placed on the evolution and origins of hormones and their receptors; the role of hormones in the physiological coordination of vertebrates; and each endocrine process in the context of the organism's physiology, ecology, and evolution. Comparative Vertebrate Endocrinology discusses the intimate physiology of the endocrine system and the pivotal role of hormones in coordinating basic body processes such as nutrition, reproduction, calcium metabolism, and osmoregulation, as well as their contributions to animal coloration, molting, and development. The species included range from lower chordates to mammals, including marsupials.

From a human viewpoint, the cold waters of deep sea and polar marine regions present an inhospitable and harsh environment for life. The study of organisms that have exploited this seemingly hostile ecological niche has revealed intriguing physiological adaptations. This volume summarizes the most recent information on the adaptations exhibited by representatives of the main groups of polar animals, including marine invertebrates, fish, mammals, and birds. The scales of adaptation range from the whole organism to the underlying molecular mechanisms. Unique in its breadth of coverage, this volume will provide an important resource for all those concerned specifically with how animals have adapted to life in extreme conditions.

This book discusses the controversial issue of whether animals are designed according to the same rules that engineers use in building machines, namely that materials and energy are used economically while attempting to achieve a high level of performance. There is considerable scientific controversy surrounding this question because, although there is much evidence suggesting that animals are indeed well designed, evolutionary biology tells us that animals are not "engineered" but result from evolution by natural selection. In this volume these highly controversial questions are debated by eminent experts on the basis of a wealth of evidence ranging from the molecular biology and biochemistry of enzyme systems through the study of bone and muscle to the design and function of integrated systems of energy supply and the nervous system. The authors have made a special effort to present the chapters in a form that is accessible to a broad readership of biologists interested in basic principles.

This book is a unique overview of cardiovascular development from the cellular to the organ level across a broad range of species. The first section focuses on the molecular, cellular, and integrative mechanisms that determine cardiovascular development. The second section has eight chapters that summarise cardiovascular development in invertebrate and vertebrate systems. The third section discusses the effects of disease and environmental and morphogenetic influences on non-mammalian and mammalian cardiovascular development. It includes strategies for the management of congenital cardiovascular malformations in utero and postnatally. The book will interest graduate students and researchers who work in the fields of developmental biology, physiology, and molecular and paediatric cardiology.

Although insect endocrinology is one of the oldest and most active branches of insect physiology, its classic general texts are long out of date, while its abundant primary literature provides little biological context in which to make sense of the discipline as a whole. In this book, H. Frederik Nijhout's goal is to provide a complete, concise, and up-to-date source for students and nonspecialists seeking an overview of the dynamic and wide-ranging science that insect endocrinology has become since its beginnings nearly eighty years ago in the study of insect metamorphosis.

The author offers a comprehensive survey of the many roles that hormones play in the biology of insects. Among the topics discussed are the control of molting, metamorphosis, reproduction, caste determination in social insects, diapause, migration, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, diuresis, and behavior. The account features a summary of the most current and accurate thinking on the complex roles of ecdysone and juvenile hormone in the control of metamorphosis, a process still misunderstood and misrepresented in biological textbooks and many professional reviews. Throughout, the book's emphasis is on the biology of the organism and the ways in which physiological and developmental regulatory mechanisms are integrated into the insect's life cycle.

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.

This textbook is intended for use in a course for undergraduate students in biology, neuroscience or psychology who have had an introductory course on the structure and function of the nervous system. Its primary purpose is to provide a working vocabulary and knowledge of the biology of vision and to acquaint students with the major themes in biological vision research. Part I treats the eye as an image-forming organ and provides an overview of the projections from the retina to key visual structures of the brain. Part II examines the functions of the retina and its central projections in greater detail, building on the introductory material of Part I. Part III treats certain special topics in vision that require this detailed knowledge of the structure and properties of the retina and visual projections.

The Australian Zebra Finch is widely used by researchers and teachers in many scientific disciplines where it is the preferred subject for investigations ranging from anatomy and physiology to behavioural development and evolutionary ecology. This monograph is the first to synthesize the information on this colourful species that has accumulated during the past thirty years. It summarizes and integrates much of the laboratory work and places it in the context of the biology of the animals in the wild, with an emphasis on behaviour and ecology. This leads to a detailed understanding of Zebra Finch adaptations and life history that will further enhance the value of the species for researchers and students in behaviour, ecology, and other fields. Aviculturists who keep these attractive birds will also find much of interest in this book.

This is the first edited collection on veterinary applications of electroporation. Written by an international team of experts, this book presents worldwide emerging therapy options for cancer treatments in veterinary oncology practice. Electroporation offers a precision tool to target cancer cells without destroying surrounding tissue structures. The opening of tumor cell membranes facilitates local control of solid tumors either through the delivery of chemotherapeutics or by direct ablation of tissues using electric fields. In addition, transfer of gene-based products into the cancer cells can be used for genetic vaccination to achieve systemic responses and cancer control. Readers will discover valuable reference texts for practitioner education, including chapters on electrodes for unique anatomical access and treatment planning for deep-seated tumors, different immunotherapy applications with gene electrotransfer, calcium electroporation, irreversible electroporation applications and combinations with other common treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.Therapy options with electroporation are gaining interest around the world in both human and veterinary oncology, making this book valuable for oncologists, surgeons, primary care veterinarians, residents, interns and students at veterinary schools, where teaching of Electrochemotherapy will become part of the curriculum.

Many aspects of human activity involve energy transfer of some type. Human Energetics in Biological Anthropology examines some of the ways in which measurements of energy intake, expenditure and balance have been used to study human populations by biological anthropologists and human biologists. The book provides an integration of human adaptation and adaptability approaches, placing these issues in an ecological context by considering traditional subsistence economies in the developing world. This is the first volume to present such an integrated approach, and will be useful in the teaching of biological anthropology, human population biology, nutritional anthropology, and third world nutrition at senior undergraduate and graduate student level.

Avoiding Attack discusses the diversity of mechanisms by which prey avoid predator attacks and explores how such defensive mechanisms have evolved through natural selection. It considers how potential prey avoid detection, how they make themselves unprofitable to attack, how they communicate this status, and how other species have exploited these signals. Using carefully selected examples of camouflage, mimicry, and warning signals drawn from a wide range of species and ecosystems, the authors summarise the latest research into these fascinating adaptations, developing mathematical models where appropriate and making recommendations for future study. This second edition has been extensively rewritten, particularly in the application of modern genetic research techniques which have transformed our recent understanding of adaptations in evolutionary genomics and phylogenetics. The book also employs a more integrated and systematic approach, ensuring that each chapter has a broader focus on the evolutionary and ecological consequences of anti-predator adaptation. The field has grown and developed considerably over the last decade with an explosion of new research literature, making this new edition timely.

Karl von Frischs Bienenforschungen sind Legende: Kaum ein Schuler, der im Biologieunterricht nichts von der Orientierung und den Schwanzeltanzen der Bienen gehort hatte. Fast 70 Jahre nach Erscheinen der ersten Auflage von Aus dem Leben der Bienen hat Martin Lindauer, einst enger Mitarbeiter v. Frischs und selbst ein bekannter Bienenforscher, diesen Klassiker der Bienenliteratur aktualisiert und mit neuen, oft farbigen Photos versehen. Dabei ist es ihm gelungen, den unvergleichlichen Stil v. Frischs zu bewahren. Ein Buch fur alle, die sich inmitten aller Technik noch einen offenen Sinn fur die Natur bewahrt haben."

Skin colour is perhaps the most decisive and abused physical characteristic of humankind. This book presents a multidisciplinary overview of how and why human populations vary so markedly in their skin colour. The biological aspects of the pigment cell and its production of melanin are reviewed. The functions of melanin in the skin, brain, eye and ear are considered, and the common clinical abnormalities of pigmentation, such as albinism, are described and illustrated. Detailed reflectance data from worldwide surveys of skin colour are also presented. The historical and contemporary background of the phenomenon is explored in relation to the so-called 'colour problem' in society. Finally, the possible evolutionary forces which shape human pigmentation are assessed. This fascinating account will be of interest to graduate students and researchers of biological anthropology, anatomy, physiology and dermatology, as well as medical practitioners.