"Shuster and Wade place the study of animal mating systems and alternative mating strategies in a comprehensive theoretical framework. This framework is both elegantly simple and comprehensive. Most importantly they demonstrate with real life examples the utility of their approach and demonstrate that it can be tested empirically. It will serve as a benchmark for research in this area for many years to come."--Derek Roff, University of California, Riverside

"This ambitious and wide-ranging book offers new ways to look at sexual selection and its many consequences. Shuster and Wade have done the field a great service by challenging existing theory with respect to the evolution of mating systems and alternative mating strategies. Because they also provide the key predictions derived from their approach, they and others will be able to test their ideas even more fully in the years ahead. Let the fun begin. "--John Alcock, Arizona State University

"This important and original book addresses the issues that are attracting attention from a broad community studying the evolution of reproductive strategies. Its comprehensiveness and rigor give it the potential to influence a large field of research, and its personal perspective gives it the potential to redirect the field. The authors boldly challenge many current views of mating systems and alternative mating strategies. If they are correct, this book will likely become a landmark."--Mart Gross, University of Toronto

"This is an exceptional and thought provoking contribution to behavioral ecology. It uses excellent examples, slays some sacred cows, and is superbly written and often brilliant."--Barry Sinervo, University of California, Santa Cruz

One hundred years after Darwin considered how sexual selection shapes the behavioral and morphological characteristics of males for acquiring mates, Parker realized that sexual selection continues after mating through sperm competition. Because females often mate with multiple males before producing offspring, selection favors adaptations that allow males to preempt sperm from previous males and to prevent their own sperm from preemption by future males. Since the 1970s, this area of research has seen exponential growth, and biologists now recognize sperm competition as an evolutionary force that drives such adaptations as mate guarding, genital morphology, and ejaculate chemistry across all animal taxa. The insects have been critical to this research, and they still offer the greatest potential to reveal fully the evolutionary consequences of sperm competition.

This book analyzes and extends thirty years of theoretical and empirical work on insect sperm competition. It considers both male and female interests in sperm utilization and the sexual conflict that can arise when these differ. It covers the mechanics of sperm transfer and utilization, morphology, physiology, and behavior. Sperm competition is shown to have dramatic effects on adaptation in the context of reproduction as well as far-reaching ramifications on life-history evolution and speciation.

Written by a top researcher in the field, this comprehensive, up-to-date review of the evolutionary causes and consequences of sperm competition in the insects will prove an invaluable reference for students and established researchers in behavioral ecology and evolutionary biology.

The Trinidadian guppy ("Poecilia reticulata") is well known to biologists and home aquarium enthusiasts alike. Scientists have studied guppies for most of the twentieth century. Some of the most intensive recent research has been conducted by behavioral ecologists, who have found that the guppy mating system makes guppies especially useful in the study of sexual selection and mate choice. By observing guppy behavior in aquaria, researchers hope to obtain new insights into how selection operates in natural populations. Here Anne Houde summarizes and synthesizes the scientific work done to date, relates the empirical findings on guppies to current themes in sexual selection theory, and suggests new directions for future research.

This book describes the sexual behavior of guppies and examines how mate choice by females leads to the evolution of the conspicuous colors and the courtship displays for which guppies are widely recognized. The author shows that female guppies prefer males with bright color patterns, especially those with orange spots, and that the mating preferences of females lead to sexual selection on both color patterns and courtship displays of males. Houde's work addresses a number of areas that are of interest in sexual selection, including the remarkable degree of plasticity and evolutionary lability of sexual behavior in guppies, geographic variation in mating preferences, possible mechanisms for the evolution of female mating preferences, and the role of sexual selection in speciation. In conclusion, the author explores the implications of her findings for behavioral ecologists who study sexual selection in other species.

Reproduction is a fundamental feature of life, it is the way life persists across the ages. This book offers new, wider vistas on this fundamental biological phenomenon, exploring how it works through the whole tree of life. It explores facets such as asexual reproduction, parthenogenesis, sex determination and reproductive investment, with a taxonomic coverage extended over all the main groups - animals, plants including 'algae', fungi, protists and bacteria. It collates into one volume perspectives from varied disciplines - including zoology, botany, microbiology, genetics, cell biology, developmental biology, evolutionary biology, animal and plant physiology, and ethology - integrating information into a common language. Crucially, the book aims to identify the commonalties among reproductive phenomena, while demonstrating the diversity even amongst closely related taxa. Its integrated approach makes this a valuable reference book for students and researchers, as well as an effective entry point for deeper study on specific topics.

This detailed volume explores animal embryogenesis in a way that aims to foster cross-model work and ideas by presenting methods that can be applied across laboratories and species boundaries. Improved protocols with updated advances in key traditional model systems are included, such as in amphibians, chicken, mouse, and zebrafish, as well as chapters on leopard gecko and the flexible-shelled slider turtle. Within these traditional model systems, new developments are presented, such as protocols for the analysis of cellular membranes and intracellular signals, light-controlled manipulation of function, and the analysis of transcriptomic and proteomic data in the context of the embryo. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and fully updated, Vertebrate Embryogenesis: Embryological, Cellular, and Genetic Methods, Second Edition serves as an invaluable aid to scientists, educators, and the advanced general audience and will act as an inspiration to further our understanding and appreciation of animal development. Chapter 10, "Optogenetic Control of Subcellular Protein Location and Signalling in Vertebrate Embryos," is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Our knowledge of reproductive biology has increased enormously in recent years on cellular, molecular, and genetic levels, leading to significant breakthroughs that have directly benefitted in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in humans and animal systems. Animal Models and Human Reproduction presents a comprehensive reference that reflects the latest scientific research being done in human reproductive biology utilizing domestic animal models. Chapters on canine, equine, cow, pig, frog, and mouse models of reproduction reflect frontier research in placental biology, ovarian function and fertility, non-coding RNAs in gametogenesis, oocyte and embryo metabolism, fertilization, cryopreservation, signal transduction pathways, chromatin dynamics, epigenetics, reproductive aging, and inflammation. Chapters on non-human primate models also highlight recent advancements into such issues as human in vitro fertilization (IVF) and assisted reproductive technologies (ART). This book offers animal scientists, reproductive biology scientists, clinicians and practitioners, invaluable insights into a wide range of issues at the forefront of human reproductive health.

This two-volume textbook provides a comprehensive overview on the broad field of Animal Biotechnology with a special focus on livestock reproduction and breeding. The reader will be introduced to a variety of state-of-the-art technologies and emerging genetic tools and their applications in animal production. Also, ethics and legal aspects of animal biotechnology will be discussed and new trends and developments in the field will be critically assessed. The two-volume work is a must-have for graduate students, advanced undergraduates and researchers in the field of veterinary medicine, genetics and animal biotechnology. This first volume mainly focuses on artificial insemination, embryo transfer technologies in diverse animal species and cryopreservation of oocytes and embryos.

This book describes the discovery of molecules from unexploited extreme marine environments, and presents new approaches in marine genomics. It combines the current state of knowledge in marine genomics and advanced natural products' chemistry to pursue the sustainable production of novel secondary metabolites (lead compounds), as well as pharmacologically active peptides/proteins, with antimicrobial, neuroprotective, anti-osteoporotic, anti-protozoan/anti-plasmodial, anti-ageing and immune-modulating effects. Further, it employs molecular-biology-based approaches and advanced chemical techniques to obtain and to select candidate compounds for pre-clinical and clinical studies.

The study of vertebrate embryonic development became a separate science in the early 1800s thanks to advances in microscopy. Embryologists collected and dissected specimens from chicken, frogs, turtles, fish, mice as well as humans, observed and documented the anatomy and physiology. These largely observatory work produced many of the important concepts in modern developmental biology, such as germ layers (von Baer, 1828), the theory of natural selection (Darwin, 1859), and the Organizer (Spemann and Mangold, 1934). After World War II, especially after the demonstration of DNA as the genetic material and advancement in recombinant DNA technology, the focus of studies shifted to the cellular, molecular and genetic processes of development, the mechanisms of regulation, and the basis for developmental defects and diseases. In recent years, advancements in stem cell biology and gene editing technology ushered vertebrate embryology into a new era as scientists use the tools and paradigms of embryonic development to tackle diseases of all ages, bridging the embryo and the adult. There is a vast body of research on vertebrate embryology, enough to fill a whole library. It is not the goal of this book to provide a comprehensive picture. Rather, I draw an extremely simplified sketch, a "tasting menu", of current research topics. The book is organized into five sections. Section 1 illustrates a number of major research questions on the three developmental stages - cleavage, gastrulation, and organogenesis. Section 2 presents the frontiers in the study of genetic and epigenetic regulation: the role of genetic interactions, chromatin-based regulation, and non-coding RNAs. Section 3 describes the current research and application of stem cells. Section 4 introduces the role of genetic and environmental factors in developmental defects. Finally, Section 5 highlights the exciting new field of gene editing, using TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9 technologies as two examples.

Animal breeding and genetics is the branch of science concerned with maximizing desirable genetic traits in domesticated animals. The study of animal genetics involves topics such as gene expression, color genetics and animal breeding. Animal genetics focuses on various aspects of animal heredity, or the passing of traits from one generation to the next. The field encompasses topics such as genetic variability, genetic testing, and animal breeding. Animal geneticists have identified elements within genes that can enhance animal growth, health, and ability to utilize nutrients. These genetic advances can increase production while reducing environmental impacts. Animals and livestock contribute 40 percent of the global value of agricultural output and contribute to the livelihoods and food security of almost a billion people worldwide. Advances in animal breeding, genetics, and genomics are facilitating a more efficient industry. For example, the number of cattle has decreased over the past decade, yet the total production of beef and milk has increased. This was largely possible because genetic advancements led better animal feed efficiency, which is critical to improving livestock production and lowering costs for producers. When breeding is between animals of the same breed for 4-6 generations, it is called inbreeding. Inbreeding may be explained by taking an example of cows and bulls. Superior cows and superior bulls of the same breed are identified and mated. The progeny obtained from such mating are evaluated and superior males and females are identified for further mating. A superior female, in the case of cattle, is the cow that produces more milk per lactation. Thus inbreeding is necessary to develop a pure line in any animal. Inbreeding exposes harmful recessive genes that are eliminated by selection. It also helps in accumulation of superior genes and elimination of less desirable genes. Out breeding is the breeding between the unrelated animals which may be between individuals of the same breed (but having no common ancestors) or between different breeds (cross breeding) or different species (interspecific hybridization).

Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. Cattle are raised as livestock for meat (beef and veal), as dairy animals for milk and other dairy products, and as draft animals (oxen or bullocks that pull carts, plows and other implements). Other products include leather and dung for manure or fuel. They are an integral part of animal agriculture in all parts of the world. Demand for some products, such as fat in meat and in milk, has declined in some markets, and in some countries milk production is limited by quotas. Nevertheless, the efficient production of animal protein continues to be of vital importance. Efficient production system can maximize output of meat and milk per unit of feed input per animal. In cattle production as with other livestock systems a high level of reproductive performance is absolutely crucial to efficient production. Efficient reproduction results in optimum calving intervals, which in turn result in optimum production of milk and calves to be reared for beef or replacements. The breeding program may use either artificial insemination (AI) or natural service. AI has been commercially available; it is widely used in dairy cattle but is used much less in beef cattle because of handling and labor costs. AI offers a selection of bulls with known genetic potential, such as measured by estimated breeding values (EBVs) for traits such as ease of calving or growth rates. When nutrition and heat detection are properly managed, satisfactory results are obtained. Failure to detect estrus is the major reason for unsuccessful AI. When cows are properly inseminated with good-quality semen at the proper time, 50%-60% may conceive on first service, the same percentage on second service. In cattle, AI is used primarily for genetic improvement of livestock and to facilitate high health replacement strategies. The worldwide adoption of AI for genetic improvement in dairy cattle was made possible by development of a progeny test system and subsequent use of milk production records as an objective measure of performance on which to select superior bulls, techniques for freezing semen, and liquid nitrogen storage refrigerators. The development of objective systems such as EBVs to measure economic traits in beef cattle (e.g., growth rate, carcass conformation and composition, efficiency of feed conversion) and thus the more accurate selection of sires, as well as control of the estrous cycle, is leading to an increase in use of AI in beef cattle. Processing of frozen semen is a highly specialized technique. In order to manage cattle reproduction and the specific problems that arise, it is important to understand the underlying physiology of the reproductive process.

This book provides the Assisted Reproduction Technologies (ART) community an update of the fast approaching novel technologies that may allow improved assessment of the reproductive potential of sperm, oocytes and embryos. The reader has access to concise updates on the rapidly developing diagnostic technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics) and morphological methods which may help us better assess the gametes and embryos. Methodologies are described which enable selection of the best gamete or embryo by invasive and non-invasive diagnostics, as well as the clinical validity of these techniques.

As the study of cooperative breeding systems expands, a number of key species form the examples that underpin our general understanding. The ostrich is increasingly becoming such a textbook species, on the basis of the results obtained in Brian Bertram's study of vigilance and egg discrimination in this extraordinary bird. Here Bertram presents new data on the ostrich communal nesting system, in which several females lay in one female's nest, with only one female and the male doing all the work. The Ostrich Communal Nesting System unravels the basis of the cooperation observed, and explains how a system involving apparent altruism is maintained by natural selection. It is now possible as never before to explain and quantify the effects of the different choices these birds make and to integrate ecological and morphological factors such as predation and size. Based on three seasons of study in Tsavo West National Park in Kenya, this book depended on recognizing individual birds, detecting and monitoring well-concealed nests, determining motherhood of eggs from their surface appearance, and time-lapse photography of nests. Key findings were that females could switch rapidly between reproductive strategies, that a nesting female could recognize her own eggs and when necessary discriminate against those of other females, and that the whiteness of ostrich eggs is an adaptation that protects them against overheating but at the cost of greater vulnerability to predation.

Originally published in 1992.

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.

About 95 per cent of all known animal species are invertebrates. A knowledge of their sexual, reproductive, and developmental biology is essential for the effective management of species that are economically useful to man or are harmful to him, his crops and livestock. This treatise is the first to cover all aspects of reproduction and development of the entire spectrum of invertebrates—terrestrial, marine, fresh-water, brackish-water, free-living, and parasitic. The chapters, by leading world experts in their fields, are up-to-date and informative, and suggest a number of problems for future research. Progress in Asexual Reproduction is the eleventh volume in the series.

The ontogeny of each individual contributes to the physical, physiological, cognitive, neurobiological, and behavioral capacity to manage the complex social relationships and diverse foraging tasks that characterize the primate order. For these reasons Building Babies explores the dynamic multigenerational processes of primate development. The book is organized thematically along the developmental trajectory:conception, pregnancy, lactation, the mother-infant dyad, broader social relationships, and transitions to independence. In this volume, the authors showcase the myriad approaches to understanding primate developmental trajectories from both proximate and ultimate perspectives. These collected chapters provide insights from experimental manipulations in captive settings to long-term observations of wild-living populations and consider levels of analysis from molecule to organism to social group to taxon. Strepsirrhines, New World monkeys, Old World monkeys, apes, and humans are all well-represented. Contributions by anthropologists, microbiologists, psychologists, population geneticists, and other primate experts provide Building Babies a uniquely diverse voice. Building Babies features multi- and trans-disciplinary research approaches to primate developmental trajectories and is particularly useful for researchers and instructors in anthropology, animal behavior, psychology, and evolutionary biology. This book also serves as a supplement to upper-level undergraduate courses or graduate seminars on primate life history and development. In these contexts, the book provides exposure to a wide range of methodological and theoretical perspectives on developmental trajectories and models how researchers might productively integrate such approaches into their own work.

This publication contains the proceedings of a seminar held in Brussels on November 8-9, 1988. The title of the seminar was "Reducing the costs of disease by improving resistance through genetics." The seminar was held as an activity of the Community Programme for the Coordination of Agricultural Research, 1984-1988. Costs of disease depend on losses caused by morbidity, mortality and production decreases and on the costs of preventive measures including vaccination and medication. Production losses often contribute a major portion to the total costs. To reduce costs of disease preventive measures like vaccination, preventive medication and hygienic procedures are applied. Genetic resistance is an attractive preventive measure because of its consistent nature in the next generations, because it precludes veterinary services and because there are no side-effects. Constraints are the long term investment, relatively slow progress per generation (in combination with production traits) and the considerable lack of knowledge about inheritance of resistance mechanisms in farm animals.

One Hundred Years of Chromosome Research: What Remains to be Learned, offers the reader a critical analysis of the observations and experiments that shaped the last 100 years of chromosome research, as well as the ideas which prevailed during this period.
Emphasis is placed on what remains to be learned, particularly in light of reality of the sequencing of DNA which leaves the previous era of chromosome research as a prehistoric event. It is at this turning point, that well formulated questions can be asked about many of the chromosome's properties, which remain to be unveiled.

The author, Lima-de-Faria is Professor Emeritus of Molecular Cytogenetics at Lund Unviersity, Sweden, previously Head of the Institute of Molecular Cytogenetics, Lund University.

For nearly 50 years, pest control was mostly based on broad-spectrum conv- tional insecticides such as organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates and pyrethroids. However, the severe adverse effects of pesticides on the environment, problems of resistance reaching crisis proportions and public protests led to stricter regulations and legislation aimed at reducing their use. Ways to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides in plant protection and to use more alternative and novel me- ods for pest control or biorational control are the challenges of pest control for the twenty-first century. The term biorational (biological + rational) pesticides can be defined as the use of specific and selective chemicals, often with a unique modes of action, that are compatible with natural enemies and the environment, with minimal effect on n- target organisms. Biorational control is based on a diversity of chemical, biological and physical approaches for controlling insect pests which results in minimum risk to man and the environment.

Reproduction is the biological process by which new individual organisms are produced. Reproduction is a fundamental feature of all known life; each individual organism exists as the result of reproduction. The known methods of reproduction are broadly grouped into two main types: sexual and asexual. In asexual reproduction, an individual can reproduce without involvement with another individual of that species. The division of a bacterial cell into two daughter cells is an example of asexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction is not, however, limited to single-celled organisms. Most plants have the ability to reproduce asexually. Sexual reproduction requires the involvement of two individuals, typically one of each sex. Normal human reproduction is a common example of sexual reproduction. Most animals and plants reproduce sexually. Sexually reproducing organisms have two sets of genes for every trait (called alleles). Offspring inherit one allele for each trait from each parent, thereby ensuring that offspring have a combination of the parents' genes. Having two copies of every gene, only one of which is expressed, allows deleterious alleles to be masked, an advantage believed to have led to the evolutionary development of diploidy. This book presents the latest research in the field from around the globe.

Evolutionary maternal effects occur whenever a mother's phenotypic traits directly affect her offspring's phenotype, independent of the offspring's genotype. Some of the phenotypic traits that result in maternal effects have a genetic basis, whereas others are environmentally determined. For example, the size of a litter produced by a mammalian mother - a trait with a strong genetic basis - can affect the growth rate of her offspring, while a mother's dominance rank - an environmentally determined trait - can affect the dominance rank of her offspring. The first volume published on the subject in more than a decade, "Maternal Effects in Mammals" reflects advances in genomic, ecological, and behavioral research, as well as new understandings of the evolutionary interplay between mothers and their offspring. Dario Maestripieri and Jill M. Mateo bring together a learned group of contributors to synthesize the vast literature on a range of species, highlight evolutionary processes that were previously overlooked, and propose new avenues of research. "Maternal Effects in Mammals" will serve as the most comprehensive compendium on and stimulus for interdisciplinary treatments of mammalian maternal effects.

Approximately 99.9% of vertebrate species reproduce sexually. The exceptional 0.1% reproduce via asexual or clonal means, which vary wildly and are fascinating in their own right. In this book, John C. Avise describes the genetics, ecology, natural history, and evolution of the world's approximately 100 species of vertebrate animal that routinely display one form or another of clonal or quasi-clonal reproduction. Approximately 99.9% of vertebrate species reproduce sexually. The exceptional 0.1% reproduce via asexual or clonal means, which vary wildly and are fascinating in their own right. In this book, John C. Avise describes the genetics, ecology, natural history, and evolution of the world's approximately 100 species of vertebrate animal that routinely display one form or another of clonal or quasi-clonal reproduction. By considering the many facets of sexual abstinence and clonal reproduction in vertebrate animals, Avise sheds new light on the biological meaning and ramifications of standard sexuality.

Interest in the way in which symbiotic bacteria can manipulate reproduction in their invertebrate hosts has risen rapidly in recent years. Discoveries have ranged from bacteria that can determine the likelihood of their fruitfly hosts finding a partner to mate with to bacteria infecting woodlice that can cause sex changes in offspring. This unique book is the first comprehensive and systematic review of the 'reproductive parasites'. Written by leading experts in the field, it explores not only the intriguing theoretical questions raised by the relationships between symbiotic bacteria and their hosts, but also discusses a number of exciting practical applications, such as potential for controlling the reproduction of disease transmitting insects. Chapters on sex reversal, sex-ratio distortion, and evolution are also included. This timely and up-to-date volume will be important reading for researchers and students in the fields of entomology, evolution, ecology, genetics, and microbiology.

This unique volume of thirty essays, by fifty-three internationally known scholars, honours C.S. (Rufus) Churcher, the distinguished Canadian palaeontologist. The papers focus on late Cenozoic mammals in North America and Africa and provide both site-specific descriptions of faunas and their associated geological contexts, and more general syntheses of regional palaeoenvironments and biogeography. The volume provides a much-needed overview of current research. The stature of the researchers who have contributed to the volume, and the breadth of the material presented, is a reflection of Churcher’s diverse research interests. The first section contains eleven papers on the palaeoenvironment and palaeoecology of Quaternary mammals in North America; the second section has 9 contributions describing faunas and morphological analyses of North American Quaternary mammals; and the final section contains nine papers on the palaeoecology and palaeoenvironments of late Cenozoic mammals of Africa. In this final section, Alan Gentry pays tribute to Churcher by naming a species after him: Budorcas churcheri. The volume contains individual discussions of North American fossil prairie dogs, mastodons, zebras, short-faced bears, sabre cats, lions, giant armadillos, elk-moose, caribou and muskrats, as well as African hyaenas, zebras, hipparion horses, antelopes, rodents, and giraffes.

Mouse Genetics offers for the first time in a single comprehensive volume a practical guide to mouse breeding and genetics. Nearly all human genes are present in the mouse genome, making it an ideal organism for genetic analyses of both normal and abnormal aspects of human biology. Written as a convenient reference, this book provides a complete description of the laboratory mouse, the tools used in analysis, and procedures for carrying out genetic studies, along with background material and statistical information for use in ongoing data analysis. It thus serves two purposes, first to provide students with an introduction to the mouse as a model system for genetic analysis, and to give practicing scientists a detailed guide for performing breeding studies and interepreting experimental results. All topics are developed completely, with full explanations of critical concepts in genetics and molecular biology. As investigators around the world are rediscovering both the heuristic and practical value of the mouse genome, the demand for a succinct introduction to the subject has never been greater. Mouse Genetics is intended to meet the needs of this wide audience.