This book proposes a new way to think about evolution. The author carefully brings together evidence from diverse fields of science. In the process, he bridges the gaps between many different--and usually seen as conflicting--ideas to present one integrative theory named ONCE, which stands for Organic Nonoptimal Constrained Evolution. The author argues that evolution is mainly driven by the behavioral choices and persistence of organisms themselves, in a process in which Darwinian natural selection is mainly a secondary--but still crucial--evolutionary player. Within ONCE, evolution is therefore generally made of mistakes and mismatches and trial-and-error situations, and is not a process where organisms engage in an incessant, suffocating struggle in which they can't thrive if they are not optimally adapted to their habitats and the external environment. Therefore, this unifying view incorporates a more comprehensive view of the diversity and complexity of life by stressing that organisms are not merely passive evolutionary players under the rule of external factors. This insightful and well-reasoned argument is based on numerous fascinating case studies from a wide range of organisms, including bacteria, plants, insects and diverse examples from the evolution of our own species. The book has an appeal to researchers, students, teachers, and those with an interest in the history and philosophy of science, as well as to the broader public, as it brings life back into biology by emphasizing that organisms, including humans, are the key active players in evolution and thus in the future of life on this wonderful planet.

ONE OF USA TODAY'S "20 SUMMER BOOKS YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS" In the bestselling tradition of works by such authors as Susan Orlean and Mary Roach, a New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize finalist explores why so many people-including herself-are obsessed with horses. It may surprise you to learn that there are over seven million horses in America-even more than when they were the only means of transportation-and nearly two million horse owners. Acclaimed journalist and avid equestrian Sarah Maslin Nir is one of them; she began riding horses when she was just two years old and hasn't stopped since. Horse Crazy is a fascinating, funny, and moving love letter to these graceful animals and the people who-like her-are obsessed with them. It is also a coming-of-age story of Nir growing up an outsider within the world's most elite inner circles, and finding her true north in horses. Nir takes readers into the lesser-known corners of the riding world and profiles some of its most captivating figures. We meet Monty Roberts, the California trainer whose prowess earned him the nickname "the man who listens to horses," and his pet deer; George and Ann Blair, who at their riding academy on a tiny island in Manhattan's Harlem River seek to resurrect the erased legacy of the African American cowboy; and Francesca Kelly, whose love for an Indian nobleman shaped her life's mission: to protect an endangered Indian breed of horse and bring them to America. Woven into these compelling character studies, Nir shares her own moving personal narrative. She details her father's harrowing tale of surviving the Holocaust, and describes an enchanted but deeply lonely upbringing in Manhattan, where horses became her family. She found them even in the middle of the city, in a stable disguised in an old townhouse and in Central Park, when she chased down truants as an auxiliary mounted patrol officer. And she speaks candidly of how horses have helped her overcome heartbreak and loss. Infused with heart and wit, and with each chapter named after a horse Nir has loved, Horse Crazy is an unforgettable blend of beautifully written memoir and first-rate reporting.

This volume provides a compilation of methods that will aid researchers studying virology, immunology, and vaccinology of this devastating disease of swine. Written in the format of the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, each chapter includes an introduction to the topic, lists necessary materials and reagents, includes tips on troubleshooting and known pitfalls, and step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols. Authoritative and cutting-edge, African Swine Fever Virus: Methods and Protocols aims to be a foundation for future studies and to be a source of inspiration for new investigations in the field.

The polyphyletic Protozoa have explored the possibility of performing almost all metazoan functions with a few subcellular organelles. Their unicellularity and structural simplicity have (i) limited diversity to 32,950 species, (ii) restricted spatial distribution to aquatic habitats (94%, against 15% in Metazoa), (iii) demonstrated the ubiquitous dominance of clonality, (iv) reduced sexualization in 50% species, (v) facilitated the use of vegetative gametes in 40% species and (vi) secondary loss of sex in 10% species. With the fastest multiplication rates, i.e. once every 6-60 hours, they occur in high densities of 105-106 cell/ml. Their diverse and complicated life cycles are described in 30 types. Being risky, the cycle involves two hosts in < 2,000 parasitic species and injective transmission mode by sanguivorous insects and ticks in < 300 species. Their radial symmetry has accelerated diversity more than in radially symmetric less speciose Porifera (8,553 species), Cnidaria (10,856) and Echinodermata (7,000). In them, diversity is decelerated in the following descending order: symmetry > clonality > hermaphroditism > motility. Motility ranges from 2-3 m for Rhizopoda to 400-2,000 m for Ciliophora. Not surprisingly, 6,800 species of arcellinids, filosians and formainifers are testated or shelled. Within 1,229 sessile species, the peritrichid and suctorian ciliates are better adapted to coloniality. Unlike those of many Metazoa, the protozoan cyst is a dynamic stage, in which clonal or sexual reproduction occurs. Over 81% protozoans encyst, as it ensures (i) 90% survival during unfavorable conditions (against 15 in 12% non-encysted protozoans), (ii) genome transfer through generations, (iii) dispersal into new habitats and (iv) transmission to new hosts. Their mean body size ranges from 2 m to 2 mm - a range over 1,000-times - only 8% aquatic metazoans cover a similar size range. In comparison to 77% macrophagy in Metazoa, only 46% protozoans are macrophagous predators. Within motile microphagy, protozoans filter 3-2 times smaller food particle at 50% cheaper clearance cost. This efficiency has expanded microphagy to 15% in protozoans, against 3% in Metazoa. Hence, their turnover rate in trophic dynamics is twice faster than that of metazoans. Foraminifers serve as ecological sensitive indicators in petroleum exploration and rise in sea level. For the first time, incidences of clonality and meiosis as well as symbiosis and parasitism have been shown to hint at the origin and evolution of different protozoan taxonomic groups during the geological past.

When this book was first published in 1989, attempts to reintroduce plants or animals into their native habitat were still relatively rare, and those that were adequately planned, designed, funded and monitored over the course of years are even scarcer. The oryx story is an exception to this, and has the added interest that it represents the first attempt to re-establish a wild population of a species when there were no others left outside captivity. This meant that zoo-bred animals had to be prepared for release into the oryx's extreme and demanding habitat in the deserts of central Oman. This book will be accessible to the informed conservationist, amateur or professional.

This book uses the spiral shape as a key to a multitude of strange and seemingly disparate stories about art, nature, science, mathematics, and the human endeavour. In a way, the book is itself organized as a spiral, with almost disconnected chapters circling around and closing in on the common theme. A particular strength of the book is its extremely cross-disciplinary nature - everything is fun, and everything is connected! At the same time, the author puts great emphasis on mathematical and scientific correctness, in contrast, perhaps, with some earlier books on spirals. Subjects include the mathematical properties of spirals, sea shells, sun flowers, Greek architecture, air ships, the history of mathematics, spiral galaxies, the anatomy of the human hand, the art of prehistoric Europe, Alfred Hitchcock, and spider webs, to name a few.

In this thought-provoking and innovative book, Kendra Coulter examines the diversity of work done with, by, and for animals. Interweaving human-animal studies, labor theories and research, and feminist political economy, Coulter develops a unique analysis of the accomplishments, complexities, problems, and possibilities of multispecies and interspecies labor. She fosters a nuanced, multi-faceted approach to labor that takes human and animal well-being seriously, and that challenges readers to not only think deeply and differently about animals and work, but to reflect on the potential for interspecies solidarity. The result is an engaging, expansive, and path-making text.

William Clark was Professor of Anatomy at Cambridge for nearly fifty years, collecting many specimens of bones for use in the study of comparative anatomy, physiology and osteology. These formed a principal part of the collection that eventually became the university's Museum of Zoology. He wished to support students of natural sciences in acquiring knowledge from direct observation of well arranged and accurately identified specimens. The 1,289 items, catalogued in 1862, include 128 from humans of various races and dates. These include masks of the faces of Isaac Newton, William Pitt and Benjamin Franklin. This focus reflects, in part, the nineteenth-century fascination with phrenology. A regular participant in the influential Cambridge Philosophical Society, in May 1860 William Clark made there what Darwin perceived to be a 'savage onslaught' on his recently published On the Origin of Species. This book reveals Clark's very different approach to studying the tree of life.

Examining social imaginaries is important for exploring how we might live differently. This interdisciplinary book combines ethical, narrative, and media analysis to investigate emerging ideas regarding human-animal interaction and cohabitation in Australia in the twenty-first century. The authors appraise the range of conventions, standards, and narratives that have driven Australians' interactions with animals. They further trace how animal advocates, activist groups, and other influencers are calling for change, together with inspiring everyday Australians to better consider the status and wellbeing of animals in Australia. In this work they draw on a wide range of sources: from activist campaigning and well-known cultural narratives to diverse forms of mainstream media production and scientific analysis. They examine the treatment of livestock animals, common understandings of companion animals, the protection of threatened species, the complexity of living alongside native animals, and the possible rewilding of Australian communities and landscapes. The book also addresses the question of what living in more-than-human, multispecies communities might mean and look like in practice. In every chapter the authors endeavour to better understand how Australians live alongside animals and imagine how better models for interaction, cohabitation, and communal living with animals might be built.

Animal cell technology aims to understand structures, functions, and behaviors of differentiated animal cells and to ascertain their abilities to be used in industrial and medical purposes. This volume gives readers a complete review of the present state of the art in Japan.

Efficient Livestock Handling: The Practical Application of Animal Welfare and Behavioral Science brings together the science-based disciplines of animal behavior and welfare to discuss how knowledge of one area (behavior) can be used to promote the other. Emphasis is on cattle and horses, but swine, sheep, and goats are also covered. Three major areas are included and integrated into a practical approach to working with the various species. Basic behavior as it applies to handling is discussed, with differences noted between species. The connections of behavior and handling are covered, and practical applications discussed, both with a liberal use of pictures and videos to bring the concepts to life.

This edited volume examines the complex entanglements of human, animal, and environmental health. It assembles leading scholars from the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and medicine to explore existing One Health approaches and to envision a mode of health that is both more-than-human and also more sensitive to, and explicit about, colonial and neocolonial legacies-urging the decolonization of One Health. While acknowledging the importance of One Health, the volume at the same time critically examines its roots, highlighting the structural biases and power dynamics still at play in this global health regime. The volume is distinctive in its geographic breadth. It travels from Inuit sled dogs in the Arctic to rock hyraxes in Jerusalem, from black-faced spoonbills in Taiwan to street dogs in India, from spittle-bugs on Mallorca's almond trees to jellyfish management at sea, and from rabies in sub-Saharan Africa to massive culling practices in South Korea. Together, the contributors call for One Health to move toward a more transparent, plural, and just perception of health that takes seriously the role of more-than-humans and of nonscientific knowledges, pointing to ways in which One Health can-and should-be decolonized. This volume will appeal to researchers and practitioners in the medical humanities, posthumanities, environmental humanities, science and technology studies, animal studies, multispecies ethnography, anthrozoology, and critical public health. The Open Access version of chapter 1, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781003294085, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. Funded by the Wellcome Trust.