This book traces the evolution of the dog, from its origins about 15,000 years ago up to recent times. The timing of dog domestication receives attention, with comparisons between different genetics-based models and archaeological evidence. Allometric patterns between dogs and their ancestors, wolves, shed light on the nature of the morphological changes that dogs underwent. Dog burials highlight a unifying theme of the whole book: the development of a distinctive social bond between dogs and people; the book also explores why dogs and people relate so well to each other. Though cosmopolitan in overall scope, the greatest emphasis is on the New World, with an entire chapter devoted to dogs of the arctic regions, mostly in the New World. Discussion of several distinctive modern roles of dogs underscores the social bond between dogs and people.

Madagascar is home to an extraordinary number of frog species, with nearly all native species endemic to the island and many not yet described by science. While a considerable percentage of these species occur in the eastern humid forests of the island, many are found in the more poorly documented dry forests of west and south Madagascar. As a result of various human pressures, these animals are among the most threatened vertebrates on the island. In this highly illustrated French-language guide, the authors provide both a detailed introduction to the amphibians of Madagascar as well as the most comprehensive information ever assembled on the forty-five species of frogs known from the dry western areas, with details on identification, calls, tadpoles, distribution, habitat, and conservation status.

This volume presents state-of-the-art papers on important topics and methods in the analysis of vertebrate microfossil assemblages. The minute remains of animals and plants have proven very useful to paleontologists as tools for dating large fossils, describing the environments which existed at the time the fossils were deposited, and identifying and mapping the extent of local floras and faunas, among other things. Due to the large sample sizes that can be obtained, the chance to recover rare taxa is much higher than it is during a search for skeletal remains. Analysis of the data produced from microvertebrate localities can address a wide range of questions as these papers clearly demonstrate.

Physiological ecology has grown in importance as an area of biology in the past thirty years and integrates the diverse approaches used in the comparative biology of organisms. Biologists segregate their approaches by technique and concept, but the boundaries among ecology, behavior, anatomy, and physiology are arbitrary and of no significance to organisms. Physiological ecology emphasizes the diversity of not only organisms, but also of solutions to (and evasions of) problems posed by the environment.In a comprehensive and authoritative synthesis of physiological ecology supported by more than 3,100 references, Brian K. McNab demonstrates the intellectual cohesion of the field. To ground his discussion in clearly understood contexts, McNab emphasizes the common thread of energy expenditure throughout the text and limits the discussion to vertebrates, which have familiar habitats and comparatively well-known evolutionary histories.A thorough scientific resource and reference tool, Physiological Ecology of Vertebrates is the first book to cover this complex subject. It will be the standard reference and basis for much future research in this fast-growing field of study.

In 1861, just a few years after the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, a scientist named Hermann von Meyer made an amazing discovery. Hidden in the Bavarian region of Germany was a fossil skeleton so exquisitely preserved that its wings and feathers were as obvious as its reptilian jaws and tail. This transitional creature offered tangible proof of Darwin's theory of evolution.

Hailed as the First Bird, Archaeopteryx has remained the subject of heated debates for the last 140 years. Are birds actually living dinosaurs? Where does the fossil record really lead? Did flight originate from the "ground up" or "trees down"? Pat Shipman traces the age-old human desire to soar above the earth and to understand what has come before us. Taking Wing is science as adventure story, told with all the drama by which scientific understanding unfolds.

This unique book synthesizes the ongoing long-term community ecology studies of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The studies have been conducted from deserts to rainforests as well as in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitats and provide valuable insight that can be obtained only through persistent, diligent, and year-after-year investigation.
Long-Term Studies of Vertebrate Communities is ideal for faculty, researchers, graduate students, and undergraduates in vertebrate biology, ecology, and evolutionary biology, including ecology, natural history, and systematics.
Key Features
* Provides unique perspectives of community stability and variation
* Details the influence of natural and other perturbations on community structure
* Includes synopses by well-known authors
* Presents results from a broad range of vertebrate taxa
* Studies were conducted at different latitudes and in different habitats

In this authoritative three-volume reference work, leading researchers bring together current work to provide a comprehensive analysis of the comparative morphology, development, evolution, and functional biology of the skull.

Christopher McGowan sets out to solve some of the enduring mysteries about dinosaurs and other prehistoric reptiles. He makes fascinating comparisons between living and extinct animals while presenting topics that range from gigantism to intellect. In addition to exploring the natural history of the Mesozoic Era, McGowan draws on science and engineering concepts to explain curiosities such as the similarities between the aerodynamics of pteranodons and Spitfire planes.

This series of volumes represents a comprehensive and integrated treatment of reproduction in vertebrates from fishes of all sorts through mammals. It is designed to provide a readable, coordinated description of reproductive basics in each group of vertebrates as well as an introduction to the latest trends in reproductive research and our understanding of reproductive events. Whereas each chapter and each volume is intended to stand alone as a review of that topic or vertebrate group, respectively, the volumes are prepared so as to provide a thorough topical treatment across the vertebrates. Terminology has been standardized across the volumes to reduce confusion where multiple names exist in the literature, and a comprehensive glossary of these terms and their alternative names is provided.
*A complete, essential and up to date reference for research scientists working on vertebrate hormones and reproduction - and on animlals as models in human reproductive research.
*Covers the endocrinology, neuroendocrinology, physiology, behaviour and anatomy of vertebrate reproduction.
*Structured coverage of the major themes for all five vertebrate groups allows a consistent treatment for all.
*Special chapters elaborate on features specific to individual vertebrate groups and to comparative aspects, similarities and differences between them.

The cloning of the SRY gene and the attainment of XX mice transgenic for the Sry gene opened a new era in research on sex determination. This book surveys current knowledge of sex chromosomes and sex determination in all vertebrate classes, relying on the restriction of genetic recombination in sex chromosomes as the unifying concept of this subject. The book's interdisciplinary approach integrates contributions from the fields of cytogenetics, molecular biology, developmental biology, and evolutionary genetics. A detailed treatment of the meiotic behavior of sex chromosomes is featured, and the entire text is supplemented by numerous schemes, drawings, and electron micrographs.
The book will be valuable to general cytogeneticists, vertebrate zoologists, and veterinarian and medical practitioners interested in the foundations of sex determination and the current knowledge of sex chromosomes. It will also interest students in advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in these areas.