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.

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.

The real Hans Spemann, German embryologist (1869-1941), developed a concept of embryonic induction through his experiments on early amphibian embryos which demonstrated neural induction by the primary organizer and evocation of the lens by the optic vesicle. For his discovery of the "organizer" he was awarded the Nobel Peace in Physiology and Medicine in 1935, while he was Professor of Zoology at Freiburg, Germany. In the twenties and early thirties Spemann's laboratory was a mecca for students and investigators entering the new field of experimental embryology.

Paleozoology and Paleoenvironments outlines the reconstruction of ancient climates, floras, and habitats on the basis of animal fossil remains recovered from archaeological and paleontological sites. In addition to outlining the ecological fundamentals and analytical assumptions attending such analyzes, J. Tyler Faith and R. Lee Lyman describe and critically evaluate many of the varied analytical techniques that have been applied to paleozoological remains for the purpose of paleoenvironmental reconstruction. These techniques range from analyses based on the presence or abundance of species in a fossil assemblage to those based on taxon-free ecological characterizations. All techniques are illustrated using faunal data from archaeological or paleontological contexts. Aimed at students and professionals, this volume will serve as fundamental resource for courses in zooarchaeology, paleontology, and paleoecology.

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.

Many marine biologists have concentrated on the species approach to the study of marine vertebrates. Although it has long been recognized that species interact, it has been far easier to study that interaction from the viewpoint of only one of the participants. Recently biologists have tried to study interactions from the viewpoint of all participants. Because of the high visibility of birds, it is easy to observe their interactions with other vertebrates such as fish, porpoises, and whales, but it is difficult to obtain quantitative data on their interactions. Seabirds and Other Marine Vertebrates, the only comprehensive examination of its kind, fills a particular niche: that of pulling together in one place the exciting current work in marine species interactions between seabirds and other marine vertebrates.The majority of essays in this work are structured to include a balance between literature review, original data, and synthesis. They concern obvious aspects of predation, competition, and commensalism. These topics relate directly to food acquisition and survival in a marine environment, and provide paradigms for the future study of marine birds and other organisms.Since man's encroachment in coastal and pelagic environments is increasing and poses a threat to marine birds, a volume elucidating various aspects of their interactions has multiple uses. As well as being of value to ornithologist, this work should be useful to other vertebrate biologists, behaviorists, ecologists and managers involved with coastal planning. It is a forerunner of things to come in marine biology.

Walk near woods or water on any spring or summer night and you will hear a bewildering (and sometimes deafening) chorus of frog, toad, and insect calls. How are these calls produced? What messages are encoded within the sounds, and how do their intended recipients receive and decode these signals? How does acoustic communication affect and reflect behavioral and evolutionary factors such as sexual selection and predator avoidance?
H. Carl Gerhardt and Franz Huber address these questions among many others, drawing on research from bioacoustics, behavior, neurobiology, and evolutionary biology to present the first integrated approach to the study of acoustic communication in insects and anurans. They highlight both the common solutions that these very different groups have evolved to shared challenges, such as small size, ectothermy (cold-bloodedness), and noisy environments, as well as the divergences that reflect the many differences in evolutionary history between the groups. Throughout the book Gerhardt and Huber also provide helpful suggestions for future research.

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.

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

The purpose of this book, now in its third edition, is to introduce the morphology of vertebrates in a context that emphasizes a comparison of structire and of the function of structural units. The comparative method involves the analysis of the history of structure in both developmental and evolutionary frameworks. The nature of adaptation is the key to this analysis. Adaptation of a species to its environment, as revealed by its structure, function, and reproductive success, is the product of mutation and natural selection-the process of evolution. The evolution of structure and function, then, is the theme of this book which presents, system by system, the evolution of structure and function of vertebrates. Each chapter presents the major evolutionary trends of an organ system, with instructions for laboratory exploration of these trends included so the student can integrate concept with example.

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.

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.