The ovary is a suitable organ for studying the processes of cell death. Cell death was first described in the rabbit ovary (Graaffian follicles), the phenomenon being called 'chromatolysis'. To date, it is recognized that various forms of cell death (programmed cell death, apoptosis and autophagy) are essential components of ovarian development and function. Programmed cell death is responsable for the ovarian endowment of primordial follicles around birth; in the prepuberal and adult period, apoptosis is a basic mechanism by which oocytes are eliminated by cancer therapies and environmental toxicants; in the ovarian cycle, follicular atresia and luteal regression involve follicular cell apoptosis. Finally, abnormalities in cell death processes may lead to ovarian disease such as cancer and chemoresistance. In this book, after an introductory description of various forms of cell death and of the ovary development and function in mammals, the processes of cell death in ovarian somatic cells and oocytes are described at cytological, physiological and molecular levels and analyzed in the embryonic, prepuberal and adult ovary. A complex array of molecular pathways triggered by extrinsic and intrinsic signals able tor induce or suppress cell death in the same cell, according to cell type and ovary developmental stage, emerges. Physiological interactions with the axis hypothalamus-hypophysis as well as ovarian internal functional signal are also critically reviewed to explain the abortive development of follicles before the beginning of the ovarian cycle. The book conveys information useful to the updating of biologists and physicians who are interested to the ovary biology and functions. Hopefully it should provide also clues for stimulating novel experiments in the study of cell death in the mammalian ovary still at an early stage.

In the 1960s, it was believed that no more than about 4,000 orang-utans remained in the wild. Consequently, IUCN - The World Conservation Union - declared the ape an endangered species, demanding its world-wide protection. Nevertheless, the orang-utan today faces extinction because it is dependent on a rain-forest habitat that is rapidly being demolished due to human greed, and a growing human population. Rijksen was among the first to make a detailed study of the ape in the wild, emerging as an authority on orang-utan conservation. In the late 1980s he became so alarmed by local rumours of the rapid decline of wild orang-utans that he initiated the study leading to this book. Meijaard conducted the ambitious, island-spanning surveys in Borneo and Sumatra to reveal the ape's whereabouts. This is the story of their findings. It is the first comprehensive study of the ape's distribution and status based on a wealth of first-hand field data, and a frank, disturbing account of a mixture of good intentions, ignorance and greed, spelling doom for our Asian relative. Nevertheless, the authors emphasise that the orang-utan can survive. A realistic plan to save the ape, and with it thousands of unique wild animals and plants, does exist. It is the authors' hope that Our Vanishing Relative, so urgent and eloquent in its description of the deadly net of problems descending over our helpless relative, will awaken attention and empathy in order to safeguard the future of the orang-utan.

This book fills the gap in the available literature on modelling farm animal systems. This monograph has a broad and comprehensive coverage of ruminant systems and features the application of models in animal biology. It will be of great value to animal scientists, agricultural scientists, modellers and animal physiologists.

The Chilton Conference on Inositol and Phosphoinositides, held on January 9-11, 1984 at Southwestern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center, Dallas, Texas, was the third in a series of conferences on cyclitols and phosphoinositides. The first took place in 1968 in New York [Ann. New York Acad. Sci. (1969), 765,508-819] and the second was held in 1977 in East Lansing, Michigan [eyclitols and Phosphoinositides, Wells, W. W. and Eisenberg, F. , eds. , (1978) Academic press, New York, pp. 1-607. ] In the interim since the previous conference, not only has the pace of research in the field accelerated markedly, but the physiological importance of phosphoinositide metabolism has become apparent to an increasing number of investigators from diverse fields in the life sciences. Thus it seemed to us timely for both recent and established workers in this area, as well as others whose interests impinged on it, to meet in order to disseminate new information, to review, and perhaps arrive at, a consensus of our current understanding of the role of inositol and phosphoinositides, and to establish new directions for research for the next few years. The expansion of the field since the last meeting made it mandatory to restrict the scope of the topics covered at the conference, primarily to aspects dealing with mammalian systems. We sincerely regretted the exclusion of recent research on cyclitols and phosphoinositides in microbes and plants and hope that these areas will be included in future conferences.

First published in 1981, Dynamics of Large Mammal Populations was written by experts from four continents and six countries. It is a collection of papers on the population dynamics of large mammals and was the first synthesis of work in the field. The book helped provide identity and coherence to an emerging field. It has become a much-sought-after book. The theoretical and empirical studies presented demonstrate the ways in which numbers of animals in large mammal populations change over time in response to a variety of factors. The studies cover a wide variety of species - including both terrestrial and marine mammals - and compare the population dynamics of various groups such as herbivores, carnivores, ungulates, cetaceans and pinnipeds. Included are species involved in controversial population management problems. Also covered are advances in managing the populations of large mammals, and advances in the theoretical basis of large mammal population dynamics. Numerous examples detail the interaction of mammals with their ecosystems. Population biologists, wildlife biologists and managers, government researchers, environmentalists and marine mammal scientists can use the information made available here as a basis for comparative research and practical applications. "The book contains an excellent mix of theoretical chapters, general overviews, and studies of specific animal speces, ranging from seals and whales to lions and elephants, taking deer, wolves, and grizzly bears along the way... But to the specialist it will be indispensable, forming as it does the only authoritative volume that deals with the population dynamics of this important group of animals." ORYX Fauna & Flora Preservation Society, July, 1983. "One immediately realizes, by skimming the citations of the different chapters, that the researchers, working on such animals as whales, bears, seals, lions, and elephants had not been talking to one another, and that this book represents something of a first in this regard." Mathematical Biosciences, 1983. "The book will be of particular interest and value to wildlife biologists faced with problems of managing wildlife resources and to people who use the resources." The Quarterly Review of Biology, 1982. "This is an excellent book. One doesn't have to be a population biologist to understand the material. Best of all, the authors are refreshingly frank about areas of ignorance in population biology and the failure of even the best simulaion models to fit the real world... To sum up, there is food for thought in this volume for every zoologist with an interest in population biology and especially for those who study large mammals." BioScience 1982. "In bringing a wealth of research effort to a wider readership, this book cannot fail to stimulate" Biometrics, 1982.

Illustrated throughout with 200 outstanding colour photographs, Endangered Animals presents an in-depth look at around 100 species of animal from around the world, all of which are currently endangered or threatened according to the annual list drawn up by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The selection spans a broad spectrum of wildlife, from large, charismatic mammals such as the Bengal tiger to lesser-known species such as New Zealand's kakapo, the world's only flightless parrot, which was once presumed to be extinct. Each continent is covered, with examples carefully drawn from every habitat - from the mysterious aye-aye of Madagascar's shrinking rainforest, to the shy spectacled bear of the high Andes. Arranged geographically, each photographic entry is supported by a fascinating caption, which explains the animal's current plight and whether it is critically endangered or classified as vulnerable. From the Ethiopian wolf to the Bengal tiger to monk seal and dugong, Endangered Animals is a fascinating introduction to some of the most threatened species on the planet.

Research in whale origins is now in an explosive phase, with a cascade of discoveries adding to our understanding of the evolutionary pattern and a suite of new techniques being applied to address new questions. The objective of this volume is to provide a snapshot of this explosion. The volume paints the scene with a broad brush. Taken together the chapters clearly indicate that cetacean origins is a field that is dynamic, multidisciplinary, and that the end of the explosive phase is not in sight.

Amino acid transport is a part of each of two larger subjects, amino acid metabolism and the biomembrane transport of various . small molecules and ions. Nevertheless in this volume we treat amino acid transport as more than a fragment of either of these two larger subjects. A more comprehensive approach is justified when we remember two historic and ongoing aspects of the title subject. First, amino acid transport had its beginning and acquired a distinct momentum (even if somewhat interrupted from 1913 until about 1945) as amino acid metabolism with the central and pioneer work of Van Slyke and Meyer in 1913. The reviews in this volume will show that it steadily becomes a larger aspect of amino acid metabolism, broadly perceived. These chapters will show for how many organelles, cells, tissues, organs and organ systems, the transmembrane compartmentations and flows of amino acids play very large parts in their fundamental biological relations. The authors here are tending collectively to evaluate an understanding of amino acid flows across biomernbranes, and the regulation of these flows, as necessary to an ultimate understanding of the full range of development and metabolism. Such an understanding goes far beyond the purely substrate-destabilizing contributions by enzymes, which have often been arbitrarily limited to that conceptual entity, "the cell," and which for so long a splendid time had most of biochemical research attention.

It has been twelve years since a work relating to the long-tailed African monkeys known as the guenons has been published and fifteen years have passed since the last major scientific symposium was held that was solely dedicated to current research on members of this monkey group living in the wild. Since that time, new guenon species and subspecies have been discovered, previously unstudied guenon species have become the subject of long-term research projects, and knowledge of the more well-known guenon species has greatly increased. This volume presents novel information and keen insight on research previously studied and newly discovered. A wide range of topics related to guenon biology is presented, including evolution, taxonomy, biogeography, reproductive physiology, social and positional behavior, ecology, and conservation. Composed of 26 chapters compiled by 47 authors, many of whom are young investigators in their field, The Guenons: Diversity and Adaptation in African Monkeys provides a valuable resource for researchers and scientists in the fields of anthropology, primatology, zoology, and conservation biology.

This book challenges the assumption that morphological data are inherently unsuitable for phylogeny reconstruction, argues that both molecular and morphological phylogenies should play a major role in systematics, and provides the most comprehensive review of the comparative anatomy, homologies and evolution of the head, neck, pectoral and upper limb muscles of primates. Chapters 1 and 2 provide an introduction to the main aims and methodology of the book. Chapters 3 and 4 and Appendices I and II present the data obtained from dissections of the head, neck, pectoral and upper limb muscles of representative members of all the major primate groups including modern humans, and compare these data with the information available in the literature. Appendices I and II provide detailed textual (attachments, innervation, function, variations and synonyms) and visual (high quality photographs) information about each muscle for the primate taxa included in the cladistic study of Chapter 3, thus providing the first comprehensive and up to date overview of the comparative anatomy of the head, neck, pectoral and upper limb muscles of primates. The most parsimonious tree obtained from the cladistic analysis of 166 head, neck, pectoral and upper limb muscle characters in 18 primate genera, and in representatives of the Scandentia, Dermoptera and Rodentia, is fully congruent with the evolutionary molecular tree of Primates, thus supporting the idea that muscle characters are particularly useful to infer phylogenies. The combined anatomical materials provided in this book point out that modern humans have fewer head, neck, pectoral and upper limb muscles than most other living primates, but are consistent with the proposal that facial and vocal communication and specialized thumb movements have probably played an important role in recent human evolution. This book will be of interest to primatologists, comparative anatomists, functional morphologists, zoologists, physical anthropologists, and systematicians, as well as to medical students, physicians and researchers interested in understanding the origin, evolution, homology and variations of the muscles of modern humans. Contains 132 color plates.

Environmental conditions change considerably in the course of 24 h with respect to abiotic factors and intra- and interspecific interactions. These changes result in limited time windows of opportunity for animal activities and, hence, the question of when to do what is subject to fitness maximisation. This volume gives a current overview of theoretical considerations and empirical findings of activity patterns in small mammals, a group in which the energetic and ecological constraints are particularly severe and the diversity of activity patterns is particularly high. Following a comparative ecological approach, for the first time activity timing is consequently treated in terms of behavioural and evolutionary ecology, providing the conceptual framework for chronoecology as a new subdiscipline within behavioural ecology. An extensive Appendix gives an introduction to methods of activity modelling and to tools for statistical pattern analysis.

The order Rodentia is the most abundant and successful group of mammals, and it has been a focal point of attention for compar ative and evolutionary biologists for many years. In addition, rodents are the most commonly used experimental mammals for bio medical research, and they have played a central role in investi gations of the genetic and molecular mechanisms of speciation in mammals. During recent decades, a tremendous amount of new data from various aspects of the biology of living and fossil rodents has been accumulated by specialists from different disciplines, ranging from molecular biology to paleontology. Paradoxically, our understanding of the possible evolutionary relationships among different rodent families, as well as the possible affinities of rodents with other eutherian mammals, has not kept pace with this information "explosion. " This abundance of new biological data has not been incorporated into a broad synthesis of rodent phylo geny, in part because of the difficulty for any single student of rodent evolution to evaluate the phylogenetic significance of new findings from such diverse disciplines as paleontology, embryology, comparative anatomy, molecular biology, and cytogenetics. The origin and subsequent radiation of the order Rodentia were based primarily on the acquisition of a key character complex: specializations of the incisors, cheek teeth, and associated mus culoskeletal features of the jaws and skull for gnawing and chewing."

In very general terms, "scaling" can be defined as the structural and func tional consequences of differences in size (or scale) among organisms of more or less similar design. Interest in certain aspects of body size and scaling in primate biology (e. g., relative brain size) dates to the turn of the century, and scientific debate and dialogue on numerous aspects of this general subject have continued to be a primary concern of primatologists, physical an thropologists, and other vertebrate biologists up to the present. Indeed, the intensity and scope of such research on primates have grown enormously in the past decade or so. Information continues to accumulate rapidly from many different sources, and the task of synthesizing the available data and theories on any given topic is becoming increasingly formidable. In addition to the formal exchange of new ideas and information among scientific experts in specific areas of scaling research, two of the major goals of this volume are an assessment of our progress toward understanding various size-related phe nomena in primates and the identification of future prospects for continuing advances in this realm. Although the subject matter and specific details of the issues considered in the 20 chapters that follow are very diversified, all topics share the same fundamental and unifying biological theme: body size variation in primates and its implications for behavior and ecology, anatomy and physiology, and evolution."

This book is a collection of original research papers given at a symposium entitled "Sensory Systems and Behavior of Aquatic Mammals", hosted by the USSR Academy of Sciences. The meeting was held in Moscow from 16 to 25 October, 1991 and involved nearly 100 scientists from around the world. The major headings of the book correspond to the session topics at the symposium. This meeting was not the first dedicated to problems of sensory systems in aquatic mammals. Experts in this field met several times previously to discuss important problems of sensory functions in echolocating animals. symposia on biosonar systems were held in Frascati, Italy in 1966, then in Jersey, France in 1978, and in Helsingor, Denmark in 1986. Papers presented at these meetings were pUblished in books that advanced significantly the understanding of sensory systems (Busnel and Fish, 1980; Nachtigall and Moore, 1988). Initially, echolocating bats were the main subjects of consideration. However, studies on echolocating aquatic mammals, whales and dolphins, increased from one meeting to the next. Indeed, aquatic mammals are of exceptional interest for studying the adaptation of sensory functions for echolocation in specific aquatic environments. As a natural consequence of these developments, the 1989 symposium in Rome was devoted specifically to the sensory systems of cetaceans (Thomas and Kastelein, 1990). This symposium was held within the Fifth International Theriological Congress and was attended by many scientists.

This book describes the major steps by which the mammalian ear transforms sound into nerve impulses. The author leads us along the pathway followed by an acoustic signal--collected by the outer ear, augmented by the middle ear, then delivered to the inner ear where the minuscule vibrations of the sound waves are transformed into nerve impulses. At each stage, the basic mechanisms are described qualitatively in terms of current theories and illustrated with experimental data. Where appropriate, related mechanisms in the ears of other vertebrates are considered. It is shown that the mammalian ear does an exquisite job of translating sound signals into a very robust nerve-pulse code. The book concludes with descriptions of some common ear impairments and a brief survey of the treatments available for them. The text is integrated with animations of mechanical and neural phenomena available through the Internet.

The Springer Handbook oj Auditory Research presents a series of com prehensive and synthetic reviews of the fundamental topics in modern auditory research. It is aimed at all individuals with interests in hearing research including advanced graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and clinical investigators. The volumes will introduce new investigators to important aspects of hearing science and will help established investigators to better understand the fundamental theories and data in fields of hearing that they may not normally follow closely. Each volume is intended to present a particular topic comprehensively, and each chapter will serve as a synthetic overview and guide to the literature. As such, the chapters present neither exhaustive data reviews nor original research that has not yet appeared in peer-reviewed journals. The series focuses on topics that have developed a solid data and conceptual foundation rather than on those for which a literature is only beginning to develop. New research areas will be covered on a timely basis in the series as they begin to mature. Each volume in the series consists of five to eight substantial chapters on a particular topic. In some cases, the topics will be ones of traditional interest for which there is a solid body of data and theory, such as auditory neuroanatomy (Vol. 1) and neurophysiology (Vol. 2). Other volumes in the series will deal with topics which have begun to mature more recently, such as development, plasticity, and computational models of neural processing."

The cerebral neocortex, a structure unique to the mammalian brain and prerequisite for higher cognitive functions, has since decades attracted the curiosity of neurobiologists and developmental biologists alike. This volume gives a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of early cortical development. It provides concise information on the birth, specification, migration and terminal differentiation of neocortical cells. Both the cellular and molecular events leading to the establishment of a functional neocortex are presented in considerable detail, and possible implications for neurodegenerative diseases are discussed.

It has been established that TNF receptor associated factors (TRAFs) are critical signaling mediators for not only the TNF receptor superfamily, but also the interleukin-1 receptor/Toll-like receptor superfamily and the T-cell receptors. They play important roles in mammalian biology including embryonic development, innate and adaptive immune regulation and maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Agents that manipulate the signaling of these receptors are being used or showing promise towards the treatment and prevention of many human diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, coronary heart disease, transplantation rejection, insulin resistance, multiple organ failure and cancer. TNF Receptor Associated Factors is the only literature that is entirely devoted to TRAFs. Almost every aspect of TRAF signaling is covered, including the different TRAF family members, their distinct biological functions, the TRAF structures, their modes of receptor recognition, the signaling mechanisms, and the roles of TRAFs in normal cellular functions and in viral infection. TNF Receptor Associated Factors is intended for a wide audience, including researchers in the field of TRAF signaling and students and postdoctoral fellows learning cell biology and cell signal transduction. This exciting new volume is up to date on the most recent advances in TRAF signal transduction.

"Meshing deft scientific text with Tuttle's sumptuous images, it's a superb introduction to the baroque morphologies and flying prowess of these beguiling beasts."- Nature Bats: An Illustrated Guide to All Species looks in detail at the more than 1,300 species known today. Nocturnal, fast-flying and secretive, they are endlessly fascinating, yet extremely difficult to observe and catalogue. The diversity of bats is both rich and underestimated and the threats they face from humans are very real. This guide illuminates the world of bats and reveals their true nature as intelligent, social and deeply misunderstood creatures. This extravagantly illustrated handbook features the work of famed nature photographer Merlin D. Tuttle and in-depth profiles of 288 bats, from the Large Flying Fox, which has a wingspan of more than five feet, to the Bumblebee Bat, contender for the world's smallest mammal. Bats includes close-up images of these animals' delicate and intricate forms and faces, each shaped by evolution to meet the demands of an extraordinarily specialized life, and a thorough introduction which explores their natural history and unique adaptations to life on the wing. If you like this you might also be interested in Owls by Marianne Taylor . . .

Scientific developments have increasingly been transforming our understanding of the place of human beings in nature. The study of humanity, carried out in a variety of disciplines from anthropology and paleontology to genetics and neurosciences, is shedding new light on the origins and biological bases of human nature and culture. The findings of these relatively new hyphenated sciences have profound implications for the interpretation of human behavior within spiritual life no less than the material culture. This fine compendium serves as a splendid introduction to sociobiology. Sociobiology, now frequently being referred to by many as evolutionary psychology and evolutionary anthropology, first offered a radically selfish and individualist account of human nature. However, later researchers have moved away from such reductionisms, and into a sense of the common good that characterizes many species, and human brings as well. The emergence of discourses on the role of religion in understanding behavior in terms of moral considerations that permit people to live in community contexts has generated a lively examination within the new social sciences on the source of instinct, impulse, intelligence and interest. This compendium is clearly etched in a new and generous vision of human behavior that is at the same time rooted in the best of the current social sciences. "The Origins and Nature of" Sociality comes out of a symposium sponsored by the Program for Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and co-chaired by the editors. The contributors focus on the current status of research on sociality and the evolution of cooperative and altruistic behavior in nonhuman and human primates. They examine questions related to the evolution, cultural viability, and hormonal underpinnings of human sociality in specific detail, and describe patterns of sociality among nonhuman primates that many shed light on human social behavior. "Robert W. Sussman" is professor of anthropology, at Washington University in St. Louis. His work has appeared, among other places, in "The American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Folia Primatology," and Zygon. "Audrey R. Chapman" serves as director of the Science and Human Rights program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in Washington D.C.

This volume reviews the meaning of taxonomic statements and considers our present knowledge regarding the number and characteristics of species among living and extinct primates, including man and his ancestors. They also examine the relationship of behaviour changes and selection pressures in evolutionary sequences. First published in 1964.

This volume focuses on the effects of natural and introduced toxicants on organs and systems in marine mammals. It includes overview chapters on health status and contaminations with subsequent chapters devoted to whales, pinnipeds (seals), dolphins, polar bears, manatees, and sea otters. The concluding chapter addresses perspectives and issues for the future.
Toxicologists working in marine biology and veterinary medicine, conservation scientists, fisheries scientists, environmental scientists, and wildlife managers will all benefit from this comprehensive resource.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203165578

Pathology of the Laboratory Rabbit serves as a “go to” text for all pathologists working on laboratory rabbits in safety assessment studies. The book helps diagnostic veterinary pathologists rule out spontaneous non-clinical disease pathology when assigning cause of death to these animals which are also kept as domestic pets. The book provides a comprehensive text on the spontaneous pathology seen in common laboratory rabbit strains. This is the first book collating information on all organ systems in these strains.

Primate locomotion has typically been studied from two points of view. Laboratory-based researchers have focused on aspects like biomechanics and energetics, whereas field-based researchers have focused on (locomotor) behaviour and ecology. Unfortunately, to date, there is relatively little scientific exchange between both groups. With a book, which will be the result of a symposium on the 2008 Meeting of the International Primatological Society in Edinburgh, we would like to bring together laboratory and field-based primate locomotion studies. We are convinced this will be beneficial for both research lines. For example, biomechanists might wonder how frequently the locomotor style they study in the lab actually occurs in nature, and field workers might use calculated costs of locomotion to understand why certain locomotor behaviours are favoured under specific conditions. Thus, on the one hand, an established link between both groups may help interpret the results by using each other's findings. On the other hand, recent technological advances (e.g. portable high-speed cameras) make it possible to bridge the gap between lab-based and field-based research by actually collecting biomechanical data in situ. Again, communication between both groups is necessary to identify the specific needs and start up achievable and successful research projects in the field. In order to generate a wide interest, we have invited biomechanists, ecologists, and field-based researchers who combine both disciplines, and we hope their combined contributions will facilitate lasting cooperation between the mentioned disciplines and stimulate innovative research in Primatology. We are convinced that the most appropriate format to publish the different symposium contributions is a conference volume within an existing book series. Firstly, the chapters will not only contain new data but will also review existing data and elaborate on potential future work - more so than can be done in a journal article. Secondly, the combination of chapters will form an entity that is more valuable than the sum of the separate chapters and therefore they need to be presented together. Lastly, this volume will benefit from the typically long "shelf life" of a book in a renowned series, allowing it to be used as reference book for both researchers and students.