Mediterranean Marine Mammal Ecology and Conservation, the latest edition of the Advances in Marine Biology series providing in-depth and up-to-date reviews on all aspects of marine biology since 1963, presents the latest information on Mediterranean marine mammal ecology and conservation. The series is well known for its excellent reviews and editing, and is now edited by Barbara E. Curry (University of Central Florida, USA), along with an internationally renowned Editorial Board. This serial will appeal to postgraduates and researchers in marine biology, fisheries science, ecology, zoology, and biological oceanography. Volumes cover all areas of marine science, both applied and basic, a wide range of topical areas from all areas of marine ecology, oceanography, fisheries management, molecular biology, and the full range of geographic areas from polar seas to tropical coral reefs.

Humpback Dolphins (Sousa spp.): Current Status and Conservation, Part 1 is part of Advances in Marine Biology, a series that has been providing in-depth and up-to-date reviews on all aspects of marine biology since 1963 - more than 50 years of outstanding coverage from a reference that is well known for its contents and editing. This latest addition to the series includes updates on many topics that will appeal to postgraduates and researchers in marine biology, fisheries science, ecology, zoology, and biological oceanography. Specialty areas for the series include marine science, both applied and basic, a wide range of topical areas from all corners of marine ecology, oceanography, fisheries management, and molecular biology, and the full range of geographic areas from polar seas to tropical coral reefs.

A new addition to the successful 'Quick ID guide' series, Primates is a succinct survey of the features and habits of our closest relatives.

Divided into the three main primate groups - great apes, typical monkeys and prosimians (including the bushbabies) - this easy-to-use guide rovides pertinent facts, annotated photographs and up-to-date distribution maps to help readers accurately identify the most commonly seen and charismatic primates in the field.

The capybara is the neotropical mammal with the highest potential for production and domestication. Amongst the favorable characteristics for domestication we can list its high prolificacy, rapid growth rate, a herbivorous diet, social behavior and relative tameness. The genus (with only two species) is found from the Panama Canal to the north of Argentina on the east of the Andes. Chile is the only country in South America where the capybara is not found. The species is eaten all over its range, especially by poor, rural and traditional communities engaged in subsistence hunting. On the other hand, in large urban settlements wildlife is consumed by city dwellers as a delicacy. The sustainable management of capybara in the wild has been adopted by some South American countries, while others have encouraged capybara rearing in captivity.

A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS PLACING THE HUMAN - WOLF RELATIONSHIP IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE International in range and chronological in organisation, this volume aims to grasp the maincurrents of thought about interactions with the wolf in modern history. It focuses on perceptions, interactions and dependencies, and includes cultural and social analyses as well as biological aspects. Wolves have been feared and admired, hunted and cared for. At the same historical moment, different cultural and social groups have upheld widely diverging ideas about the wolf. Fundamental dichotomies in modern history, between nature and culture, wilderness and civilisation and danger and security, have been portrayed in terms of wolf - human relationships. The wolf has been part of aesthetic, economic, political, psychological and cultural reasoning albeit it is nowadays mainly addressed as an object of wildlife management. There has been a major shift in perception from dangerous predator to endangered species, but the big bad fairytale wolf remains a cultural icon.

How does a mudskipper fish manage to “walk” on land? Why is the Hoatzin also known as ‘The Stinkbird’? And once the female Pipa toad has laid her eggs, where does she put them? The answers? The mudskipper can “walk” using its pectoral fins, the Hoatzin has a unique digestive system which gives the bird a manure-like odour, and the female Pipa Toad embeds its eggs on its back where they develop to adult stage. Illustrated throughout with outstanding colour photographs, Strange Animals presents the most unusual aspects of 100 of the most unusual species. The selection spans a broad spectrum of wildlife, from the tallest land living mammal, the giraffe, to the light, laughing chorus of Australian kookaburra birds, from the intelligence of the Bottlenose dolphin to octopuses that change colour when they dream to the slow pace of the three-toed sloth. Arranged geographically, the photographs are accompanied by fascinating captions, which explain the quirky characteristics of each entry. Including egg-laying mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, cannibalistic insects and other invertebrates, Strange Animals is a compelling introduction to some of nature’s most curious beasts.

This is the companion volume to Daniel Klionsky s "Autophagy: Lower Eukaryotes, " which features the basic methods in autophagy covering yeasts and alternative fungi (aspergillus, podospora, magnaporthe). Klionsky is one of the leading authorities in the field. He is the editor-in-chief of "Autophagy." The November 2007 issue of "Nature Reviews" highlighted his article, Autophagy: From phenomenology to molecular understanding in less than a decade. He is currently editing guidelines for the field, with 230 contributing authors, that will publish in "Autophagy."
Particularly in times of stress, like starvation and disease, higher organisms have an internal mechanism in their cells for chewing up and recycling parts of themselves. The process of internal house cleaning in the cell is called autophagy - literally self-eating. Breakthroughs in understanding the molecular basis of autophagy came after the cloning of ATG1 (autophagy-related gene 1) in yeast. (To date, 30 additional yeast genes have been identified.) These ATG genes in yeast were the stepping stones to the explosion of research into the molecular analysis of autophagy in higher eukaryotes. In the future, this research will help to design clinical approaches that can turn on autophagy and halt tumor growth."

Many hundreds of thousands suffer spinal cord injuries leading to loss of sensation and motor function in the body below the point of injury. Spinal cord research has made some significant strides towards new treatment methods, and is a focus of many laboratories worldwide. In addition, research on the involvement of the spinal cord in pain and the abilities of nervous tissue in the spine to regenerate has increasingly been on the forefront of biomedical research in the past years. The Spinal Cord, a collaboration with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, is the first comprehensive book on the anatomy of the mammalian spinal cord. Tens of thousands of articles and dozens of books are published on this subject each year, and a great deal of experimental work has been carried out on the rat spinal cord. Despite this, there is no comprehensive and authoritative atlas of the mammalian spinal cord. Almost all of the fine details of spinal cord anatomy must be searched for in journal articles on particular subjects. This book addresses this need by providing both a comprehensive reference on the mammalian spinal cord and a comparative atlas of both rat and mouse spinal cords in one convenient source. The book provides a descriptive survey of the details of mammalian spinal cord anatomy, focusing on the rat with many illustrations from the leading experts in the field and atlases of the rat and the mouse spinal cord. The rat and mouse spinal cord atlas chapters include photographs of Nissl stained transverse sections from each of the spinal cord segments (obtained from a single unfixed spinal cord), detailed diagrams of each of the spinal cord segments pictured, delineating the laminaeof Rexed and all other significant neuronal groupings at each level and photographs of additional sections displaying markers such as acetylcholinesterase (AChE), calbindin, calretinin, choline acetlytransferase, neurofilament protein (SMI 32), enkephalin, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and neuronal nuclear protein (NeuN).
The text provides a detailed account of the anatomy of the mammalian spinal cord and surrounding musculoskeletal elements.
The major topics addressed are:
- development of the spinal cord
- the gross anatomy of the spinal cord and its meninges
- spinal nerves, nerve roots, and dorsal root ganglia
- the vertebral column, vertebral joints, and vertebral muscles
- blood supply of the spinal cord
- cytoarchitecture and chemoarchitecture of the spinal gray matter
- musculotopic anatomy of motoneuron groups
- tracts connecting the brain and spinal cord
- spinospinal pathways
- sympathetic and parasympathetic elements in the spinal cord
- neuronal groups and pathways that control micturition
- the anatomy of spinal cord injury in experimental animals
The atlas of the rat and mouse spinal cord has the following features:
- Photographs of Nissl stained transverse sections from each of 34 spinal segments for the rat and mouse.
- Detailed diagrams of each of the 34 spinal segments for rat and mouse, delineating the laminae of Rexed and all other significant neuronal groupings at each level.
- Alongside each of the 34 Nissl stained segments, there are additional sections displaying markers such as acetylcholinesterase, calbindin, calretinin, choline acetlytransferase, neurofilament protein (SMI 32), and neuronal nuclear protein (NeuN).
- All the major motoneuron clusters are identified in relation to the individual muscles or muscle groups they supply.

Social and economic systems worldwide are changing rapidly. These changes are accompanied by an increasing demand for natural resources, including land, water, minerals, energy sources, food and timber. Today's foremost challenge lies in finding the tools to address the complexity of these interrelated trends, and in implementing strategies to balance environmental and socioeconomic needs. This volume contributes to this search by presenting original research, topical case studies and emerging best practice from a range of key stakeholders to examine the interface between ape conservation and industrial agriculture. In assessing the drivers behind agricultural expansion and land investments, it sheds light on governance challenges and legal frameworks that shape land use. Intended for policy makers, industry experts, decision makers, academics, researchers and NGOs, it is designed to inform debate, practice and policy to help reconcile the goals of industrial agriculture with those of ape conservation and welfare, and social and economic development. This title is also available as Open Access via Cambridge Books Online.

Normative Biology, Husbandry, and Models, the third volume in the four volume set, The Mouse in Biomedical Research, encompasses 23 chapters whose contents provide a broad overview on the laboratory mouse's normative biology, husbandry, and its use as a model in biomedical research. This consists of chapters on behavior, physiology, reproductive physiology, anatomy, endocrinology, hematology, and clinical chemistry. Other chapters cover management, as well as nutrition, gnotobiotics and disease surveillance. There are also individual chapters describing the mouse as a model for the study of aging, eye research, neurodegenerative diseases, convulsive disorders, diabetes, and cardiovascular and skin diseases. Chapters on imaging techniques and the use of the mouse in assays of biological products are also included.

European Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises: Marine Mammal Conservation in Practice presents an intimate view of the workings of international conservation agreements to protect marine mammals, detailing achievements over the last 25 years, identifying weaknesses and making recommendations that governments, scientists, marine stakeholders and the public can take to improve conservation efforts. The book is written by an experienced marine mammal scientist and award-winning conservationist, providing a unique synthesis on their status, distribution and ecology. In addition, it presents information on various conservation threats, including fisheries by catch, contaminants, noise disturbance, plastic ingestion and climate change. This comprehensive resource will appeal to marine mammal conservationists and researchers, as well as environmental and wildlife practitioners at all levels.

Felines of the World: Discoveries in Taxonomic Classification and History provides the most recent taxonomic, paleontological, phylogenetic and DNA advances of wild felid and domestic cat species following guidelines dictated by the IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group. It highlights the importance of felines and their role as predators in maintaining the ecological biome balance in which they have evolved. The book delves into the anatomical, evolutionary and zoogeographic features of fossil and current felid species. Each species is described in detail, detailing its classification, habitat and biological habits. This book also presents the most updated threat and conservation status of each species. This book is an ideal resource for zoologists and paleontologists, primarily those interested in the evolution and features of extinct and extant felines.

Receptors in the Evolution and Development of the Brain: Matter into Mind presents the key role of receptors and their cognate ligands in wiring the mammalian brain from an evolutionary developmental biology perspective. It examines receptor function in the evolution and development of the nervous system in the large vertebrate brain, and discusses rapid eye movement sleep and apoptosis as mechanisms to destroy miswired neurons. Possible links between trophic deficits and connectional diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and ALS are also discussed. This book is extremely useful to those with an interest in the molecular and cellular neurosciences, including those in cognitive and clinical branches of this subject, and anyone interested in how the incredibly complex human brain can build itself.

More is known about the behavior, anatomy, and molecular biology of the laboratory rat than any other animal species. Although its natural history and psychological functions have been described previously in books, this is the first comprehensive description of its behavior. Both seasoned and beginning investigators will be amazed at the range and complexity of the species as described in the 43 chapters of this volume. The behavioral descriptions are closely tied to the laboratory methods from which they were derived, thus allowing investigators to correlate the behavior and methods and exploit them in their own research. This book is aimed at investigators in neuroscience who may not be familiar with rat behavior, but who wish to incorporate behavioral studies into their own research. Nevertheless, seasoned investigators will also find the book to be a handy reference for behavioral paradigms with which they may not be familiar. It is expected that as the genetic and molecular understanding of the rat develops, there will be an increasing need for knowledge about rat behavior. This book will serve as an indispensable resource for neuroscientists, psychologists, pharmacologists, geneticists, molecular biologists, zoologists, and their students and trainees.

This volume is the third and final part of the planned coverage of the neurochemical circuitry of the primate central nervous system. The five chapters included in this volume complement and integrate magnificently with the two prior volumes.

Included in the volume are the following: a two-fold exposition on the human forebrain, comprised of a comprehensive overview of the entire human forebrain, and a specific focus on the basal forebrain (a region critical for a wide range of human problems ranging from substance abuse to Alzheimer's disease), a critical synthesis of the primate basal ganglia (a region under intense scrutiny for the organization of motor programs, and for their dysfunctions in Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and other malfunctions), the chemical and anatomic details of the primate hippocampal formation in extenso, and lastly, a review of the rapidly growing literature on the mesocortical projection of dopaminergic circuits onto the primate frontal cortex ( a system highly linked to higher order mental abstractions, as well as the dysfunctions of schizophrenia).

Scholars will recognize that the laying out of these status reports on our still vastly incomplete examination of the primate brains is an opportunity for progress.