In the denervated state the mammalian heart, both in vivo and in vitro, is excited at very regular intervals, the coefficient of variance of the interbeat intervals not exceeding 2%. The pacemaker that is the source of this regular ex citation is localised normally within the sinus node (" sino-atrial node " node of Keith and Flack), a most intriguing small piece of tissue in the caval corner of the right atrium. A small portion of this node containing a group of probably only a few thousands of cells fires spontaneously, that means without any exter nal influence to trigger their activity. The so called pacemaker cells do this by letting their membrane potential fall to the level where an action potential will start which subsequently activates surrounding cells to fire an action po tential. The first question which is tackled in this book is which processes underly this spontaneous diastolic depolarization. This is discussed in section I, concerning the fundamental properties of pacemaker cells with special refer ence to ionic membrane currents. Although views still quite differ about the exact nature of the membrane processes that cause the automatic pacemaker dis charge there is agreement that diastolic depolarization is brought about by the interaction of a number of ionic current systems, including both inward and out ward going currents."

The most comprehensive reference guide to the world's sharks-now fully revised and updated Sharks of the World is the essential illustrated guide for anyone interested in these magnificent creatures. Now fully revised and updated, it covers 536 of the world's shark species and is packed with colour illustrations, colour photos and informative diagrams. This comprehensive, easy-to-use reference guide incorporates the latest taxonomic revisions of many shark families, featuring many species that were only described in recent years. It also includes a completely revised and expanded introduction and updated line drawings throughout. Covers 536 shark species from around the world Features updated species accounts, illustrations and maps Gives an illustrated overview of shark biology, ecology and conservation Includes fin identification guides Provides a colour distribution map for every species

The conference represented by this book was made possible by support from NICHD and a planning committee headed by Dr. Richard Sherins. Two general areas of research are included: the first encompasses steroid hormone synthesis, metabolism and transport in the testis; and the second relates to hormonal regula tion of the seminiferous tubule with special emphasis on the con trol of Sertoli cell function. In addition, there are sections on the purification of unique testicular proteins and morpho logical studies with particular emphasis on the Sertoli cell. We would like to express our sincere thanks to Dr. Sherins and his staff at NICHD and to all of the people at the University of North Carolina who participated in the Conference arrangements, to Dr. Judson J. Van Wyk, Chief of the Pediatric Endocrinology Division, and Dr. H. Stanley Bennett, Director of the Laboratories for Reproductive Biology. Our very special thanks to Mrs. Carolyn Jaros for her help in handling the local arrangements. Mrs. Martha Byrd and Mrs. Linda Rollins typed the manuscripts. Miss Leslie Wells and Mr. Albert Smith kindly assisted in proof reading, and Dr. Elizabeth Wilson gave much help with the final editing process. To all of these people, we are most grateful."

Rodents are the predominant experimental animals found in life-sciences research laboratories. The body temperature of a rodent is markedly affected by surgical, chemical or environmental manipulation. Because temperature regulation is controlled essentially by a 'holistic' regulatory system, meaning that its responses affect the activities of all other psychological and behavioural processes, it is clear that researchers working with rodents must be familiar with thermoregulatory physiology. With the help of extensive data tables and figures, this book explains the key facets of rodent thermal physiology, including neurological control and gender and intraspecies variations. There is a novel chapter on the effects of trauma, toxic chemicals and other factors. The book should therefore find use in government, academic or industrial laboratories whose researchers are working with rodents.

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.

Why do people find monkeys and apes so compelling to watch? One clear answer is that they seem so similar to us-a window into our own minds and how we have evolved over millennia. As Charles Darwin wrote in his Notebook, "He who understands baboon would do more toward metaphysics than Locke." Darwin recognized that behavior and cognition, and the neural architecture that support them, evolved to solve specific social and ecological problems. Defining these problems for neurobiological study, and conveying neurobiological results to ethologists and psychologists, is fundamental to an evolutionary understanding of brain and behavior. The goal of this book is to do just that. It collects, for the first time in a single book, information on primate behavior and cognition, neurobiology, and the emerging discipline of neuroethology. Here leading scientists in several fields review work ranging from primate foraging behavior to the neurophysiology of motor control, from vocal communication to the functions of the auditory cortex. The resulting synthesis of cognitive, ethological, and neurobiological approaches to primate behavior yields a richer understanding of our primate cousins that also sheds light on the evolutionary development of human behavior and cognition.

Language is just one particularly highly developed form of primate communication. Recent years have seen increased attention to other forms: studies of animals in the wild, efforts to teach sign language to apes. This volume reflects perspectives from a variety of disciplines on the nature and function of primate signalling systems. Monkeys and apes, like people, live in a world in which they are constantly receiving and transmitting information. How can we interpret the ways in which they process it without imposing our own language-based categorizations? The problem is partly scientific, partly conceptual: that is, partly concerned with what language is. The authors' findings and insights will be of interest to a broad group of primatologists, linguists, psychologists, anthropologists and philosophers.

Studies of brain evolution have moved rapidly in recent years, building on the pioneering research of Harry J. Jerison. This book provides state-of-the-art reviews of primate (including human) brain evolution. The volume is divided into two sections, the first offers new perspectives on the developmental, physiological, dietary, and behavioral correlates of brain enlargement. However, it has long been recognized that brains do not merely enlarge globally as they evolve, but that their cortical and internal organization also changes in a process known as reorganization. Species-specific adaptations therefore have neurological substrates that depend on more than just overall brain size. The second section explores these neurological underpinnings for the senses, adaptations, and cognitive abilities that are important for primates. With a prologue by Stephen J. Gould and an epilogue by Harry J. Jerison, this is an important new reference work for all those working on primate brain evolution.

Spider monkeys are one of the most widespread New World primate genera, ranging from southern Mexico to Bolivia. Although they are common in zoos, spider monkeys are traditionally very difficult to study in the wild, because they are fast moving, live high in the canopy and are almost always found in small subgroups that vary in size and composition throughout the day. The past decade has seen an expansion in research being carried out on this genus and this book is an assimilation of both published and previously unpublished research. It is a comprehensive source of information for academic researchers and graduate students interested in primatology, evolutionary anthropology and behavioral ecology and covers topics such as taxonomy, diet, sexuality and reproduction, and conservation.

Gorillas are one of our closest living relatives, the largest of all living primates, and teeter on the brink of extinction. These fascinating animals are the focus of this in-depth and comprehensive examination of gorilla biology. Gorilla Biology combines recent research in morphology, genetics and behavioural ecology to reveal the complexity and diversity of gorilla populations. The first section focuses on morphological and molecular variation and underscores the importance of understanding diverse biological patterns at all levels in testing evolutionary and adaptive hypotheses and elucidating subspecies and species diversification. Following are discussions of the ecological constraints that influence gorilla social organization and highlight their surprising flexibility. The book ends with discussions of the conservation status of gorillas and the many and increasing threats to their continued survival. Giving insight into the evolutionary biology of these unique primates, this book will be essential reading for primatologists, anthropologists and evolutionary biologists.

Archie Carr, one of the greatest biologists of the twentieth century, played a leading part in finding a new and critical role for natural history and systematics in a post-1950s world dominated by the glamorous science of molecular biology. With the rise of molecular biology came a growing popular awareness of species extinction. Carr championed endangered sea turtles, and his work reflects major shifts in the study of ecology and evolution. A gifted nature writer, his books on the natural history of sea turtles and their habitats in Florida, the Caribbean, and Africa entertained and educated a wide audience. Carr's conservation ethic grew from his field work as well as his friendships with the fishermen who supplied him with many of the stories he retold so engagingly. With Archie Carr as the focus, The Man Who Saved Sea Turtles explores the evolution of the naturalist tradition, biology, and conservation during the twentieth century.

an attempt to rationalize these terminological and conceptual difficulties we have considered the origins of mammalian heat production from two different points of view. The scheme depicted in Fig. 1. 1 illustrates the fate of energy in the body as seen by the nutritionist. After allowing for losses of energy in faeces and urine, the metabolizable energy obtained from food is utilized for main taining and increasing body energy content (maintenance, external work, growth and production). The transformation of metabolizable energy into these forms of net energy also involves inevitable energy losses in the form of heat - thermic energy. Similarly, maintaining homeothermy in cold en vironments involves shivering and non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) and the energy costs of assimilating nutrients and retaining net energy results in obligatory heat losses due to diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT). This obligatory DIT is mainly due to the energy cost of protein and fat synthesis but, in addition to this, there is an adaptive component of DIT that helps maintain body energy content (i. e. body weight) by dissipating the metabolizable energy consumed in excess of the requirements for maintenance, growth and production. In Fig. 1. 2, we have converted this nutritionist's scheme (A) into one that A B r-------. . ., I I Production, Growth I I External work I I I I Essential energy expenditure NET BASAL Obligatory 1 I ENERGY Maintenance HEAT heat I FASTING at (BMR) productlpn for t ROC thermoneutrallty homeothermia r."

This second volume completes the unique survey of North American Tertiary mammals, and covers all the remaining taxa not contained in Volume 1. It provides a complete listing of mammalian diversity over time and space, and evaluates the effect of biogeography and climatic change on evolutionary patterns and faunal transitions, with the distribution in time and space of each taxon laid out in a standardized format. It contains six summary chapters that integrate systematic and biogeographic information for higher taxa, and provides a detailed account of the patterns of occurrence for different species at hundreds of different fossil localities, with the inclusion of many more localities than were contained in the first volume. With over thirty chapters, each written by leading authorities, and an addendum that updates the occurrence and systematics of all of the groups covered in Volume 1, this will be a valuable reference for paleontologists and zoologists.

The subject matter of this volume was the basis for a confer ence held in Philadelphia in June, 1981, and is an important one in the contemporary area of how the host interacts with micro organisms. In conception, it grew out of a graduate course entitled, "The Infectious Process," which has been taught in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Temple University School of Medicine during the past twelve years. This course has explored the broad areas of mechanisms of microbial pathogenesis and host resistance by in-depth consideration of selected models of experimental infection and immunity, as well as the clinical literature. It is noteworthy that there is no adequate text for this material, as the subject matter naturally crosses a wide spectrum of traditional disciplinary lines, encompassing topics as diverse as the mechanisms of action of bacterial toxins, the role of complement and antibody in phagocytosis, and the importance of cross-reacting bacterial polysaccharide antigens in vaccine development. A major portion of the course has always considered "cellular immunity" as it applies to host defenses to intracellular pathogens. It is in this area that the necessity for amalgamation of information from different disciplines is most evident, for one must be intimately concerned with the interactions between the microbe and the phagocyte, both before and after specific immune recognition."

The ecological literature on marsupials is dominated by descriptive natural history, and there has hitherto been little attempt at either synthesis or evolutionary interpretation. This book attempts to provide such a synthesis, by drawing on both the descriptive data base and predictions from the burgeoning literature on behavioural and evolutionary ecology. It documents the excellent potential the study of marsupials provides for resolution of theoretical questions of general importance in biology. It does this in three ways. First, by describing the impressive diversity of marsupial life history strategies and trophic roles. Second, by careful comparison with the eutherians, the scope of the marsupial radiation is used to analyse the role of developmental constraints and adaptive radiation in determining the diversification of higher taxa. Lastly, it is suggested that the accessibility of marsupial young during their obligatory pouch life facilitates measurement, manipulation and assessment of kinship not possible in other mammalian groups. Further special topics include marsupial/plant mutualism, marsupial competition and the empirical uses of mammals with simple life histories.

Written by an award-winning writer and the leader of the Yellowstone Wolf Project, this definitive book recounts the years since the wolves' return to Yellowstone.

This book is intended to be a companion volume to 'Protein Nutrition in Ruminants' (1982, Academic Press), which emphasized both the role of proteins and new systems for their evaluation. Here the focus is on energy-yielding nutrients and problems involved in evaluating them. Nonetheless in both volumes there is explicit recognition of the interdependence of energy and protein nutrition. I have not attempted to review comprehensively all the literature relating to ruminant energy nutrition and must apologize to colleagues whose work is not fully reported. Where possible tables and figures are taken from the studies of our group at the Rowett Research Institute since, if for no other reason, I am most familiar with these data. I have first considered the nutrition of the newborn and have stressed the role of behaviour 'in determining whether nutrients enter or bypass the rumen. The development of the rumen, the of anaerobic fermentation and the roles of various principles . species of rumen bacteria, protozoa and fungi in relation to different substrates, are summarized. This is followed by accounts of the factors affecting the utilization of different substrates and the v vi Preface absorption and metabolism of the end-products of fermentation and digestion, together with estimates of digestive capacity in various segments of the gut. The ruminant's requirements for energy-yielding nutrients is considered in relation to the per formance of various activities and to environmental conditions, particular attention being paid to the requirement for glucose precursors.

From an evolutionary perspective, understanding chimpanzees offers a way of understanding the basis of human nature. This book on cognitive development in chimpanzees is the first of its kind to focus on infants reared by their own mothers within a natural setting, illustrating various aspects of chimpanzee cognition and the developmental changes accompanying them. The subjects are chimpanzees of three generations inhabiting an enriched environment, as well as a wild community in West Africa. There is a foreword by Jane Goodall and 26 color photos of chimpanzees in the laboratory and in the field in West Africa are included.

Cooperative breeding refers to a social system in which individuals other than the parents provide care for the offspring. Since individuals delay breeding and invest in the offspring of others, cooperative breeding poses a challenge to a Darwinian explanation of the evolution of social behaviour. The contributors to this book explore the evolutionary, ecological, behavioural and physiological basis of cooperative breeding in mammals. The book contains a collection of chapters by the leading researchers in the field, and it is dedicated exclusively to the study of mammalian cooperative breeding. It will appeal to zoologists, ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and to those interested in animal behaviour.

One of the most obvious changes that has occurred in behavioural biology in recent years is that it has become conspicuously a problem orientated subject. Moreover, one of the most impor tant consequences of this has been to stimulate interdisciplinary links between evolutionary biology, zoology, ecology, anthro pology and psychology. The time is now right to ask questions which relate whole animals in the contexts of their ecosystems, with their social behaviour and development, with their perceptual and cog nitive capacities. These are new ways of looking at old problems, but we are still at the stage of finding out what kinds of questions to ask. For several years now I have been involved in teaching behavioural biology to students of psychology as well as zoology, and have greatly appreciated the opportunity to relate material across many different subject areas. It is the interfacing of prob lems, as in ecology and psychology for example, that makes 'more sense' of topics such as 'intelligence', responses to 'novelty', feeding strategies and socialleaming. The aim of the book is to provide readily digestible information in a number of areas of current interest in behavioural biology. Above all, it is intended to provide a basis for discussion and further inquiry."

With the expansion of human settlements and the environmental changes brought on by human activity and pollutants toxicology and risk assessment of mammal species is becoming increasingly of interest to toxicologists involved in environmental research. This book focuses specifically on environmental risk assessment in marsupial and placental mammals. Marsupial ecotoxicology is poorly understood in scientific research and as such environmental risk assessment in marsupials is an area of rapidly growing interest. This book will be an ideal companion to toxicologists and ecologists interested in risk assessment in the environments of mammals. Particularly those with an interest in the impact introduced by human activity. The book will also be of interest to those working in conservation biology, biological invasion, biocontrol and habitat management.

Research on the mental abilities of chimpanzees and bonobos has been widely celebrated and used in reconstructions of human evolution. In contrast, less attention has been paid to the abilities of gorillas and orangutans. This 1999 volume aims to help complete the picture of hominoid cognition by bringing together the work on gorillas and orangutans and setting it in comparative perspective. The introductory chapters set the evolutionary context for comparing cognition in gorillas and orangutans to that of chimpanzees, bonobos and humans. The remaining chapters focus primarily on the kinds and levels of intelligence displayed by orangutans and gorillas compared to other great apes, including performances in the classic domains of tool use and tool making, imitation, self-awareness, social communication and symbol use. All those wanting more information on the mental abilities of these sometimes neglected, but important primates will find this book a treasure trove.

Old World monkeys (Cercopithecoidea) are the most successful and diverse group of living non-human primates in terms of the number of species, behavioural repertoires and ecology. They have much to teach us about the processes of evolution and the principles of ecology, and are among our closest living relatives. This volume presents a broad, technical account of cercopithecoid biology including molecular, behavioural and morphological approaches to phylogeny, population structure, allometry, fossil history, functional morphology, ecology, cognitive capabilities, social behaviour and conservation. It will be the definitive reference on this group for professionals and graduate students in primatology, animal behaviour, paleontology, morphology, systematics and physical anthropology, but will also be useful to senior undergraduates.

Of the forty mammal species known to have vanished in the world in the last 200 years, almost half have been Australian. Our continent has the worst record of mammal extinctions, with over 65 mammal species having vanished in the last 50 000 years. It began with the great wave of megafauna extinctions in the last ice-age, and continues today, with many mammal species vulnerable to extinction. The question of why mammals became extinct, and why so many became extinct in Australia has been debated by experts for over a century and a half and we are no closer to agreement on the causes. This book introduces readers to the great mammal extinction debate. Chris Johnson takes us on a detective-like tour of these extinctions, uncovering how, why and when they occurred.

Of the forty mammal species known to have vanished in the world in the last 200 years, almost half have been Australian. Our continent has the worst record of mammal extinctions, with over 65 mammal species having vanished in the last 50 000 years. It began with the great wave of megafauna extinctions in the last ice-age, and continues today, with many mammal species vulnerable to extinction. The question of why mammals became extinct, and why so many became extinct in Australia has been debated by experts for over a century and a half and we are no closer to agreement on the causes. This book introduces readers to the great mammal extinction debate. Chris Johnson takes us on a detective-like tour of these extinctions, uncovering how, why and when they occurred.