|
|
Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Zoology & animal sciences > Vertebrates > Mammals
The illegal trade in live apes, ape meat and body parts occurs
across all ape range states and poses a significant and growing
threat to the long-term survival of wild ape populations worldwide.
What was once a purely subsistence and cultural activity, now
encompasses a global multi-million-dollar trade run by
sophisticated trans-boundary criminal networks. The challenge lies
in teasing apart the complex and interrelated factors that drive
the ape trade, while implementing strategies that do not exacerbate
inequality. This volume of State of the Apes brings together
original research and analysis with topical case studies and
emerging best practices, to further the ape conservation agenda
around killing, capture and trade. This title is also available as
Open Access via Cambridge Core.
Although much is known about the anatomy of adult primates,
particularly chimpanzees, the same cannot be said for the anatomy
of young primates, especially non-hominoid primates such as lemurs
and marmosets. This is the first book dedicated to newborn skeletal
and dental anatomy and how it varies across primate species, which
is important for interpreting adult primate skeletal form, as well
as for comprehending primate and human evolution. Structured
according to anatomical regions, the book includes hundreds of
detailed anatomical illustrations, a color atlas illustrating
entire skeletons in representative taxa, and boxes at the end of
each chapter providing further detail on key aspects covered in the
main text. Whilst the book is primarily a guide to comparative
anatomy, it also highlights the links between development and
behavior. An indispensable resource for students and researchers in
the fields of biological anthropology, anatomy, primatology, growth
and development, dental biology, and veterinary medicine.
Visitors cannot help but be enchanted by the sea lions of Los
Islotes. They emanate finesse and charm without a hint of illusion
or wizardry. There is no incantation or voodoo, just an abounding
sense of play that inspires every visitor. When it comes to wild
animal encounters, Los Islotes is almost nirvana. Few places so
close to a city can truly offer such a convenient and accessible
opportunity to interact with Mother Nature in her untamed state.
California sea lions are the main residents, strangely thriving in
a place so accessible to tourists. Initial introductions begin at
the surface; encounters are then formalized below the water as
Poseidon's ocean ambassadors exuberantly whiz towards and around
diver and snorkeler alike. With vivid underwater photography
throughout by a uniquely positioned author, The Sea Lions of Los
Islotes takes readers straight into the world of these most
charismatic marine mammals.
Nearly half the world's primate species use flooded habitats at one
time or another, from swamp-going Congo gorillas and
mangrove-eating proboscis monkeys, to uacaris in Amazonian
riverside forests. This first-ever volume on the subject brings
together experts from around the world in a ground breaking volume
spanning fossil history, current biology and future research and
conservation priorities. Flooded habitats are a vital part of
tropical biology, both for the diversity of the species they house,
and the complexity of their ecological interactions, but are often
completely overlooked. This book will set the stage for a new wave
of research on primates in these extraordinarily productive and
highly threatened areas, and is ideal for researchers and graduate
students in primatology, zoology, ecology, and conservation.
This volume brings together some of the best known and respected
experts in the field of marine mammal biology to provide a cohesive
and accessible text. A very broad scope of topics and examples are
classified as marine mammals; the whales, dolphins and porpoises
(cetaceans), seals, sea lions, fur seals and walruses (pinnipeds),
manatees and dugongs (sirenians), and the sea otter and polar bear
(carnivores). Topics covered include diversity, distribution and
evolutionary patterns, anatomical and physiological adaptations,
vocal and social behaviour, problem solving and memory, feeding
ecology and energetics, life history and reproductive strategies,
patterns of movement and population genetics, and conservation and
management. Chapters are fully cross-referenced and illustrated,
and the citations are numerous and current. All chapters are united
by the theme of evolutionary context, addressing the question of
how these diverse mammalian species have adapted to life in the
oceans. The intended audience includes students of marine biology,
ecology and evolution, as well as professionals with an interest in
marine mammals, evolutionary pattern and process, zoology and
ecology.
What is animal welfare? Why has it proved so difficult to find a
definition that everyone can agree on? This concise and accessible
guide is for anyone who is interested in animals and who has
wondered how we can assess their welfare scientifically. It defines
animal welfare as 'health and animals having what they want', a
definition that can be easily understood by scientists and
non-scientists alike, expresses in simple words what underlies many
existing definitions, and shows what evidence we need to collect to
improve animal welfare in practice. Above all, it puts the animal's
own point of view at the heart of an assessment of its welfare.
But, can we really understand what animals want? A consistent theme
running through the book is that not only is it possible to
establish what animals want, but that this information is vital in
helping us to make sense of the long and often confusing list of
welfare measures that are now in use such as 'stress' and 'feel
good hormones', expressive sounds and gestures, natural behaviour,
cognitive bias, and stereotypies. Defining welfare as 'health and
what animals want' allows us to distinguish between measures that
are simply what an animal does when it is alert, aroused, or active
and those measures that genuinely allow us to distinguish between
situations the animals themselves see as positive or negative.
Sentience (conscious feelings of pleasure, pain, and suffering) is
for many people the essence of what is meant by welfare, but
studying consciousness is notoriously difficult, particularly in
non-human species. These difficulties are discussed in the context
of our current - and as yet incomplete - knowledge of human and
animal consciousness. Finally, the book highlights some key ideas
in the relationship between animal welfare science and animal
ethics and shows how closely the well-being of humans is linked to
that of other animals. The Science of Animal Welfare is an ideal
companion for undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in
animal behaviour and welfare, as well as for professional
researchers, practitioners and animal welfare consultants. At the
same time, it is easily understandable to non-scientists and anyone
without prior knowledge but with an interest in animals and the
rapidly evolving science of animal welfare.
|
|