This 10th edition, of the acclaimed reference work, has more than 21,000 entries, and provides the most complete listing available of generic names of fungi, their families and orders, their attributes and descriptive terms. For each genus, the authority, the date of publication, status, systematic position, number of accepted species, distribution, and key references are given. Diagnoses of families and details of orders and higher categories are included for all groups of fungi. In addition, there are biographic notes, information on well-known metabolites and mycotoxins, and concise accounts of almost all pure and applied aspects of the subject (including citations of important literature). Co-published by: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

'Species' are central to understanding the origin and dynamics of biological diversity; explaining why lineages split into multiple distinct species is one of the main goals of evolutionary biology. However the existence of species is often taken for granted, and precisely what is meant by species and whether they really exist as a pattern of nature has rarely been modelled or critically tested. This novel book presents a synthetic overview of the evolutionary biology of species, describing what species are, how they form, the consequences of species boundaries and diversity for evolution, and patterns of species accumulation over time. The central thesis is that species represent more than just a unit of taxonomy; they are a model of how diversity is structured as well as how groups of related organisms evolve. The author adopts an intentionally broad approach, stepping back from the details to consider what species constitute, both theoretically and empirically, and how we detect them, drawing on a wealth of examples from microbes to multicellular organisms.

This book, in three volumes, presents a detailed revision of the systematics and taxonomy of the platyhelminth class "Trematoda," subclasses "Aspidogastrea" and "Digenea," with keys for the identification of these parasites at the superfamily, family, subfamily and generic levels.The trematodes are parasitic worms infecting all vertebrate groups and include families of significance to human and animal health, with considerable economic impact. Volume 1 covers the subclass "Aspidogastrea" and order "Strigeida," while the second and third volumes will cover the orders "Echinostomida" and "Plagiorchiida."

Thorough, detailed dendrological coverage of North American trees, shrubs, and vines

This comprehensive field guide/procedural handbook provides extraordinarily detailed descriptions of trees, shrubs, and vines of North American forests. Written at a more detailed level than most field guides, it introduces basic taxonomic concepts and methods and explains the rationale behind taxonomic classification systems.

Entries include Latin and common names for each species as well as physical descriptions at various levels of maturity and for different seasons. Also noted are regional and state distributions, soil conditions, cover types, shade tolerances, and common diseases and pests. This remarkably thorough and reliable reference includes:

• Detailed descriptions of more than 800 species
• Hundreds of additional varieties and cultivars
• 550 exquisitely detailed line drawings of leaves, bark, fruit, and seeds
• Broad coverage of commercial and noncommercial species
• An emphasis on the silvical features of each species
• A unique section on forest community ecology and cover types
• The new North American Classification System

Well-organized and practical, this authoritative guide is an immensely useful resource for foresters, wildlife and field biologists, naturalists, environmental scientists, and land managers.

Modern biological classification is based on the system developed by Linnaeus, and interpreted by Darwin as representing the tree of life. But despite its widespread acceptance, the evolutionary interpretation has some problems and limitations. This comprehensive book provides a single resource for understanding all the main philosophical issues and controversies about biological classification. It surveys the history of biological classification from Aristotle to contemporary phylogenetics and shows how modern biological classification has developed and changed over time. Readers will also be able to see how biological classification is in part a consequence of human psychology, language development and culture. The book will be valuable for student readers and others interested in a range of topics in philosophy and biology.

We are a weird species. Like other species, we have a culture. But by comparison with other species, we are strangely unstable: human cultures self-transform, diverge, and multiply with bewildering speed. They vary, radically and rapidly, from time to time and place to place. And the way we live - our manners, morals, habits, experiences, relationships, technology, values - seems to be changing at an ever accelerating pace. The effects can be dislocating, baffling, sometimes terrifying. Why is this? In A Foot in the River, best-selling historian Felipe Fernandez-Armesto sifts through the evidence and offers some radical answers to these very big questions about the human species and its history - and speculates on what these answers might mean for our future. Combining insights from a huge range of disciplines, including history, biology, anthropology, archaeology, philosophy, sociology, ethology, zoology, primatology, psychology, linguistics, the cognitive sciences, and even business studies, he argues that culture is exempt from evolution. Ultimately, no environmental conditions, no genetic legacy, no predictable patterns, no scientific laws determine our behaviour. We can consequently make and remake our world in the freedom of unconstrained imaginations. A revolutionary book which challenges scientistic assumptions about culture and how and why cultural change happens, A Foot in the River comes to conclusions which readers may well find by turns both daunting and also potentially hugely liberating.

There is long-standing disagreement among systematists about how to divide biodiversity into species. Over twenty different species concepts are used to group organisms, according to criteria as diverse as morphological or molecular similarity, interbreeding and genealogical relationships. This, combined with the implications of evolutionary biology, raises the worry that either there is no single kind of species, or that species are not real. This book surveys the history of thinking about species from Aristotle to modern systematics in order to understand the origin of the problem, and advocates a solution based on the idea of the division of conceptual labor, whereby species concepts function in different ways - theoretically and operationally. It also considers related topics such as individuality and the metaphysics of evolution, and how scientific terms get their meaning. This important addition to the current debate will be essential for philosophers and historians of science, and for biologists.

Taxonomy is an ever-changing, controversial and exCitmg field of biology. It has not remained motionless since the days of its founding fathers in the last century, but, just as with other fields of endeavour, it continues to advance in leaps and bounds, both in procedure and in philosophy. These changes are not only of interest to other taxonomists, but have far reaching implications for much of the rest of biology, and they have the potential to reshape a great deal of current biological thought, because taxonomy underpins much of biological methodology. It is not only important that an ethologist. physiologist. biochemist or ecologist can obtain information about the identities of the species which they are investigating; biology is also uniquely dependent on the comparative method and on the need to generalize. Both of these necessitate knowledge of the evolutionary relationships between organisms. and it is the science of taxonomy that can develop testable phylogenetic hypotheses and ultimately provide the best estimates of evolutionary history and relationships.

Frederick Orpen Bower (1855-1948) was a renowned botanist best known for his research on the origins and evolution of ferns. Appointed Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Glasgow in 1885, he became a leading figure in the development of modern botany and the emerging field of paleobotany, devising the interpolation theory of the life cycle in land plants. First published between 1923 and 1928 as part of the Cambridge Botanical Handbook series, The Ferns was the first systematic classification of ferns according to anatomical, morphological and developmental features. In this three-volume work Bower analyses the major areas of comparison between different species, describes primitive and fossil ferns and compares these species to present-day fern species, providing a comprehensive description of the order. Volume 3 describes, analyses and classifies extant species of ferns.

Frederick Orpen Bower (1855-1948) was a renowned botanist best known for his research on the origins and evolution of ferns. Appointed Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Glasgow in 1885, he became a leading figure in the development of modern botany and the emerging field of paleobotany, devising the interpolation theory of the life cycle in land plants. First published between 1923 and 1928 as part of the Cambridge Botanical Handbook series, The Ferns was the first systematic classification of ferns according to anatomical, morphological and developmental features. In this three-volume work Bower analyses the major areas of comparison between different species, describes primitive and fossil ferns and compares these species to present-day fern species, providing a comprehensive description of the order. Volume 1 describes and analyses the features of ferns which Bower uses in his system of classification.

Frederick Orpen Bower (1855-1948) was a renowned botanist best known for his research on the origins and evolution of ferns. Appointed Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Glasgow in 1885, he became a leading figure in the development of modern botany and the emerging field of paleobotany, devising the interpolation theory of the life cycle in land plants. First published between 1923 and 1928 as part of the Cambridge Botanical Handbook series, The Ferns was the first systematic classification of ferns according to anatomical, morphological and developmental features. In this three-volume work Bower analyses the major areas of comparison between different species, describes primitive and fossil ferns and compares these species to present-day fern species, providing a comprehensive description of the order. Volume 2 describes, analyses and classifies primitive and fossil ferns.

Research conducted over the last fifteen years has placed in question many of the traditional conclusions about the evolution of human female sexuality. Women have not lost estrus, as earlier researchers thought, but it is simply concealed, resulting in two functionally distinct sexualities with markedly different ends in each phase. At the fertile phase of the cycle, women prefer male traits that may mark superior genetic quality, and at infertile phases, they prefer men willing to invest resources in a mate. Thus, women's peri-ovulatory sexuality functions to obtain a sire of superior genetic quality, and is homologous with estrus in other vertebrates. This model sheds light on male human sexuality as well: men perceive and respond to women's estrus, including by increased mate guarding. Men's response is limited, compared to other vertebrate males, implying coevolutionary history of selection on females to conceal estrus from men and selection on men to detect it. Research indicates that women's concealed estrus is an adaptation to copulate conditionally with men other than the pair-bond partner. Women's sexual ornaments-the estrogen-facilitated features of face and body-are honest signals of individual quality pertaining to future reproductive value.

This book examines the relationship between classification and evolutionary theory, with reference to the competing schools of taxonomic thinking. Emphasis is placed on one of these schools, the transformed cladists, who have attempted to reject all evolutionary thinking in classification and to cast doubt on evolution in general. The author examines the limits to this line of thought from a philosophical and methodological perspective rather than from a biological viewpoint. He concludes that transformed cladistics does not achieve what it claims and that it either implicity assumes a Platonic World View, or is unintelligible without taking into account evolutionary processes - the very processes it claims to reject. Through this analysis the author attempts to formulate criteria, of an objective and consistent nature, that can be used to judge competing methodologies and theories without resorting to any particular theoretical standpoint for justification. Philosophers of science, zoologists interested in taxonomy and evolutionary biologists will find this a compelling study of an area of biological thought that has been attracting a great deal of attention.

The question of whether biologists should continue to use the Linnaean hierarchy has been a hotly debated issue. Invented before the introduction of evolutionary theory, Linnaeus's system of classifying organisms is based on outdated theoretical assumptions, and is thought to be unable to provide accurate biological classifications. Marc Ereshefsky argues that biologists should abandon the Linnaean system and adopt an alternative that is more in line with evolutionary theory. He traces the evolution of the Linnaean hierarchy from its introduction to the present. He illustrates how the continued use of this system hampers our ability to classify the organic world, and then goes on to make specific recommendations for a post-Linnaean method of classification. Accessible to a wide range of readers by providing introductory chapters to the philosophy of classification and the taxonomy of biology, the book will interest both scholars and students of biology and the philosophy of science.

The field of molecular evolution has experienced explosive growth in recent years due to the rapid accumulation of genetic sequence data, continuous improvements to computer hardware and software, and the development of sophisticated analytical methods. The increasing availability of large genomic data sets requires powerful statistical methods to analyze and interpret them, generating both computational and conceptual challenges for the field.
Computational Molecular Evolution provides an up-to-date and comprehensive coverage of modern statistical and computational methods used in molecular evolutionary analysis, such as maximum likelihood and Bayesian statistics. Yang describes the models, methods and algorithms that are most useful for analysing the ever-increasing supply of molecular sequence data, with a view to furthering our understanding of the evolution of genes and genomes. The book emphasizes essential concepts rather than mathematical proofs. It includes detailed derivations and implementation details, as well as numerous illustrations, worked examples, and exercises. It will be of relevance and use to students and professional researchers (both empiricists and theoreticians) in the fields of molecular phylogenetics, evolutionary biology, population genetics, mathematics, statistics and computer science. Biologists who have used phylogenetic software programs to analyze their own data will find the book particularly rewarding, although it should appeal to anyone seeking an authoritative overview of this exciting area of computational biology.

Until now, individuals wishing to identify British insects have found it difficult to track down the specialist keys published in obscure literature, whereas the popular guides are often misleadingly simplistic, covering only a fraction of the species. This book bridges the gap, providing expert guidance through the taxonomic maze. It contains an introduction to each group of organisms, and over 2000 references selected as being the most useful and up-to-date for accurate identification, together with notes on their relevance and coverage. A further chapter covers the understanding and retrieval of scientific references, with advice on using libraries and other information services. This will be an essential reference book for anyone involved in insect and arachnid identification, from interested amateurs to professionals dealing with unfamiliar groups.

This book presents current knowledge of the early vertebrates--mainly fish, but including some terrestrial creatures--which lived about 250 to 470 million years ago. The work focuses on anatomical and phylogenetic questions, but includes information on fossil discovery and preparation, as well as the analysis of the characteristics from which their relationships may be reconstructed. The author addresses both new and old problems in the evolution of certain anatomical details and deals briefly with the animals' way of life, extinction, and former distribution. The book is the first in its field to use a cladistic approach. For each major vertebrate group, the reader will find a diagram of relationships, or cladogram, with a selection of characters at each node, and a succinct phylogenetic classification.

Inspired by the pace of change in the taxonomy of the aerobic endospore-forming bacteria, the "Bacillus 2000" symposium on which this book is based was held in Bruges, Belgium, in August 2000, and was supported by the Federation of European Microbiological Societies, the Belgian Society for Microbiology, and several commercial sponsors. Bringing taxonomists interested in Bacillus and its relatives together with people who work with these organisms in medicine, agriculture, and industry, allowed those attending to appreciate the overlaps and interactions of their areas of expertise, in the absence of any comprehensive treatment of the current systematics of the group.

The meeting was a great success, and has resulted in the production of these proceedings, Applications and Systematics of Bacillus and Relatives, providing an up-to-date and comprehensive treatise on the classification, identification and applications of the aerobic endospore-forming bacteria; it is an essential reference for all microbiologists interested in these organisms.
Valuable reference work for all those interested in the systematics of Bacillus and its relatives.
Produced in response to the successful Bacillus 2000 meeting in Bruges and was supported by the Federation of European Microbiological Societies, the Belgian Society for Microbiology, and several commercial sponsors.
Of use to those working in fields as diverse as medicine, agriculture, food and industry.
Comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of the systematics of these organisms.
Includes the application of sophisticated chemotaxonomic and genetic characterization methods.

This volume provides a comprehensive review of the family, Gentianaceae, covering phylogeny, classification, biogeography, palynology, phytochemistry, and morphology, and also presents the first classification of the entire family to be published for over 100 years, generated using modern molecular- and morphology-based phylogenetic data. The volume places the Gentianaceae in context with its relatives in the order Gentianales and subclass Asteridae; presents an updated, phylogenetic classification of tribes, subtribes, and genera; investigates the corroborative value of morphological features in phylogenetic diagnoses; and comprehensively summarizes palynology, seed morphology, and phytochemistry.

This book is a thorough re-examination of the "species problem", the continuing disagreement among biologists about how best to identify species and what constitutes useful and genuine biological divisions of groups and organisms. This book contributes to our understanding of the scientific issues related to the species concept through an exploration of the reality of biological diversity and of the mental processes behind the ways we recognize species, and how we establish typological categories generally. The text develops a theory of evolutionary groups (groups of DNAs that compete and share in genetic drift and adaptation), and revisits the major issues of modern phylogeny, systematics, and evolutionary biology through this framework.

Until now, individuals wishing to identify British insects have found it difficult to track down the specialist keys published in obscure literature, whereas the popular guides are often misleadingly simplistic, covering only a fraction of the species. This book bridges the gap, providing expert guidance through the taxonomic maze. It contains an introduction to each group of organisms, and over 2000 references selected as being the most useful and up-to-date for accurate identification, together with notes on their relevance and coverage. A further chapter covers the understanding and retrieval of scientific references, with advice on using libraries and other information services. This will be an essential reference book for anyone involved in insect and arachnid identification, from interested amateurs to professionals dealing with unfamiliar groups.

In the last ten years, the "comparative method" has been revolutionized by modern statistical ways of incorporating phylogenies into the design and analysis of comparative studies. The results of this revolution are particularly important in the study of animal behavior, which has relied on interspecific comparisons to infer universal trends and evolutionary patterns. The chapters of this edited volume consider the impact of modern phylogenetic comparative methods on the study of animal behavior and discuss the main issues that need to be considered in design and analysis of a comparative study, considers possible differences between the evolution of behavior and the evolution of morphology, and reviews how phylogenetic comparative studies have been used in certain areas of behavioral research.

Now that scientists can sequences genes with relative ease, the relationships among living organisms are becoming better known. Those relationships are summarized as phylogenetic trees. This book reveals how those trees can be used to give insights into diverse fields of biological enquiry including ecology, epidemiology, development, conservation, and the evolutionary process itself.

Designed to help students make better taxonomic judgments, this case book contains exercises and case studies which describe how to recognize similarities and differences in sets of comparative data. It explains interpretation with reference to the various ranks in the Linnean hierarchy.