To be published in 14 volumes over the next 12 years, the Flora of North America is an indispensable working resource for anyone with an interest in the distribution, habitat, morphology, and survival of the wide-ranging plant life in North America.

This introductory volume presents information on the physical and biological factors that have affected the evolution and distribution of plant life of North America. Current knowledge on geography, paleofloristics, and human impact is summarized, distilling the original field work of hundreds of contributors.

Beautifully illustrated, almost 100 drawings accompany the introductory essays, taken from various 19th and 20th century works. Chosen to illustrate plants mentioned within the text, they are also historical examples of the style and quality of botanical illustration from an earlier era to the present.

The complete collection will be an indispensable authoritative work for all botanical libraries and departments.

Starting with concise species accounts for all the marmoset and tamarin monkeys, this important new book then goes on to review their geographical distributions and still-contested taxonomy, along with comparative reviews of vocalizations, scent-marking, mating systems, infant care and development, social organization, and behaviour and ecology in the wild. As several of these small primates are rare or threatened, these subjects are strongly relevant to their management in captivity as well as for understanding natural populations. This is the first volume for several years to review current knowledge of this family, which comprises 52 species and subspecies found from Panama to northeastern Paraguay to southern Brazil.

A systematic treatise on the Chrysididae, a globally distributed family of wasps, also known as gold wasps (for their bright metallic colours) or cuckoo wasps (for their parasitic habits). Some 3,000 valid species have been named and are arranged in 84 genera and 4 sub-families. This book is the first re-evaluation of their taxonomy since 1889 and its four main goals are: to provide a worldwide overview of the family, with re-classification of the generic and higher taxa; to summarize previously published information; to indicate problems in need of further study; to give detailed synonymic species lists for each genus, where synonymy refers to scientific names used in different nomenclature systems to designate the same species. Discussions for each tribe and sub-family include ancestral characteristics, phylogenetically important characters and a corresponding cladogram, keys to genera, and relationships amongst taxa. Generic discussions include generic synonymy and diagnostic features, relationships to other genera, and detailed species lists. The book should be of interest to entomologists, taxonomists and systematists, especially in academic departments, natural history museum

This volume of the series Handbook of Zoology deals with the anatomy of the gastrointestinal digestive tract - stomach, small intestine, caecum and colon - in all eutherian orders and suborders. It presents compilations of anatomical studies, as well as an extensive list of references, which makes widely dispersed literature accessible. Introductory sections to orders and suborders give notice to biology, taxonomy, biogeography and food of the respective taxon. It is a characteristic of this book that different sections of the post-oesophageal tract are discussed separately from each other. Informations on form and function of organs of digestion in eutherians are discussed under comparative-anatomical aspects. The variability and diversity of anatomical structures represents the basis of functional differentiations.

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.

Phylogenetic Systematics: Haeckel to Hennig traces the development of phylogenetic systematics against the foil of idealistic morphology through 100 years of German biology. It starts with the iconic Ernst Haeckel-the German Darwin from Jena-and the evolutionary morphology he developed. It ends with Willi Hennig, the founder of modern phylogenetic systematics. Written in English, the book presents a unique perspective on a vast body of German biological literature. The book also offers a perspective on German biology in the Third Reich. The author looks at how idealistic morphology and phylogenetic systematics represented two antagonistic traditions in German biology, the first organicist-holistic, the latter empiricist-positivistic. In addition, he explains the ways in which both traditions acquired socio-political and ideological connotations, culminating in their accommodation to different strands of Nazi ideology. The book's nine chapters summarize a century of the conceptual development of systematics, describe both the history and philosophy of phylogenetic approaches to the understanding of the history of life, examine the role of important people such as Haeckel, Gegenbauer, Portman, von Bertalanffy, Stresemann, and Hennig, and critically evaluate the impact and influence of Nazism on evolutionary biology. Chapter titles include: The Evolutionary Turn in Comparative Anatomy; Of Parts and Wholes; The Turn against Haeckel; The Rise of Holism in German Biology; The Rise of German ("Aryan") Biology; Ganzheitsbiologie; The Ideological Instrumentalization of Biology; A New Beginning: From Speciation to Phylogenetics; and Grundzuge: The Conceptual Foundations of Phylogenetic Systematics.

The advent of relational databasing and data storage capacity, coupled with revolutionary advances in molecular sequencing technology and specimen imaging, have led to a taxonomic renaissance. Systema Naturae 250 - The Linnaean Ark maps the origins of this renaissance, beginning with Linnaeus, through his "apostles", via the great unsung hero Charles Davies Sherbon - arguably the father of biodiversity informatics - up to the present day with the Planetary Biodiversity Inventories and into the future with the Encyclopedia of Life and web-based taxonomy. The book provides scientific, historical, and cultural documentation of the evolution of taxonomy and the successful adaptation of the Linnaean nomenclature system to that evolution. It underscores the importance of taxonomic accuracy, not only for the classification of living organisms, but for a more complete understanding of the living world and its biodiversity. The book also examines the role of technologies such as DNA sequencing, specimen imaging, and electronic data storage. A celebration of 250 years of the scientific naming of animals, Systema Naturae 250 - The Linnaean Ark records and explores the history of zoological nomenclature and taxonomy, detailing current and future activity in these fields. Descriptive taxonomy has been in decline, despite the fact that the classification of organisms through taxonomic studies provides the foundation of our understanding of life forms. Packed with illustrations and tables, this book establishes a vision for the future of descriptive taxonomy and marks the beginning of a period of rapid growth of taxonomic knowledge.

Confusion about the genera Geranium and Pelargonium existed even before Linnaeus' binomial system of classification bundled both into the former category in 1753. Despite later evaluations that separated the two, many practitioners of alternative medicine and aromatherapists, among others, remain unaware of the distinction. Laymen and plant sales personnel are often equally in the dark, as the majority of garden center 'geraniums' are Pelargonium species and cultivars. This work aims to dispel myths and peel away layers of incorrect and muddled information which contribute to the unclear image of the genera. Geranium and Pelargonium: The Genus Geranium and Pelargonium features discussion and new information on some of the following areas: * taxonomy and history of usage and nomenclature * cultivation for essential oil production and retail purposes in different countries * phytochemistry of the genera * chemistry of Geranium and Pelargonium oils * theory and practice of distillation of Geranium and Pelargonium oils * pharmacology an therapeutic properties of Geranium and Pelargonium oils and extracts * use of Geranium and Pelargonium products in aromatherapy, perfumery, cosmetics, food processing and medicine * new research into Geranium and Pelargonium This book will be of interest to graduate students, scientists and professionals in the Geranium and Pelargonium growing and retail industry, the perfumery, food and cosmetics industries, and to those interested in Geranium and Pelargonium for alternative and conventional medical use. * Theory and practice of distillation

This book consists of a series of papers that help to unravel the taxonomy of the phylum Brachiopoda and describe associated marine communities in the Levant. These faunas inhabited shallow shelf environments near the boundary of the Indo-African and Tethyan faunal realms near the Jurassic equator along the southern Tethyan margin. This research is part of a long term project that aims to delineate the distribution of brachiopods across faunal realm boundaries and reconstruct the biogeographic history of the region. The work provides a more detailed analysis of the endemism that is characteristic of the faunas of northern Sinai, the Negev and Jordan, and will also aid in the construction of a biogeographic framework for Jurassic strata in the Middle East. It represents an important contribution to our knowledge of the evolution of modern marine communities because their roots lie in the ecological diversifications of the Jurassic.

"Presenting a historical analysis of the evolution of systematics during the last one hundred years, Milestones in Systematics reviews many of the major issues in systematic theory and practice that have driven the working methods of systematics during the 20th century and looks at the issues most likely to preoccupy systematists in the immediate future. The book highlights:

Biodiversity of Fishes in Arunachal Himalaya: Systematics, Classification, and Taxonomic Identification provides a detailed piscatorial resource of the fish species living in the rich mountain waterbodies of the eastern Himalayan region. It presents the latest classifications and updated taxa of fish dwelling in high-altitude cold waters, mid-altitude cold and warm waters, and warm waters in the low altitude foothill regions of the Arunachal Himalaya. The book includes the scientific and vernacular names of more than 200 fish species, as well as coloration, distributional and conservational status. It addresses increasing threats to the endemic fishes of this region, including habitat shrinkage, habitat destruction, and more. This book will be a valuable resource for biodiversity and conservation researchers, especially those specializing in ichthyo-faunal diversity. Fishery researchers and students will also find the information presented on taxonomic and classification very useful to their initiatives.

Protozoa may be found in almost every aquatic habitat, each containing dozens of species. The diversity can provide invaluable insights into the nature of the habitat. Protozoa can thus be used to illustrate biological principles. This colour guide makes the identification of individual protozoa easily accessible to students and professionals and provides information on protozoan communities found in different environments by means of a wealth of colour photomicrographs supported by original and detailed line drawings and concise text. The guide has been welcomed by professional practitioners, researchers and instructors, by graduate, undergraduate and secondary level students, in a wide range of disciplines, for its clarity in providing a logical system for learning and recognition, the first step towards understanding and using the protozoan community as a biological indicator of environmental change, pollution and contamination.

This book presents an evolutionary biogeographic analysis of the Mexican Transition Zone, which is situated in the overlap of the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. It includes a comprehensive review of previous track, cladistic and molecular biogeographic analyses and is illustrated with full color maps and vegetation photographs of the respective areas covered. Given its scope, the book will be of interest to students and researchers whose work involves systematic and biogeographic analyses of plant and animal taxa of the Mexican Transition Zone or other transition zones of the world, and to ecologists working in biodiversity conservation, who will be able to appreciate the evolutionary relevance of the Mexican Transition Zone for establishing conservation areas..

Taxonomy of Australian Mammals utilises the latest morphometric and genetic research to develop the most up to date and comprehensive revision of the taxonomy of Australian mammals undertaken to date. It proposes significant changes to the higher ranks of a number of groups and recognises several genera and species that have only very recently been identified as distinct. This easy to use reference also includes a complete listing of all species, subspecies and synonyms for all of Australia's mammals, both native and introduced as well as terrestrial and marine. This book lays a foundation for future taxonomic work and identifies areas where taxonomic studies should be targeted, not only at the species and subspecies level but also broader phylogenetic relationships. This work will be an essential reference for students, scientists, wildlife managers and those interested in the science of taxonomy.

This Tiny Folio presents, in modern taxonomic order, all 277 of the hand-coloured plates from François-André Michaux’s classic North American Sylva, as well as the supplemental volumes by Thomas Nuttall. These masterworks of 19th-century botanical illustration - by such artists as Pierre-Joseph Redouté and Pancrace Bessa - represent the leaves, fruit, and flowers of American trees with wonderful grace and clarity. Published in cooperation with the New York Botanical Garden, The Trees of North America includes a preface and introduction describing how Michaux and Nuttall’s pioneering work came to be.

Chaetomium genus was established by Gustav Kunze in 1817. According to Index Fungorum Partnership, there are 273 Chaetomium species accepted till now. Members of the genus Chaetomium are capable of colonizing various substrates and are well-known for their ability to degrade cellulose and to produce a variety of bioactive metabolites. More than 200 compounds have been reported from this genus. A huge number of new and bioactive secondary metabolites associated with unique and diverse structural types, such as chaetoglobosins, epipolythiodioxopiperazines, azaphilones, depsidones, xanthones, anthraquinones, chromones, and steroids, have been isolated and identified. Many of the compounds have been reported to possess significant biological activities, such as antitumor, antimalarial, cytotoxic, enzyme inhibitory, antimicrobial, phytotoxic, antirheumatoid and other activities. Chaetomium taxa are frequently reported to be cellulase and ligninase producers with the ability to degrade cellulosic and woody materials. This is the first, comprehensive volume covering Chaetomium genus in detail. It includes the latest research, methods, and applications, and was written by scholars working directly in the field. The book also contains informative illustrations and is fully referenced for further reading.

This plant glossary includes all descriptive terms used in floras, plant field guides and monographs. This is an essential companion for anyone working with plant descriptions, plant identification keys, floras, monographs and field guides. In this second edition 4,500 botanical terms are described with accompanying illustrations, including a new section on vegetation terms and an updated colour section. 'Catnip for the garden geek...this fascinating, authoritative volume may seduce even the most casual browser.' The New York Times, 27 May 2010

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 analyse 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.

Finalist for 2009 The Council on Botanical & Horticultural Libraries Literature Award! A Fresh Look at Taxonomy The most fundamental of all biological sciences, taxonomy underpins any long term strategies for reconstructing the great tree of life or salvaging as much biodiversity as possible. Yet we are still unable to say with any certainty how many species are living on the earth. The New Taxonomy describes how a confluence of theory, cyberinfrastructure, and international teamwork can meet this unprecedented research challenge and marks an emerging field, cybertaxonomy. Taxonomy Meets the Challenges of the Biodiversity Crisis An in-depth discussion of the future of descriptive taxonomy, the book examines the efforts of several international groups to catalog the world's biodiversity and make it accessible. An answer to Julien Huxley's The New Systematics, the book marks the beginning of an upward trajectory of taxonomy to meet the unprecedented challenges of the biodiversity crisis. Contemporary taxonomists reclaim the unique mission, goals, and importance of taxonomy as an independent science. They cover technologies such as DNA evidence and its applications, computer-assisted species identification, digital morphology, and E-typification. The book also provides insight into effective ways of organizing taxonomic information and discusses what benefits can be leveraged from a rapid growth of taxonomic knowledge. A Vision and A Strategy for the Future Not much has changed since E.O. Wilson pointed out how little we know of Earth's species in 1985. This book offers a vision and a strategy for changing all that. The first current, unapologetic look at morphology and descriptive taxonomy that points out their incredible importance to science and society, this book frames one of the most constructive responses to biodiversity crises. It is a call to action for the taxonomy and museum communities to come together and to organize, plan, innovate, and initiate the most ambitious period of exploration in the long history of taxonomy.

Classification of plants and animals is of basic interest to biologists in all fields because correct formulation and generalization are based on sound taxonomy. This book by a world authority relates traditional taxonomic studies to recent developments in biochemical and other fields. It provides guidelines for the integration of modern and traditional methods and explains the underlying principles and philosophy of systematics. The problems of zoological, botanical, and paleontological classification are dealt with in great detail and microbial systematics briefly. Science may be defined as the rational and objective study of the external universe by human beings. Whether the study of man himself is included, as part of science will depend on how we interpret 'human beings' in this definition. If we regard humanity as in essence an assemblage of isolated individuals, then anyone of them may regard the rest as part of the external universe and thus as 'material' for scientific study; on the other hand, if, humanity is regarded as essentially one body and science as a collective rather than an individual function, we can hardly avoid maintaining in some form or other the traditional distinction between the sciences and the humanities. The problems of classifying human beings will not be considered in detail in this book, though it will appear that if the criteria developed for other animals were applied to our own case, the chimpanzee, the gorilla and perhaps the orangutan would join us in the genus Homo. This book deals with questions that are of direct relevance to the work of all biologists as well as of all specialists in taxonomy. In addition, the clarity of the author's exposition and his felicitous style make it challenging reading for all undergraduate and graduate students in the biological sciences. R.A. Crowson (1914-1999) was lecturer in Zoological Taxonomy at the University of Glasgow. His Antipodean expedition to Australia and New Zealand was made possible by the Leverhume research fellowship, and he was able to explore America when the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University appointed him to the Alexander Agassiz visiting lectureship in 1969. The 1968 Congress of Entomology in Moscow enabled him to meet many Russian scientists with whom he had corresponded for several years. His wide-ranging interests and travels allowed Dr. Crowson to bring a truly international outlook to bear upon his subject.

Confusion about the genera Geranium and Pelargonium existed even before Linnaeus' binomial system of classification bundled both into the former category in 1753. Despite later evaluations that separated the two, many practitioners of alternative medicine and aromatherapists, among others, remain unaware of the distinction. Laymen and plant sales personnel are often equally in the dark - the majority of garden centre 'geraniums' are Pelargonium species and cultivars. This work aims to dispel myths and peel away layers of incorrect and muddled information which contribute to the unclear image of the genera.
Geranium and Pelargonium: History of Nomenclature, Usage and Cultivation features discussion and new information on some of the following areas:
* taxonomy and history of usage and nomenclature
* cultivation for essential oil production and retail purposes in different countries
* phytochemistry of the genera
* chemistry of Geranium and Pelargonium oils
* theory and practice of distillation of Geranium and Pelargonium oils
* pharmacology an therapeutic properties of Geranium and Pelargonium oils and extracts
* use of Geranium and Pelargonium products in aromatherapy, perfumery, cosmetics, food processing and medicine
* new research into Geranium and Pelargonium
This book will be of interest to graduate students, scientists and professionals in the Geranium and Pelargonium growing and retail industry, the perfumery, food and cosmetics industries, and to those interested in Geranium and Pelargonium for alternative and conventional medical use.
* Theory and practice of distillation

eBook available with sample pages: 0203216539

This series of books is a translation of Flora Evropeiskoi Chasti SSR, which provides information on the wild and most important cultivated plants growing in the European portion of Russia and its bordering regions. The text describes plant systematics, habitat conditions, range, and chromosome numbers. The series serves as a manual for botanists, agronomists, teachers, students and naturalists. Volume 5 includes descriptions of 608 species from 133 genera and 23 families belonging to the orders Salicales, Erocales, Diapensiales, Ebenales, Primulares (, Polemoniales, and Scrophulariales.

Many species of penicillium and aspergillus are important in biotechnology, food, medicine, biodeterioration and other applied fields, so a practical and stable taxonomy is of vital importance. Recent developments in science and technology mean that taxonomic classification is no longer confined to classical morphological concepts, and the integration of molecular, physiological and biochemical methods now plays an important role in understanding the classification of these fungi. Integration of Modern Taxonomic Methods for Penicillium and Aspergillus Classification brings together a collection of chapters from international experts in this field. It will be of value to researchers and professionals in mycology, biotechnology, medicine and regulatory agencies interested in the identification of these fungi.

Systematists, comparative biologists, taxonomists and evolutionary biologists all concern themselves with the evolutionary relationships between animals and plants. Homology is the principle underlying these disciplines. When looking at groups of organisms, shared positional similarities (homologues) provide the raw data from which hypotheses of common ancestry (homology) may be suggested. In order to explore the relationship between homologues (characters) and particular hypotheses of common ancestry, complex matrices are devised, where homologues are coded, allowing theories of homology to be developed and tested. Practically nothing has been written about this matrix-building process and yet it is of fundamental importance to our understanding of diversity and evolutionary history.
This book fills the gap by discussing the different ways observations are coded and the consequences for the resulting hypotheses. It takes a pragmatic approach and uses real case studies as well as theoretical examples to offer practical solutions and stimulate thinking.