Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
|
Your cart is empty |
|||
Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Zoology & animal sciences > Vertebrates
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."
This book is a collection of papers given by invited speakers at a Symposium on 'Feedback and Motor Control', held at the University of Glasgow from July 10th to 13th 1984, which was attended by over 200 scientists from 20 countries. The Symposium was the Fourth International Symposium organised by the Scottish Electrophysiological Society (SES), and on this occasion the SES joined forces with the Society for Experimental Biology (SEB), so that the Symposium was held dur ing the annual Summer Meeting of the SEB. A policy of the SES since its formation in 1970 has been to promote dialogue between scientists working on invertebrate and vertebrate nervous systems by hol
In review, the amount of information available on the morphological and func tional properties of the frog nervous system is very extensive indeed and in certain areas is the only available source of information in vertebrates. Further more, much of the now classical knowledge in neurobiology was originally ob tained and elaborated in depth in this vertebrate. To cite only a few examples, studies of nerve conduction, neuromuscular transmission, neuronal integration, sense organs, development, and locomotion have been developed with great detail in the frog and in conjunction provide the most complete holistic descrip tion of any nervous system. Added to the above considerations, the ease with which these animals may be maintained (both as adults and during development) and the advantage of their lower cost as compared with other vertebrate forms make the frog one of the most important laboratory animals in neurobiology. With these thoughts in mind, we decided to compile this volume. Our goal in doing so was to assemble as much as possible of the information available on frog neurobiology and to have the different topics covered by authorities in each of the fields represented. To keep the handbook restricted to one volume, we found it necessary to omit the large field of amphibian muscle neurobiology, which has already been summarized in various other publications."
Fishes are very successful vertebrates and have adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions, from the deep ocean to the smallest brook or pond. The physiological background to these environmental adaptations is, obviously, far from clear, and provides fish physiologists with many challenges. The number of extant fish species has been estimated to be in excess of 20000, and only relatively few of these have been subject to physiological studies. Yet among these animals can be found many physiological systems different from those of the land-dwelling vertebrates, and also systems similar to those of the 'higher' vertebrates but at a different level of phylogenetic development. Apart from the rapidly increasing interest in basic fish physi ology, the last few years have seen a dramatic increase in applied research, aimed primarily in two directions: fish culture and envi ronmental toxicology. Physiological research is of vital importance in both these fields, and basic fish physiology is a necessary base for the applied research. This book is intended for a wide readership among senior undergraduate, postgraduate and research students, as well as uni versity teachers and researchers in zoology, physiology, aqua culture and biology generally. The book focuses on five major areas of basic and applied research: haemopoiesis, acid-base regu lation, circulation, gastro-intestinal functions and physiological toxicology. The chapters will serve as introductions to these fields, as well as up-to-date reviews of the most recent advances in the research areas."
The first ethnographic exploration of the contentious debate over whether nonhuman primates are capable of culture In the 1950s, Japanese zoologists took note when a number of macaques invented and passed on new food-washing behaviors within their troop. The discovery opened the door to a startling question: Could animals other than humans share social knowledge-and thus possess culture? The subsequent debate has rocked the scientific world, pitting cultural anthropologists against evolutionary anthropologists, field biologists against experimental psychologists, and scholars from Asia against their colleagues in Europe and North America. In Chimpanzee Culture Wars, the first ethnographic account of the battle, anthropologist Nicolas Langlitz presents first-hand observations gleaned from months spent among primatologists on different sides of the controversy. Langlitz travels across continents, from field stations in the Ivory Coast and Guinea to laboratories in Germany and Japan. As he compares the methods and arguments of the different researchers he meets, he also considers the plight of cultural primatologists as they seek to document chimpanzee cultural diversity during the Anthropocene, an era in which human culture is remaking the planet. How should we understand the chimpanzee culture wars in light of human-caused mass extinctions? Capturing the historical, anthropological, and philosophical nuances of the debate, Chimpanzee Culture Wars takes us on an exhilarating journey into high-tech laboratories and breathtaking wilderness, all in pursuit of an answer to the question of the human-animal divide.
This book gives a concise account of the physiology and form of the fish circulatory system. The emphasis is primarily on function, but details of structure have been included. Following a revision of ideas on hemodynamics, attention is focused on the heart as the primary pump in the fish circulatory system. The fine structure and the electrical and ionic events of cardiac myocytes are described and the major events of the cardiac cycle are outlined. The structure of the peripheral vessels then follow and attention is devoted to the circulation in certain special areas such as the gills, the renal portal system, and the secondary blood system. There are also chapters devoted to the blood and the hemopoetic tissues and an account is given of the different types of retial systems that concentrate oxygen or heat in various parts of the body. Following a description of the autonomic nervous system, the circulatory responses to exercise and hypoxia are described. The book concludes with a discussion on the circulation of hagfish and how it illuminates our understanding of the functional and structural evolution of the circulatory system.
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.
In this book, concerned with the spatial and structural repre- sentation of the cell and its particular specializations, the author hasdeviatedconsiderablyfrom the usual planfor other books related to this subject and has presented the illustrative material in the form of detailed and accurate drawings. The layout of the book provides the reader with a briefnarrative accountoftheparticularorganelleaccompanied byafull-plate illustration on the facing page. Most ofthe narrative accounts areaccompaniedbyashortbibliographyofgermanereferences in the event the reader desires to pursue the subject matter in greater depth. In my estimation there is no other presentation currentlyavailablewhich utilizes thisapproach to demonstrate the cellular components and their associated morphophysi- ology with such elegance. Thetextisclearlywrittenand,althoughtheindividualaccounts are brief, they are highly informative with all ofthe important details being provided. The accuracy ofthe textural presenta- tions and the continuity ofexpression provide strong evidence that the author has spent an enormous amount of time in preparing the text and in painstakingly drawing the illustra- tions. Certainly, an obvious strength ofthis volume is the high qualityoftheillustrativerenditions, allofwhichweredrawnby Dr. KRSTIC. These attest to the profound and comprehensive nature of the author's knowledge of the field of cellular and structural biology. This book is truly a work oflove and art by one who is gifted both didactically and artistically. Dr. KRSTIC should be con- gratulated for providing us with an extremely accurate and detailedaccountofthe 2-dimensional, andinmanycasesthe 3- dimensional, view of the cell and its component organelles. It has no equal.
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 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.
The originality of this volume is to reveal to the reader the fascination of some unfamiliar sensory organs that are sometimes ignored and often misunderstood. These receptors have only recently been identified and their functional specificity is in some cases still a matter for discussion. The four classes of sensory organs considered here differ widely from one another in many respects. One might even say that the only thing they have in common is that they belong to cold-blooded vertebrates. These classes are: 1. the directionally sensitive lateral-line mechanoreceptors of fishes and amphi bians (Chapter 7); 2. the pseudobranchial organs of some teleosts, equipped with pressoreceptors and at least three other types of receptors (osmo- and chemoreceptors) (Chapter 8); 3. the infrared-sensitive pit organs of some snake families (Chapter 9); 4. the various kinds of electroreceptors found in several marine and freshwater fish families (Chapters 2 to 6). The first three classes of receptors mentioned above thus rate only one chapter each, whereas five chapters are devoted to the electroreceptors. Electroreception has aroused enormous interest among physiologists in specialties ranging from molecular biology to animal behavior. The resulting quantity of research and discussion fully justifies this disproportion. However, it cannot be denied that the contents of the volume must appear unbalanced and heterogeneous, yet it should not be perceived as a mere juxtaposition of particular and unrelated cases."
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.
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."
by Dr P .H. Greenwood British Museum (Natural History), London Dr Tesch's wide ranging account of anguillid eels impinges on the interests of many biologists; it is not simply a specialized tome narrowly aimed at ichthyologists and fishery scientists, rather it provides a source of primary reference and a comprehensive sununary of informa tion that is not likely to be superseded for a long time. It is significant that the bibliography includes references to learned journals concerned with physiology, pharmacology, taxonomy, genetics, zoology, endo crinology, botany, ecology and environmental interactions. Such is the breadth of interest in the Anguillidae. Few fish species have been subjected to as detailed review as Dr Tesch gives for the (wo Atlantic species of Anguilla. An equally comprehensive resume of research into the fourteen, rather less well-studied Indo Pacific species gives balance and reciprocal illumination to several biological problems posed by these similar but quite distinctive species."
A question often asked of those of us who work in the seemingly esoteric field of fish vision is, why? To some of us the answer seems obvious - how many other visual scientists get to dive in a tropical lagoon in the name of science and then are able to eat their subjects for dinner? However, there are better, or at least scientifically more acceptable, reasons for working on the visual system of fish. First, in terms of numbers, fish are by far the most important of all vertebrate classes, probably accounting for over half (c. 22 000 species) of all recognized vertebrate species (Nelson, 1984). Furthermore, many of these are of commercial importance. Secondly, if one of the research aims is to understand the human visual system, animals such as fish can tell us a great deal, since in many ways their visual systems, and specifically their eyes, are similar to our own. This is fortunate, since there are several techniques, such as intracellular retinal recording, which are vital to our understanding of the visual process, that cannot be performed routinely on primates. The cold blooded fish, on the other hand, is an ideal subject for such studies and much of what we know about, for example, the fundamentals of information processing in the retina is based on work carried out on fish (e. g. Svaetichin, 1953).
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."
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 over 1800 species, Peru has the second richest avifauna of any country in the world. As a consequence it is one of the most popular birding destinations in South America. This will be the first comprehensive and fully illustrated field guide to the birds of Peru. Text is arranged opposite the plates, in conventional field guide manner. The combination of authoritative text and superb artwork will set new standards for South American field guides.
In the last few years there has been an excltmg upsurge in seabird research. There are several reasons for this. Man's increased ex ploitation of natural resources has led to a greater awareness of the potential conflicts with seabirds, and of the use of seabirds to indicate the damage we might be doing to our environment. Many seabird populations have increased dramatically in numbers and so seem more likely to conflict with man, for example through competition for food or transmission of diseases. Oil exploration and production has resulted in major studies of seabird distributions and ecology in relation to oil pollution. The possibility that seabirds may provide information on fish stock biology is now being critically investigated. Some seabird species have suffered serious declines in numbers and require conservation action to be taken to reduce the chances that they will become extinct. This requires an understanding of the factors determining their population size and dynamics."
Since the industrialization of fishing, fisheries scientists have been subject to intense economic and political pressures, which have affected the way the science has developed. The origins and effects of these pressures are traced in this 1994 book to concerns about determining the causes of fluctuations in fish and whale catches, and to resistance to regulation of fishing activity when populations are depleted. The development of partial theories of fish population dynamics are described using examples of both national and international fisheries. The causes of the difficulties encountered in generalizing these theories are examined, setting the stage for the limitation of scope of these studies that still influences the form and extent of fisheries research today. This is a fascinating resource for all those interested in fisheries science and the way it has developed in the last 150 years.
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.
This volume presents the work of researchers at many sites spanning the East African Pliocene. The authors take a broad approach that seeks to compare paleoenvironmental and paleoecological patterns across localities and among various taxonomic groups. This volume aims to synthesize large amounts of faunal data, and to present the evolution of East African vertebrates in the context of environmental and climatic changes during the Pliocene.
The best-selling animal advocate Temple Grandin offers the most
exciting exploration of how animals feel since The Hidden Life of
Dogs.
Humans and Hyenas examines the origins and development of the relationship between the two to present an accurate and realistic picture of the hyena and its interactions with people. The hyena is one of the most maligned, misrepresented and defamed mammals. It is still, despite decades of research-led knowledge, seen as a skulking, cowardly scavenger rather than a successful hunter with complex family and communal systems. Hyenas are portrayed as sex-shifting deviants, grave robbers and attackers of children in everything from African folk tales through Greek and Roman accounts of animal life, to Disney's The Lion King depicting hyenas with a lack of respect and disgust, despite the reality of their behaviour and social structures. Combining the personal, in-depth mining of scientific papers about the three main species and historical accounts, Keith Somerville delves into our relationship with hyenas from the earliest records from millennia ago, through the accounts by colonisers, to contemporary coexistence, where hyenas and humans are forced into ever closer proximity due to shrinking habitats and loss of prey. Are hyenas fated to retain their bad image or can their amazing ability to adapt to humans more successfully than lions and other predators lead to a shift in perspective? This book will be of great interest to students and scholars in the environmental sciences, conservation biology, and wildlife and conservation issues.
Thailand is probably the most popular destination for tourists in Asia, and birders have long travelled there to observe its wealth of wildlife. This comprehensive guide to the birds of Thailand is an indispensable field reference for birdwatchers, residents and visitors to the country alike. It covers all 950 species that have been recorded in Thailand, with 166 magnificent colour plates covering most plumage variations. Each plate is accompanied by concise text for each species and distinctive subspecies, detailing identification, voice, habitat and behaviour. In addition, there is a distribution map for every species, based on the very latest information. |
You may like...
Voels Van Suider-Afrika - Die Volledige…
Burger Cillie, Niel Cillie, …
Paperback
(11)
Sasol Birds of Southern Africa (With PVC…
Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey
Paperback
Birds Of Southern Africa - The Complete…
Burger Cillie, Niel Cillie, …
Paperback
(13)
Understanding Elephants - Guidelines for…
Elephant Specialist Advisory Group
Paperback
Sasol Birds Of Southern Africa
Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey
Paperback
(1)
The Larger Illustrated Guide Sasol Birds…
Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey
Paperback
|