This is the first comprehensive synopsis of the biodiversity of Diptera, which with more than 150.000 described species contain more than one tenth of all described animal species. The first part is a review of what is already known, with treatments of all the major biogeographical regions and important archipelagoes; the second part contains case studies on open-ended taxa, Diptera as ecological indicators, and how to estimate the still unknown proportion of our fauna; and the third part discusses the digital and molecular tools needed to document the fauna. The book has an emphasis on principles and analytical approaches as well as on practical a how-toa (TM) information and is intended for academicians and other professionals but with a significant outreach to students.

No question in theoretical biology has been more perennially controversial or perplexing than "What is a species?" Recent advances in phylogenetic theory have called into question traditional views of species and spawned many concepts that are currently competing for general acceptance. Once the subject of esoteric intellectual exercises, the "species problem" has emerged as a critically important aspect of global environmental concerns. Completion of an inventory of biodiversity, success in conservation, predictive knowledge about life on earth, management of material resources, formulation of scientifically credible public policy and law, and more depend upon our adoption of the "right" species concept.

Quentin D. Wheeler and Rudolf Meier present a debate among top systematic biology theorists to consider the strengths and weaknesses of five competing concepts. Debaters include (1) Ernst Mayr (Biological Species Concept), (2) Rudolf Meier and Rainer Willmann (Hennigian species concept), (3) Brent Mishler and Edward Theriot (one version of the Phylogenetic Species Concept), (4) Quentin Wheeler and Norman Platnick (a competing version of the Phylogenetic Species Concept), and (5) E. O. Wiley and Richard Mayden (the Evolutionary Species Concept).

Each author or pair of authors contributes three essays to the debate: first, a position paper with an opening argument for their respective concept of species; second, a counterpoint view of the weakness of competing concepts; and, finally, a rebuttal of the attacks made by other authors. This unique and lively debate format makes the comparative advantages and disadvantages of competing species concepts clear and accessible in a single book for the first time, bringing to light numerous controversies in phylogenetic theory, taxonomy, and philosophy of science that are important to a wide audience. "Species Concepts and Phylogenetic Theory" will meet a need among scientists, conservationists, policy-makers, and students of biology for an explicit, critical evaluation of a large and complex literature on species. An important reference for professionals, the book will prove especially useful in classrooms and discussion groups where students may find a concise, lucid entr?e to one of the most complex questions facing science and society.

The incessant trend to throw away rather than to repair, demolish rather than refurbish has been a topic of discussion and criticism for years-at the same time, resource consumption and the waste continue to increase. To counteract this trend, students at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich and ETH Zurich have been developing sustainable and imaginative concepts for repairing a wide variety of objects, applying them both manually and by using digital techniques such as 3D printing. Beyond restoration, many projects aim to further develop and improve the repaired objects constructively, materially, or even in terms of design, lending them new value. This publication presents a wide variety of approaches and projects, complemented by essays by notable personalities from the fields of architecture, preservation, materials science, design, manufacturing, and craftsmanship.

Adopting and adapting historical forms is an integral part of architectural design today. Strictly rejected by some and embraced by others, this practice has provoked controversy since the beginning of modernism. With its assertion of continuity and claim to universality, historicizing architecture from the twentieth century is decidedly antimodernistic—a counterproject to modernistic architecture and yet also a part of modern times. The diversity of historicizing approaches and the history of historicizing construction have received little attention so far—a fact that is especially evident with a comparative view that looks beyond Germany to other countries and their building traditions. This volume aims to take historicizing architecture seriously as an architectural reality and one possible variation of contemporary building, with a focus on describing and categorizing its diverse concepts and manifestations. In considering historicizing architecture as a contemporary phenomenon, the book places its topic in the context of reconstructions and postmodern ideas while also comparing it with nineteenth-century historicism. This view includes also designs inspired by the classic modernism of the 1920s.

Spolia are structural elements that have been consciously-and therefore usually visibly-reused. The space they occupy within the broad field of reuse in architecture is associated with specific intentions regarding design and significance. As they are usually visibly distinct from the rest of the construction, spolia encourage viewers to augment their understanding with additional meanings. As contemporary architecture has returned to incorporating ornamentation and history, the use of spolia has also increased. To date, spolia have been considered with reference to late antique, medieval, and-much more rarely-modern architecture. In this work, the uses of spolia throughout different time periods are considered in relation to one another. In addition to aspects of cultural studies, this volume illuminates the role of spolia in the design process.