Ecological morphology examines the relation between an animal's anatomy and physiology--its form and function--and how the animal has evolved in and can inhabit a particular environment. Within the past few years, research in this relatively new area has exploded. "Ecological Morphology" is a synthesis of major concepts and a demonstration of the ways in which this integrative approach can yield rich and surprising results.
Through this interdisciplinary study, scientists have been able to understand, for instance, how bat wing design affects habitat use and bat diet; how the size of a predator affects its ability to capture and eat certain prey; and how certain mosquitoes have evolved physiologically and morphologically to tolerate salt-water habitats. "Ecological Morphology" also covers the history of the field, the role of the comparative method in studying adaptation, and the use of data from modern organisms for understanding the ecology of fossil communities.
This book provides an overview of the achievements and potential of ecological morphology for all biologists and students interested in the way animal design, ecology, and evolution interact.

The foraging mode of lizards has been a central theme in guiding research in lizard biology for three decades. Foraging mode has been shown to be a pervasive evolutionary force molding the diet, ecology, behavior, anatomy, biomechanics, life history, and physiology of lizards. This 2007 volume reviews the knowledge on the effects of foraging mode on these and other organismal systems to show how they have evolved, over a wide taxonomic survey of lizard groups. The reviews presented here reveal the continuous nature of foraging strategies in lizards and snakes, providing the reader with a review of the field, and will equip researchers with fresh insights and directions for the sit-and-wait vs. wide foraging paradigm. This will serve as a reference book for herpetologists, evolutionary biologists, ecologists and animal behaviorists.

Football is life in the tiny community of Derby, Connecticut. But when three high school seniors allow a twenty-eight year winning streak to end, they are forever branded as "losers." The three determine to seek redemption by playing on the baseball team, where they forever leave a mark on this small Connecticut town. The Fat Lady Never Sings is the remarkable true story of the 1992 Derby Red Raiders as told by one of its assistant coaches, author Steve Reilly. The smallest school in the league, Derby qualifies for the state baseball tournament and ultimately advances to the championship game. Under the towering lights of Middletown's Palmer Field, the Red Raiders face off against Terryville. But in the last inning, the Raiders trail by two runs and are down to their final at bat. With one out remaining, the "fat lady" prepares to sing as the quarterback steps into the batter's box. "The Fat Lady Never Sings is a marvelous adaptation from an exciting era of Derby High School Sports which blends emotion, humor and ultimate success."-Bill Pucci, Valley Times Sports Editor who will enter his fortieth scholastic season this fall.

The foraging mode of lizards has been a central theme in guiding research in lizard biology for three decades. Foraging mode has been shown to be a pervasive evolutionary force molding the diet, ecology, behavior, anatomy, biomechanics, life history and physiology of lizards. This volume reviews the state of our knowledge on the effects of foraging mode on these and other organismal systems to show how they have evolved, over a wide taxonomic survey of lizard groups. The reviews presented here reveal the continuous nature of foraging strategies in lizards and snakes, providing the reader with an up-to-date review of the field, and will equip researchers with new insights and future directions for the sit-and-wait vs. wide foraging paradigm. This will serve as a reference book for herpetologists, evolutionary biologists, ecologists and animal behaviorists.