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Books in Evolutionary ecology

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21-30 of 53 results in All results

Herpetology

  • 3rd Edition
  • December 15, 2008
  • Laurie J. Vitt + 1 more
  • English
  • eBook
    9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 0 9 2 1 8 9 - 1
This third edition, now fully revised and updated by two of Dr. Zug's colleagues, provides herpetology students and amateur reptile and amphibian keepers with the latest taxonomy and species developments from around the world. Herpetology is a rapidly evolving field, which has contributed to new discoveries in many conceptual areas of biology. The authors build on this progress by updating all chapters with new literature, graphics, and discussions—many of which have changed our thinking.With a new emphasis placed on conservation issues, Herpetology continues to broaden the global coverage from earlier editions, recognizing the burgeoning reptile and amphibian research programs and the plight of many species in all countries and all biomes.New information on the remarkable advances in behavioral, physiological, and phylo-geographical data provide students with the current research they need to advance their education and better prepare their future in herpetology.

The Evolution of Hemispheric Specialization in Primates

  • 1st Edition
  • Volume 5
  • September 18, 2007
  • William D. Hopkins
  • English
  • eBook
    9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 0 5 5 7 8 0 - 9
Hemispheric specialization, and lateralized sensory, cognitive or motor function of the left and right halves of the brain, commonly manifests in humans as right-handedness and left hemisphere specialization of language functions. Historically, this has been considered a hallmark of, and unique to, human evolution. Some theories propose that human right-handedness evolved in the context of language and speech while others that it was a product of the increasing motor demands associated with feeding or tool-use. In the past 20-25 years, there has been a plethora of research in animals on the topic of whether population-level asymmetries in behavioral processes or neuro-anatomical structures exist in animals, notably primates and people have begun to question the historical assumptions that hemispheric specialization is unique to humans. This book brings together various summary chapters on the expression of behavioral and neuro-anatomical asymmetries in primates. Several chapters summarize entire families of primates while others focus on genetic and non-genetic models of handedness in humans and how they can be tested in non-human primates. In addition, it makes explicit links between various theoretical models of the development of handedness in humans with the observed patterns of results in non-human primates. A second emphasis is on comparative studies of handedness in primates. There is now enough data in the literature across different species to present an evolutionary tree for the emergence of handedness (and perhaps other aspects of hemispheric specialization, such as neuro-anatomical asymmetries) and its relation to specific morphological and ecological adaptations in various primate species.

The Dissection of Vertebrates

  • 1st Edition
  • August 3, 2006
  • Gerardo De Iuliis + 1 more
  • English
  • eBook
    9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 0 4 7 7 3 5 - 0
The Dissection of Vertebrates covers several vertebrates commonly used in providing a transitional sequence in morphology. With illustrations on seven vertebrates – lamprey, shark, perch, mudpuppy, frog, cat, pigeon – this is the first book of its kind to include high-quality, digitally rendered illustrations. This book received the Award of Excellence in an Illustrated Medical Book from the Association of Medical Illustrators. It is organized by individual organism to facilitate classroom presentation. This illustrated, full-color primary dissection manual is ideal for use by students or practitioners working with vertebrate anatomy. This book is also recommended for researchers in vertebrate and functional morphology and comparative anatomy. The result of this exceptional work offers the most comprehensive treatment than has ever before been available.

Marine Metapopulations

  • 1st Edition
  • April 6, 2006
  • Jacob P. Kritzer + 1 more
  • English
  • Hardback
    9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 0 8 8 7 8 1 - 1
  • eBook
    9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 0 4 5 4 7 1 - 9
Technological improvements have greatly increased the ability of marine scientists to collect and analyze data over large spatial scales, and the resultant insights attainable from interpreting those data vastly increase understanding of poplation dynamics, evolution and biogeography. Marine Metapopulations provides a synthesis of existing information and understanding, and frames the most important future directions and issues.

Dynamic Food Webs

  • 1st Edition
  • Volume 3
  • December 13, 2005
  • Peter C de Ruiter + 2 more
  • English
  • eBook
    9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 0 4 6 0 9 4 - 9
Dynamic Food Webs challenges us to rethink what factors may determine ecological and evolutionary pathways of food web development. It touches upon the intriguing idea that trophic interactions drive patterns and dynamics at different levels of biological organization: dynamics in species composition, dynamics in population life-history parameters and abundances, and dynamics in individual growth, size and behavior. These dynamics are shown to be strongly interrelated governing food web structure and stability and the role of populations and communities play in ecosystem functioning. Dynamic Food Webs not only offers over 100 illustrations, but also contains 8 riveting sections devoted to an understanding of how to manage the effects of environmental change, the protection of biological diversity and the sustainable use of natural resources. Dynamic Food Webs is a volume in the Theoretical Ecology series.

Reproductive Allocation in Plants

  • 1st Edition
  • October 14, 2005
  • Edward Reekie + 1 more
  • English
  • Hardback
    9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 0 8 8 3 8 6 - 8
  • eBook
    9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 0 4 5 4 3 3 - 7
Much effort has been devoted to developing theories to explain the wide variation we observe in reproductive allocation among environments. Reproductive Allocation in Plants describes why plants differ in the proportion of their resources that they allocate to reproduction and looks into the various theories. This book examines the ecological and evolutionary explanations for variation in plant reproductive allocation from the perspective of the underlying physiological mechanisms controlling reproduction and growth. An international team of leading experts have prepared chapters summarizing the current state of the field and offering their views on the factors determining reproductive allocation in plants. This will be a valuable resource for senior undergraduate students, graduate students and researchers in ecology, plant ecophysiology, and population biology.

Ecological Paradigms Lost

  • 1st Edition
  • Volume 2
  • July 26, 2005
  • Beatrix Beisner
  • Kim Cuddington
  • English
  • Paperback
    9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 0 8 8 4 5 9 - 9
  • eBook
    9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 0 4 5 7 8 6 - 4
This edited volume in the Theoretical Ecology series addresses the historical development and evolution of theoretical ideas in the field of ecology. Not only does Ecological Paradigms Lost recount the history of the discipline by practitioners of the science of ecology, it includes commentary on these historical reflections by philosophers of science. Even though the theories discussed are, in many cases, are at the forefront of research, the language and approach make this material accessible to non-theoreticians. The book is structured in 5 major sections including population ecology, epidemiology, community ecology, evolutionary biology and ecosystem ecology. In each section a chapter by an eminent, experienced ecologist is complemented by analysis from a newer, cutting-edge researcher.

Variation

  • 1st Edition
  • June 24, 2005
  • Benedikt Hallgrímsson + 1 more
  • English
  • Hardback
    9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 0 8 8 7 7 7 - 4
  • eBook
    9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 0 4 5 4 4 6 - 7
Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection was based on the observation that there is variation between individuals within the same species. This fundamental observation is a central concept in evolutionary biology. However, variation is only rarely treated directly. It has remained peripheral to the study of mechanisms of evolutionary change. The explosion of knowledge in genetics, developmental biology, and the ongoing synthesis of evolutionary and developmental biology has made it possible for us to study the factors that limit, enhance, or structure variation at the level of an animals' physical appearance and behavior. Knowledge of the significance of variability is crucial to this emerging synthesis. Variation situates the role of variability within this broad framework, bringing variation back to the center of the evolutionary stage.

Food Webs: From Connectivity to Energetics

  • 1st Edition
  • Volume 36
  • April 11, 2005
  • Luo Yiqi
  • English
  • eBook
    9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 0 4 9 0 2 9 - 8
The most recent volume of this series, Advances in Ecological Research, demonstrates a captivating knowledge of recent advances in the analysis of food webs. A food web describes the network of predator-prey interactions within a community. The simplest description of a food web specifies only who eats whom (a connectance web), with no indication of how much or how often. Chapters in this book begin with a discussion of the most detailed connectance webs ever compiled, and advance to incorporate information on the body size and numerical abundance of the species. The results yield new ways of describing food webs and powerful new models for estimating patterns of energy flow in ecosystems.

Ecology, Genetics and Evolution of Metapopulations

  • 1st Edition
  • February 26, 2004
  • Ilkka A. Hanski + 1 more
  • English
  • Paperback
    9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 3 2 3 4 4 8 - 3
  • eBook
    9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 0 5 3 0 6 9 - 7
Ecology, Genetics and Evolution of Metapopulations is acollection of specially commissioned articles that looks at fragmented habitats, bringing together recent theoretical advances and empirical studies applying the metapopulation approach. Several chapters closely integrate ecology with genetics and evolutionary biology, and others illustrate how metapopulation concepts and models can be applied to answer questions about conservation, epidemiology, and speciation. The extensive coverage of theory from highly regarded scientists and the many substantive applications in this one-of-a-kind work make it invaluable to graduate students and researchers in a wide range of disciplines.