Download or read book The Timetree of Life written by S. Blair Hedges and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2009-04-23 with total page 575 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The evolutionary history of life includes two primary components: phylogeny and timescale. Phylogeny refers to the branching order (relationships) of species or other taxa within a group and is crucial for understanding the inheritance of traits and for erecting classifications. However, a timescale is equally important because it provides a way to compare phylogeny directly with the evolution of other organisms and with planetary history such as geology, climate, extraterrestrial impacts, and other features. The Timetree of Life is the first reference book to synthesize the wealth of information relating to the temporal component of phylogenetic trees. In the past, biologists have relied exclusively upon the fossil record to infer an evolutionary timescale. However, recent revolutionary advances in molecular biology have made it possible to not only estimate the relationships of many groups of organisms, but also to estimate their times of divergence with molecular clocks. The routine estimation and utilization of these so-called 'time-trees' could add exciting new dimensions to biology including enhanced opportunities to integrate large molecular data sets with fossil and biogeographic evidence (and thereby foster greater communication between molecular and traditional systematists). They could help estimate not only ancestral character states but also evolutionary rates in numerous categories of organismal phenotype; establish more reliable associations between causal historical processes and biological outcomes; develop a universally standardized scheme for biological classifications; and generally promote novel avenues of thought in many arenas of comparative evolutionary biology. This authoritative reference work brings together, for the first time, experts on all major groups of organisms to assemble a timetree of life. The result is a comprehensive resource on evolutionary history which will be an indispensable reference for scientists, educators, and students in the life sciences, earth sciences, and molecular biology. For each major group of organism, a representative is illustrated and a timetree of families and higher taxonomic groups is shown. Basic aspects of the evolutionary history of the group, the fossil record, and competing hypotheses of relationships are discussed. Details of the divergence times are presented for each node in the timetree, and primary literature references are included. The book is complemented by an online database (www.timetree.net) which allows researchers to both deposit and retrieve data.

Download or read book Mammalogy written by Terry Vaughan and published by Jones & Bartlett Learning. This book was released on 2011-04-21 with total page 770 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Newly revised and extensively updated, the fifth edition of Mammalogy explains and clarifies the subject of mammalian biology as a unified whole, taking care to discuss the latest and most fascinating discoveries in the field. In recent years we witnessed significant changes in the taxonomy of mammals. The authors kept pace with such changes and revised each chapter to reflect the most current data and statistics available. New pedagogical elements, including chapter outlines, lists of key morphological characteristics, and further reading sections, help readers grasp the most important concepts and explore additional content on their own." --Book Jacket.

Download or read book Animal Journal Land Mammals of the World written by Juan Carlos Alonso (Graphic designer) and published by Animal Journal. This book was released on 2017-05-22 with total page 131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the rainforests of the Amazon to the plains of Africa, Land Mammals of the World guides you on an exploration of the world's most fascinating mammals.

Download or read book Fossil Vertebrates of Greece Vol 2 written by Evangelos Vlachos and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-10-23 with total page 724 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This 2-volume set provides a state-of-the-art study of the fossil record and taxonomy of the main vertebrate groups from Greece. Greece stands between 3 continents and its vertebrate fossil record is of great importance for paleontological and evolutionary studies in Europe, Asia and Africa. Fossils from classic, world-famous localities (e.g., Pikermi, Samos) form an essential part of the collections of the most important museums in the world and have been studied by numerous scientists. Recent paleontological research led to the discovery and study of numerous new sites. The volumes contain a taxonomic review of all named and identified taxa, their taxonomic history and current status, as well as historical, phylogenetic and biogeographic information. Volume 2 contains a synopsis of the fossil record and taxonomy of important groups of mammals represented in the fossil record of Greece. The volume starts with specific chapters on laurasiatherians like insectivores and bats, moving on to the main part of the book that deals with three of the most important fossil groups in the country. The fossil record of even-toed animals is summarized with chapters on bovids, cervids, suoids, anthracotheres, hippos, giraffes, and tragulids. The fossil record of odd-toed animals is presented with special chapters on horses, tapirs, rhinos, and chalicotheres. The last part of this volume deals with meat-eating, carnivoran groups, like felids, viverrids, hyaenas, canids, bears, ailurids, mephitids and mustelids. The volume ends with a special chapter on insular endemic mammals from the various islands of Greece.

Download or read book Mammalogy written by George A. Feldhamer and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2020-03-24 with total page 741 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A completely revised and updated edition of the leading mammalogy textbook, featuring color photographs throughout and a new streamlined structure for enhanced use in courses. There are more than 6,400 species in the class Mammalia, including the blue whale—the largest animal that has ever lived—and the pygmy shrew, which weighs little more than a dime. Such diversity among mammals has allowed them to play critical roles in every ecosystem, whether marine, freshwater, alpine, tundra, forest, or desert. Reflecting the expertise and perspective of five leading mammalogists, the fifth edition of Mammalogy: Adaptation, Diversity, Ecology significantly updates taxonomy, adds a new introductory chapter on the science of mammalogy, and highlights several recently described species. To enhance its appeal to students, textual material has been reduced, consolidated, and streamlined without sacrificing breadth or depth of coverage. The fifth edition includes • for the first time, stunning color photographs throughout • chapters rearranged and grouped to best reflect phylogenetic relationships, with updated numbers of genera and species for each family • updated mammalian structural and functional adaptations, as well as ordinal fossil histories • recent advances in mammalian phylogeny, biogeography, social behavior, and ecology, with 12 new or revised cladograms reflecting current research findings • new breakout boxes on novel or unique aspects of mammals • new work on female post-copulatory mate choice, cooperative behaviors, group defense, and the role of the vomeronasal system • discussions of the current implications of climate change and other anthropogenic factors for mammals Maintaining the accessible, readable style for which Feldhamer and his coauthors are well known, this new edition of Mammalogy is the authoritative textbook on this amazingly diverse class of vertebrates.

Download or read book Wild and Exotic Animal Ophthalmology written by Fabiano Montiani-Ferreira and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-06-20 with total page 584 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Volume 2 of a two-volume work is the first textbook to offer a practical yet comprehensive approach to clinical ophthalmology in wild and exotic mammals. A phylogenetic approach is used to introduce the ecology and importance of vision across the entire diversity of mammal species before focusing on both the diverse aspects of comparative anatomy and clinical management of ocular disease from one animal group to the next. Edited by three of the most esteemed authorities in exotic animal ophthalmology, this two-volume work is separated into non-mammalian species (Volume 1: Invertebrates, Fishes, Amphibians, Reptiles, and Birds) and Mammals (Volume 2: Mammals). Wild and Exotic Animal Ophthalmology, Volumes 1 and 2 is an essential collection for veterinary ophthalmologists and other veterinary practitioners working with wild and exotic animals.

Download or read book Mammalian Sexuality written by Alan F. Dixson and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-06-03 with total page 405 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first detailed account of post-copulatory sexual selection and the evolution of reproduction in mammals.

Download or read book Primate Origins Adaptations and Evolution written by Matthew J. Ravosa and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-01-05 with total page 846 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a novel focus on adaptive explanations for cranial and postcranial features and functional complexes, socioecological systems, life history patterns, etc. in early primates. It further offers a detailed rendering of the phylogenetic affinities of such basal taxa to later primate clades as well as to other early/recent mammalian orders. In addition to the strictly paleontological or systemic questions regarding Primate Origins, the editors concentrate on the adaptive significance of primate characteristics. Thus, the book provides the broadest possible perspective on early primate phylogeny and the adaptive uniqueness of the Order Primates.

Download or read book Shrews Chromosomes and Speciation written by Jeremy B. Searle and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-02-28 with total page 499 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents new insights into speciation through an in-depth analysis of extraordinary chromosomal variation in one species written by leading experts.

Download or read book The Mammals of the Southern African Sub region written by J. D. Skinner and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2005-11-15 with total page 900 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This third, extensively revised edition of The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion contains detailed descriptions of all mammals that occur naturally on the African mainland south of the Cunene and Zambezi rivers, together with all mammals indigenous to the subregion's coastal waters. The rapid accumulation of new information resulting from mammal research in southern Africa, together with radical taxonomic changes across all levels of mammalian classification, have necessitated this new edition, which presents the best and latest data accurately in one comprehensive volume for use not only by scientists but also by an increasingly wide audience of general readers with an interest in the natural history of southern Africa." "J. D. Skinner and C. T. Chimimba have revised, expanded and updated the text in a major project overseen by an editorial committee constituted by the Mammal Research Institute at the University of Pretoria. Specialists on each mammalian order have served as subeditors, and a range of independent and internationally recognised authorities have reviewed every species description." "In this edition all the distribution maps and many of the illustrations of mammal prints have been updated and redrawn, several new colour plates have been added, and the whole design of this definitive reference work has been enhanced to ensure easy access to information."--BOOK JACKET.

Download or read book Evolution of Nervous Systems written by Georg F. Striedter and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2016-11-23 with total page 2064 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evolution of Nervous Systems, Second Edition, Four Volume Set is a unique, major reference which offers the gold standard for those interested both in evolution and nervous systems. All biology only makes sense when seen in the light of evolution, and this is especially true for the nervous system. All animals have nervous systems that mediate their behaviors, many of them species specific, yet these nervous systems all evolved from the simple nervous system of a common ancestor. To understand these nervous systems, we need to know how they vary and how this variation emerged in evolution. In the first edition of this important reference work, over 100 distinguished neuroscientists assembled the current state-of-the-art knowledge on how nervous systems have evolved throughout the animal kingdom. This second edition remains rich in detail and broad in scope, outlining the changes in brain and nervous system organization that occurred from the first invertebrates and vertebrates, to present day fishes, reptiles, birds, mammals, and especially primates, including humans. The book also includes wholly new content, fully updating the chapters in the previous edition and offering brand new content on current developments in the field. Each of the volumes has been carefully restructured to offer expanded coverage of non-mammalian taxa, mammals, primates, and the human nervous system. The basic principles of brain evolution are discussed, as are mechanisms of change. The reader can select from chapters on highly specific topics or those that provide an overview of current thinking and approaches, making this an indispensable work for students and researchers alike. Presents a broad range of topics, ranging from genetic control of development in invertebrates, to human cognition, offering a one-stop resource for the evolution of nervous systems throughout the animal kingdom Incorporates the expertise of over 100 outstanding investigators who provide their conclusions in the context of the latest experimental results Presents areas of disagreement and consensus views that provide a holistic view of the subjects under discussion

Download or read book Future of biodiversity in the Barents Region written by Anouschka R. Hof and published by Nordic Council of Ministers. This book was released on 2015-04-13 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Climate change may affect biodiversity to a large extent. Its effects have already caused shifts in species distributions and even species extinctions. Since especially high latitude regions are expected to be affected, this publication assesses the impact of future climate change on the biodiversity in the Barents Region (northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland, and Northwest Russia). It reports on the impact of climate change on a large range of species, including amphibians, butterflies, birds, mammals, moths, plants, slugs, snails, and reptiles, of which a few were studied more in depth. It further identifies future hotspots of species diversity and gives recommendations on species that should be prioritized for conservation and on areas that should be included in the network of protected areas in future. Lastly, it provides guidance on which aspects require further study.

Download or read book Issues in Life Sciences Cellular Biology 2013 Edition written by and published by ScholarlyEditions. This book was released on 2013-05-01 with total page 1179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Issues in Life Sciences—Cellular Biology / 2013 Edition is a ScholarlyEditions™ book that delivers timely, authoritative, and comprehensive information about Cells and Materials. The editors have built Issues in Life Sciences—Cellular Biology: 2013 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Cells and Materials in this book to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Issues in Life Sciences—Cellular Biology: 2013 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.

Download or read book The Princeton Field Guide to Prehistoric Mammals written by Donald R. Prothero and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2016-11-15 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ultimate illustrated guide to the lost world of prehistoric mammals After the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, mammals became the dominant terrestrial life form on our planet. Roaming the earth were spectacular beasts such as saber-toothed cats, giant mastodonts, immense ground sloths, and gigantic giraffe-like rhinoceroses. Here is the ultimate illustrated field guide to the lost world of these weird and wonderful prehistoric creatures. A woolly mammoth probably won't come thundering through your vegetable garden any time soon. But if one did, this would be the book to keep on your windowsill next to the binoculars. It covers all the main groups of fossil mammals, discussing taxonomy and evolutionary history, and providing concise accounts of the better-known genera and species as well as an up-to-date family tree for each group. No other book presents such a wealth of new information about these animals—what they looked like, how they behaved, and how they were interrelated. In addition, this unique guide is stunningly illustrated throughout with full-color reconstructions of these beasts—many never before depicted—along with photographs of amazing fossils from around the world. Provides an up-to-date guidebook to hundreds of extinct species, from saber-toothed cats to giant mammoths Features a wealth of color illustrations, including new reconstructions of many animals never before depicted Demonstrates evolution in action—such as how whales evolved from hoofed mammals and how giraffes evolved from creatures with short necks Explains how mass extinctions and climate change affected mammals, including why some mammals grew so huge

Download or read book Mexican Fauna in the Anthropocene written by Robert W. Jones and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-01-30 with total page 593 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This contributed volume presents an analysis of the current conservation status of major faunal groups in Mexico. The chapters describe a prognosis of future challenges, and also explore the expanding threats inherent in the Anthropocene within the context of the unique physical, biological and cultural aspects of the nation. Covering 27 chapters, and written by Mexican and international authors, this book analyzes a wide range of vertebrate and invertebrate animal taxa, their ecosystems and the critical processes related to their present conservation status. This volume is an important reference material for researchers, conservationists and students interested in the biological and ecological processes shaping the Mexican fauna.

Download or read book Biodiversity of Armenia written by George Fayvush and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-09-08 with total page 447 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Armenia is a small landlocked mountainous country located in the Southern Caucasus. It is a typical mountainous country, having its lowest point of 375m above sea level and culminating at 4095m with an average altitude of 1850m, where the landscapes and ecosystems form a complex multi-functional system. In general, the ecosystems of Armenia are characterized by a number of peculiarities, which all together contribute to formation of rich and unique biodiversity. On the small territory of Armenia (less than 30 thousand km2) there are about 3800 species of vascular plants (about a half of the whole Caucasian flora), 428 species of soil and water algae, 399 species of mosses, 4207 species of fungi, 464 species of lichens, 549 species of vertebrates and about 17200 species of invertebrates. The biodiversity of Armenia is notable for high endemism: about 500 species of fauna (about 3% of the fauna) and 147 species of flora (3.8% of total flora) are considered endemics. Such a high level of endemism is typical only for some of the large islands. Due to the huge variety of climates (from dry subtropics to cold alpine) and soil conditions all the main Caucasian ecosystems (besides humid subtropics) are represented in Armenia – deserts and semi-deserts, steppes, meadow-steppes, forests and open woodlands, sub-alpine and alpine vegetation as well as intrazonal ecosystems. Therefore Armenia is a biodiversity hotspot both within the Caucasian ecoregion and around the globe. This book compiles, summarizes and analyzes data on flora, fauna and mycobiota of Armenia, with a special focus on the impact of forecasted climate change on biodiversity and ecosystems of the region.

Download or read book Mammals of Ohio written by John D. Harder and published by Ohio University Press. This book was released on 2022-03-18 with total page 551 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An updated, informative review of the status and biology of the fifty-five species of mammals living wild in Ohio, richly illustrated with photographs, maps, drawings, and original artwork. This comprehensive reference illustrates how species within each of the seven orders of mammals in Ohio share modes of reproduction, locomotion, and nutrition, providing a framework for understanding the fascinating world of mammalian biology. Presentations of natural history in each account of the various species are enhanced with descriptions of intriguing adaptations for avoiding demise from predators, food shortages, and the frigid conditions of Ohio winters. The book is richly illustrated with range maps, exquisite skull drawings, beautiful photography, and engaging artwork. Challenges to wildlife conservation are considerable in Ohio, with its vast industrialized urban centers distributed across a largely agricultural landscape. With frequent citations of scientific reports and conservation efforts of the Ohio Division of Wildlife and of other public and private entities, this book instills an appreciation for the rich mammalian fauna of Ohio, as well as knowledge on how to join efforts to protect it. Covering all of the state’s mammals, from tiny, obscure shrews to the magnificent white-tailed deer, Mammals of Ohio is a definitive resource for professional biologists and students. The narrative style throughout the book is accessible, providing the general reader with an appreciation for the full scope of the rich mammalian diversity in the state.