Download or read book Size Function and Life History written by William A. Calder and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 1996-01-01 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Zoologist provides a quantitative baseline for comparative zoology and demonstrates the value of allometric correlations as an analytical tool. New Introduction. References.
Download or read book Primate Life Histories and Socioecology written by Peter M. Kappeler and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2003-02 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We know a great deal about roles the environment plays in shaping survival, reproductive success, and even social systems among primates. But how do primate life histories affect social systems and vice versa? Do baboons' patterns of growth, for example, help to structure their societies? Does fission-fusion sociality interact with predator pressure to influence the timing of maturation in chimpanzees? Exploring these issues and many others, the contributors to Primate Life Histories and Socioecology provide the first systematic attempt to understand relationships among primate life histories, ecology, and social behavior conjointly. Topics covered include how primate life histories interact with rates of evolution, predator pressure, and diverse social structures; how the slow maturation of primates affects the behavior of both young and adult caregivers; and reciprocal relationships between large brains and increased social and behavioral complexity. The first collection of its kind, this book will interest a wide range of researchers, from anthropologists and evolutionary biologists to psychologists and ecologists. Contributors: Paul-Michael Agapow, Susan C. Alberts, Jeanne Altmann, Robert A. Barton, Nicholas G. Blurton Jones, Robert O. Deaner, Robin I. M. Dunbar, Jörg U. Ganzhorn, Laurie R. Godfrey, Kristen Hawkes, Nick J. B. Isaac, Charles H. Janson, Kate E. Jones, William L. Jungers, Peter M. Kappeler, Susanne Klaus, Phyllis C. Lee, Steven R. Leigh, Robert D. Martin, James F. O'Connell, Sylvia Ortmann, Michael E. Pereira, Andy Purvis, Caroline Ross, Karen E. Samonds, Jutta Schmid, Stephen C. Stearns, Michael R. Sutherland, Carel P. van Schaik, and Andrea J. Webster.
Download or read book Alternative Life History Styles of Animals written by Michael N. Bruton and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 621 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Early Life History and Recruitment in Fish Populations written by R.C. Chambers and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 616 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many of the processes influencing recruitment to an adult fish population or entry into a fishery occur very early in life. The variations in life histories and behaviours of young fish and the selective processes operating on this variation ultimately determine the identities and abundance of survivors. This important volume brings together contributions from many of the world's leading researchers from the field of fish ecology. The book focuses on three major themes of pressing importance in the analysis of the role that the early life history of fishes plays in the number and quality of recruits: the selective processes at play in their early life history; the contributions of early life history to the understanding of recruitment.
Download or read book Evolution Of Life Histories written by Derek Roff and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1993-05-31 with total page 558 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are many different types of organisms in the world: they differ in size, physiology, appearance, and life history. The challenge for evolutionary biology is to explain how such diversity arises. The Evolution of Life Histories does this by showing that natural selection is the principal underlying force molding life history variation. The book describes in particular the ways in which variation can be analyzed and predicted. It covers both the genetic and optimization approaches to life history analysis and gives an overview of the general framework of life history theory and the mathematical tools by which predictions can be made and tested. Factors affecting the age schedule of birth and death and the costs of reproduction are discussed. The Evolution of Life Histories concentrates on those theoretical developments that have been tested experimentally. It will interest both students and professionals in evolution, evolutionary ecology, mathematical and theoretical biology, and zoology and entomology.
Download or read book Animal Body Size written by Felisa A. Smith and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2013-08-09 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Galileo wrote that “nature cannot produce a horse as large as twenty ordinary horses or a giant ten times taller than an ordinary man unless by miracle or by greatly altering the proportions of his limbs and especially of his bones”—a statement that wonderfully captures a long-standing scientific fascination with body size. Why are organisms the size that they are? And what determines their optimum size? This volume explores animal body size from a macroecological perspective, examining species, populations, and other large groups of animals in order to uncover the patterns and causal mechanisms of body size throughout time and across the globe. The chapters represent diverse scientific perspectives and are divided into two sections. The first includes chapters on insects, snails, birds, bats, and terrestrial mammals and discusses the body size patterns of these various organisms. The second examines some of the factors behind, and consequences of, body size patterns and includes chapters on community assembly, body mass distribution, life history, and the influence of flight on body size.
Download or read book Evolution of Life written by Syozo Osawa and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 455 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nearly thirty million species of organisms are believed to now live on Earth. In addition to accumulating evidence from classical biology, paleontology and earth science, the recent progress of molecular biology has provided new insights into understanding how present-day organisms have evolved with such tremendous diversity. Molecular biological studies show us that all living forms, including E. coli and human beings, derive from a single ancestor that emerged some 4 billion years ago on Earth. This volume aims to discuss the motifs of organismic evolution from the viewpoints of biogeo-interactions and diversification of the genetic systems. Based on these fundamental understandings, the last section of this volume is devoted to human evolution that includes phylogeny of man as well as evolution of human culture. Such comprehensive discussion will give us a synthesized view of the evolution of life, that is undoubtedly one of the most important problems not only for science but also for human culture in general.
Download or read book Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Biology written by and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2016-04-14 with total page 2138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Biology, Four Volume Set is the definitive go-to reference in the field of evolutionary biology. It provides a fully comprehensive review of the field in an easy to search structure. Under the collective leadership of fifteen distinguished section editors, it is comprised of articles written by leading experts in the field, providing a full review of the current status of each topic. The articles are up-to-date and fully illustrated with in-text references that allow readers to easily access primary literature. While all entries are authoritative and valuable to those with advanced understanding of evolutionary biology, they are also intended to be accessible to both advanced undergraduate and graduate students. Broad topics include the history of evolutionary biology, population genetics, quantitative genetics; speciation, life history evolution, evolution of sex and mating systems, evolutionary biogeography, evolutionary developmental biology, molecular and genome evolution, coevolution, phylogenetic methods, microbial evolution, diversification of plants and fungi, diversification of animals, and applied evolution. Presents fully comprehensive content, allowing easy access to fundamental information and links to primary research Contains concise articles by leading experts in the field that ensures current coverage of each topic Provides ancillary learning tools like tables, illustrations, and multimedia features to assist with the comprehension process
Download or read book Life History Evolution written by Steven C. Hertler and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-07-04 with total page 407 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The social sciences share a mission to shed light on human nature and society. However, there is no widely accepted meta-theory; no foundation from which variables can be linked, causally sequenced, or ultimately explained. This book advances “life history evolution” as the missing meta-theory for the social sciences. Originally a biological theory for the variation between species, research on life history evolution now encompasses psychological and sociological variation within the human species that has long been the stock and trade of social scientific study. The eighteen chapters of this book review six disciplines, eighteen authors, and eighty-two volumes published between 1734 and 2015—re-reading the texts in the light of life history evolution.
Download or read book Functions Data and Models written by Sheldon P. Gordon and published by MAA. This book was released on 2010 with total page 511 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Focuses primarily on mathematical concepts and mathematical thinking, thereby achieving a balance among geometric, numerical, symbolic, and statistical approaches, rather than focusing on algebraic manipulation. Gordon incorporates a significant amount of statistical reasoning and methods as natural applications of more standard college algebra topics. --From publisher description.
Download or read book Introduction to Population Ecology written by Larry L. Rockwood and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2015-04-07 with total page 379 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduction to Population Ecology, 2nd Edition is a comprehensive textbook covering all aspects of population ecology. It uses a wide variety of field and laboratory examples, botanical to zoological, from the tropics to the tundra, to illustrate the fundamental laws of population ecology. Controversies in population ecology are brought fully up to date in this edition, with many brand new and revised examples and data. Each chapter provides an overview of how population theory has developed, followed by descriptions of laboratory and field studies that have been inspired by the theory. Topics explored include single-species population growth and self-limitation, life histories, metapopulations and a wide range of interspecific interactions including competition, mutualism, parasite-host, predator-prey and plant-herbivore. An additional final chapter, new for the second edition, considers multi-trophic and other complex interactions among species. Throughout the book, the mathematics involved is explained with a step-by-step approach, and graphs and other visual aids are used to present a clear illustration of how the models work. Such features make this an accessible introduction to population ecology; essential reading for undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in population ecology, applied ecology, conservation ecology, and conservation biology, including those with little mathematical experience.
Download or read book An Introduction to Structured Population Dynamics written by J. M. Cushing and published by SIAM. This book was released on 1998-01-01 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Interest in the temporal fluctuations of biological populations can be traced to the dawn of civilization. How can mathematics be used to gain an understanding of population dynamics? This monograph introduces the theory of structured population dynamics and its applications, focusing on the asymptotic dynamics of deterministic models. This theory bridges the gap between the characteristics of individual organisms in a population and the dynamics of the total population as a whole. In this monograph, many applications that illustrate both the theory and a wide variety of biological issues are given, along with an interdisciplinary case study that illustrates the connection of models with the data and the experimental documentation of model predictions. The author also discusses the use of discrete and continuous models and presents a general modeling theory for structured population dynamics. Cushing begins with an obvious point: individuals in biological populations differ with regard to their physical and behavioral characteristics and therefore in the way they interact with their environment. Studying this point effectively requires the use of structured models. Specific examples cited throughout support the valuable use of structured models. Included among these are important applications chosen to illustrate both the mathematical theories and biological problems that have received attention in recent literature.
Download or read book Comparative Psychology written by Gary Greenberg and published by Routledge. This book was released on 1998-09-01 with total page 946 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are bird songs learned or genetically programmed? How do animals attract the opposite sex? How does play affect development? How do wolves signal surrender? Which animals have been observed using tools? Do squirrels ever forget food caches? How do bees differentiate between hives? Can some animals count? Examines the state of the art-and its evolution Exploring the full range of animal behavior studies, this authoritative Handbook covers the current state of the art as well as important historical developments in the field since its beginnings over a century ago. It features original essays by comparative psychologists and other animal behavior researchers in experimental psychology who examine and report on the latest research and discoveries in the areas of evolution, development, and species-typical behavior. Discusses all other major approaches to animal behavior The Handbook is the only major reference work to offer a unique psychological perspective of the field. It is also the only one to provide numerous examples of other major approaches to animal behavior, and to discuss and compare them. Arranged in eight major sections for quick and efficient information retrieval, the Handbook: Covers the history and philosophical foundations of comparative psychology, spotlights key figures, and provides international perspectives. Surveys all the important concepts, issues, and theoretical developments in the field. Addresses the latest methodology, focusing on apparatus, research design, statistical techniques, and zoo research. Deals with physiological correlates of behavior, hormones, pheromones, sensation and perception, and sleep. Provides intensive examinations of the behavior of a wide variety of species and groups of animals, from cephalopods and insects to wolves and primates. Covers the key psychological processes of learning and development of behavior, a major emphasis of the field that distinguishes it from other approaches. Treats the full range of functional behaviors by which individuals and species ensure survival and reproductive success. Analyzes cognitive processes, describing complex patterns of behavior in terms of information processing and use. Ideal as a source book for students in comparative psychology, ethology, sociobiology, anthropology, and evolutionary psychology, the Handbook is also a handy reference for scientists working in these fields and for the lay person who wants to understand animal behavior.
Download or read book Scaling in Biology written by James H. Brown and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2000 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scaling relationships have been a persistent theme in biology at least since the time of Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo. While there have been many excellent empirical and theoretical investigations, there has been little attempt to synthesize this diverse but interrelated area of biology. In an effort to fill this void, Scaling in Biology, the first general treatment of scaling in biology in over 15 years, covers a broad spectrum of the most relevant topics in a series of chapters written by experts in the field. Some of those topics discussed include allometry and fractal structure, branching of vascular systems of mammals and plants, biomechanical and life history of plants, invertebrates and vertebrates, and species-area patterns of biological diversity.
Download or read book Macroecology Concepts and Consequences written by British Ecological Society. Symposium and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2003-08 with total page 468 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Macroecology: Concepts and Consequences brings together for the first time major researchers in the field to present overviews of current thinking about the form and determinants of macroecological patterns. Each section presents different viewpoints on the answer to a key question in macroecology, such as why are most species rare, why are most species small-bodied, and why are most species restricted in their distribution?
Download or read book Metabolic Ecology written by Richard M. Sibly and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-04-30 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the first textbooks in this emerging important field of ecology. Most of ecology is about metabolism: the ways that organisms use energy and materials. The energy requirements of individuals – their metabolic rates – vary predictably with their body size and temperature. Ecological interactions are exchanges of energy and materials between organisms and their environments. So metabolic rate affects ecological processes at all levels: individuals, populations, communities and ecosystems. Each chapter focuses on a different process, level of organization, or kind of organism. It lays a conceptual foundation and presents empirical examples. Together, the chapters provide an integrated framework that holds the promise for a unified theory of ecology. The book is intended to be accessible to upper-level undergraduate, and graduate students, but also of interest to senior scientists. Its easy-to-read chapters and clear illustrations can be used in lecture and seminar courses. Together they make for an authoritative treatment that will inspire future generations to study metabolic ecology.
Download or read book Environmental Physiology of Animals written by Pat Willmer and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-03-12 with total page 768 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The new and updated edition of this accessible text provides a comprehensive overview of the comparative physiology of animals within an environmental context. Includes two brand new chapters on Nerves and Muscles and the Endocrine System. Discusses both comparative systems physiology and environmental physiology. Analyses and integrates problems and adaptations for each kind of environment: marine, seashore and estuary, freshwater, terrestrial and parasitic. Examines mechanisms and responses beyond physiology. Applies an evolutionary perspective to the analysis of environmental adaptation. Provides modern molecular biology insights into the mechanistic basis of adaptation, and takes the level of analysis beyond the cell to the membrane, enzyme and gene. Incorporates more varied material from a wide range of animal types, with less of a focus purely on terrestrial reptiles, birds and mammals and rather more about the spectacularly successful strategies of invertebrates. A companion site for this book with artwork for downloading is available at: www.blackwellpublishing.com/willmer/
