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This book will cover the entire evolutionary history that the terrestrial plants have recorded in Brazilian sedimentary rocks, ranging from the first vestiges of terrestrial environments colonization about 400 million years ago, until reaching the eve of the present time, when the current vegetation formations were organizing to reach their current distribution, diversity and structure in modern biomes. At present Brazil is home to the world's greatest plant biodiversity and we aim to offer here an opportunity to appreciate how this floral biodiversity originated and developed in these lowlands of South America, through chapters elaborated by the best Brazilian paleobotanist and palynologists in collaboration with foreign experts who dedicate to elucidate the evolution of the ancient flora in this part of the planet.

Mexico is a biodiverse country. The dynamics of environments from Mexico played a crucial role in the history of North American biota. This book analyzes the paleoenvironmental conditions using several biological groups and various methods. This book also demonstrates how this information is specifically used to elucidate Mexico‘s past environments and habitats (terrestrial, freshwater, and marine). This book fills an existing editorial gap since much of the information is dispersed in several bibliographic sources. The authors are active paleontologists in diverse Mexican universities and research centers. Their research activities contribute to the knowledge of the Mexican biota through geologic time.

This contributed volume covers all aspects of small indigenous fish for nutritional and livelihood security. The availability, descriptions and identification of common small indigenous fish provides potential and prospects of fish production from inland open water system. In addition, individual chapters are added on growth, feeding, diseases and health management of these small fishes. Essential information is provided on packaging and transport of these fishes. Specific chapters provide information on nutritional value of fishes, value addition and product development by using small indigenous fish species in different regions of the country. Further topics include small fishes of ornamental value, indigenous technical knowledge, climate change impact, conservation and management of small indigenous fish diversity. This book supports the academicians, farmers, entrepreneurs and fisheries professionals involved in gaining the knowledge and skills needed to contribute in nutritional and livelihood security of the nation.

The Murray cod is Australia's largest and most iconic freshwater fish. Tales of the species have long been part of Australian folklore and this book describes its history, biology, cultural significance and conservation. The Life and Times of the Murray Cod reveals the many roles the species has played throughout the history of the continent, from its place at the heart of the Aboriginal creation story of the Murray River, its role as a food source for explorers surveying inland Australia in the early 1800s, to it forming the basis of a commercial fishing industry up to the early 2000s. Living for upwards of half a century and growing to astonishing sizes, today the Murray cod is a hugely popular target for recreational fishing, but its future is anything but assured. In the face of climate change, river management and fishing pressure, much needs to be done to ensure this extraordinary fish swims confidently into the future. The Life and Times of the Murray Cod draws on historical, anecdotal and scientific sources to reveal what makes this remarkable species so special, and will appeal to fishers, natural resource managers, conservationists and any reader interested in natural history.

This book describes the microbiota of the intertrappean beds in the Chhindwara District, Madhya Pradesh, India. In this work, special emphasis is placed on the microbiota from the Late Cretaceous-Early Palaeocene transition of the central Narmada River region. Recently, the intertrappean beds of the Eastern Deccan Volcanic Province (one of the subprovinces of the Deccan Volcanic Province) have received considerable attention, which resulted in the addition of some significant biotic assemblages to the existing record from the Dindori-Chhindwara area of the province. The biotic assemblages include charophytes, ostracods, foraminiferans, fishes, frogs, lizards, turtles, crocodiles, and mammals. In spite of the recent discoveries, the known fossil record of the Late Cretaceous-Early Palaeocene biota of India is not sufficient and thus does not permit us to speculate on the possible impact of environmental changes triggered by the Deccan volcanic lava flows on the contemporary biota and toprecisely document their palaeoecologic, palaeoenvironmental and palaeobiogeographic implications. The recent biotic reports from the intertrappean beds exposed in the Chhindwara region of the Eastern Deccan Volcanic Province clearly indicate that these beds have a vast potential in terms of fossil content, which could reveal new and dissimilar biotic remains when compared to the Western Deccan Volcanic Province. The record of diverse accumulations of freshwater charophytes, brackish to freshwater ostracods, and planktic foraminiferal and fish assemblages from the intertrappean beds of Jhilmili and adjacent areas of Early Danian (P1a) age and lying just north of Chhindwara town and in the heart of peninsular India has intriguing implications for defining the age limits of the basaltic flows. The occurrence of non-marine taxa, for example, algae, molluscs, and vertebrates, associated with brackish water ostracods in the nearby Singpur and Mohgaon Kalan localities of the Chhindwara region, has also raised concerns about the sedimentary environments of these intertrappean beds. The new finds (presented in this book) prove useful for the better understanding of the palaeoecology and palaeoenvironment of the biota and also throw light on various paleobiogeographic models proposed for the northward drifting Indian plate. The microbiotic assemblages of the intertrappean beds of the eastern Deccan volcanic province at District Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh are documented in this book. The microbiota of the central Narmada River region, the charophytes, ostracods, planktic foraminifera, and fishes, receive special attention in this study.

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 1 contains a synopsis of the fossil record and taxonomy of important groups of vertebrates represented in the fossil record of Greece. The volume deals with some of the early splitting clades, including the basal and enigmatic conodonts and basal tetrapods like fishes, amphibians, and reptiles like lizards, snakes, crocodiles, turtles and tortoises. The second part of the volume deals with basal mammalian clades, some of which are quite characteristic for the fossil record of the country: aardwarks, hyraxes, proboscideans, elephants and mammoths, sea cows, rodents, and lagomorphs. The volume ends with special chapters on the primate fossil record of the country, including some of our most recent and distant relatives.

The first vertebrate animals appear in the fossil record over 520 million years ago. These lineages diversified and eventually crept ashore leading to further evolutionary divergence and the appearance of the familiar charismatic vertebrates of today. From the tiniest fishes, diminutive salamanders, and miniaturized lizards to gargantuan dinosaurs, enormous brontotheres, and immense whales, vertebrates have captured the imagination of the lay public as well as the most erudite academics. They are the among the best studied organisms. This book employs beautifully rendered illustrations of these diverse lineages along with informative text to document a rich evolutionary history. The prolific and best-selling author reveals much of the latest findings regarding the phylogenetic history of vertebrates without overwhelming the reader with pedantry and excessive jargon. Simultaneously, comprehensive and authoritative while being approachable and lucid, this book should appeal to both the scholar, the student, and the fossil enthusiast. Key Features Provides an up-to-date account of evolution of vertebrates Includes numerous beautiful color reconstructions of prehistoric vertebrates Describes extinct vertebrates and their evolutionary history Discusses and illustrates the first vertebrates, as well as familiar lineages of fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals Reviews mass extinctions and other important events in the diversification of vertebrates Related TitlesBard, J. Evolution: The Origins and Mechanisms of Diversity (ISBN 9780367357016)Böhmer, C., et al. Atlas of Terrestrial Mammal Limbs (ISBN 9781138705906)Diogo, R., et al. Muscles of Chordates: Development, Homologies, and Evolution (ISBN 9781138571167)Schweitzer, M. H., et al. Dinosaurs: How We Know What We Know (ISBN 9780367563813)

This book simulates a historical walk through nature, teaching readers about the biodiversity on Earth in various eras with a focus on past terrestrial environments. Geared towards a student audience, using simple terms and avoiding long complex explanations, the book discusses the plants and animals that lived on land, the evolution of natural systems, and how these biological systems changed over time in geological and paleontological contexts. With easy-to-understand and scientifically accurate and up-to-date information, readers will be guided through major biological events from the Earth's past. The topics in the book represent a broad paleoenvironmental spectrum of interests and educational modules, allowing for virtual visits to rich geological times. Eras and events that are discussed include, but are not limited to, the much varied Quaternary environments, the evolution of plants and animals during the Cenozoic, the rise of angiosperms, vertebrate evolution and ecosystems in the Mesozoic, the Permian mass extinction, the late Paleozoic glaciation, and the origin of the first trees and land plants in the Devonian-Ordovician. With state-of-the art expert scientific instruction on these topics and up-to-date and scientifically accurate illustrations, this book can serve as an international course for students, teachers, and other interested individuals.

Molluscs comprise the second largest phylum of animals (after arthropods), occurring in virtually all habitats. Some are commercially important, a few are pests and some carry diseases, while many non-marine molluscs are threatened by human impacts which have resulted in more extinctions than all tetrapod vertebrates combined. This book and its companion volume provide the first comprehensive account of the Mollusca in decades. Illustrated with hundreds of colour figures, it reviews molluscan biology, genomics, anatomy, physiology, fossil history, phylogeny and classification. This volume includes general chapters drawn from extensive and diverse literature on the anatomy and physiology of their structure, movement, reproduction, feeding, digestion, excretion, respiration, nervous system and sense organs. Other chapters review the natural history (including ecology) of molluscs, their interactions with humans, and assess research on the group. Key features of both volumes: up to date treatment with an extensive bibliography; thoroughly examines the current understanding of molluscan anatomy, physiology and development; reviews fossil history and phylogenetics; overviews ecology and economic values; and summarises research activity and suggests future directions for investigation. Winston F Ponder was a Principal Research Scientist at The Australian Museum in Sydney where he is currently a Research Fellow. He has published extensively over the last 55 years on the systematics, evolution, biology and conservation of marine and freshwater molluscs, as well as supervised post graduate students and run university courses.David R. Lindberg is former Chair of the Department of Integrative Biology, Director of the Museum of Paleontology, and Chair of the Berkeley Natural History Museums, all at the University of California. He has conducted research on the evolutionary history of marine organisms and their habitats on the rocky shores of the Pacific Rim for more than 40 years. The numerous elegant and interpretive illustrations were produced by Juliet Ponder.

The highly anticipated second volume of Freshwater Fishes of North America, a monumental, fully illustrated reference that provides comprehensive details on the freshwater fishes of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.When the first volume of Freshwater Fishes of North America was published, it was immediately hailed as the definitive reference in the field. Readers have been fervently awaiting the next volume in this encompassing three-book set ever since. Now complete, volume 2, covering families Characidae to Poeciliidae, is the result of decades of analysis by leading fish experts from universities and research laboratories across North America.Each volume in this authoritative synthesis covers the ecology, morphology, reproduction, distribution, behavior, taxonomy, conservation, and the fossil record of the included North American fish families. The encyclopedic reviews of each family are accompanied by color photographs (nearly 250 in this volume alone), range maps, and artwork created by noted fish illustrator Joseph R. Tomelleri. The result is a rich textual and visual experience that covers everything known about the diversity, natural history, ecology, and biology of North American freshwater fishes.Volume 2 covers the following North American families of fishes:Characidae (Characins)Ictaluridae (North American Catfishes)Ariidae (Sea Catfishes)Heptapteridae (Three-barbeled Catfishes)Osmeridae (Smelts)Esociformes (Esocidae, Pikes and Umbridae, Mudminnows)Percopsidae (Trout-perches)Amblyopsidae (Cavefishes)Aphredoderidae (Pirate Perches)Gadidae (Cods and Cuskfishes)Mugilidae (Mullets)Atherinopsidae (New World Silversides)Beloniformes (Needlefishes and Halfbeaks)Rivulidae (New World Rivulines)Profundulidae (Middle American Killifishes)Goodeidae (Goodeids)Fundulidae (Topminnows)Cyprinodontidae (Pupfishes)Poeciliidae (Livebearers)The chapter authors of Volume 2 are:Gianetta AdamsClyde BarbourMicah BennettRicardo Bentancur-R.Peter B. Z. BerendzenBrooks M. BurrMollie CashnerRobert C. CashnerBruce B. ColletteMatthew DavisAlice F. EchelleAnthony A. EchelleFernando GalvezMichael GhedottiNicholas GidmarkTerry GrandeRobert L. HopkinsLauren M. KuehneFrank McCormickNorman Mercado-SilvaAnn U. O'ConnellMartin T. O'ConnellJulian D. OldenClaudia Patricia Ornelas-GarciaMark Sabaj PerezKyle R. PillerSteven PowersJacob SchaeferJuan J. Schmitter-SotoAndrew M. SimonsRoger A. TaborCheryl ThieleMatthew ThomasMelvin L. Warren, Jr.Mark V. H. Wilson

This new and significantly updated authored dictionary is a unique glossary of paleontological terms, taxa, localities, and concepts. It focuses primarily on identifying the most significant groups of fossil animals and plants in relation to their evolution and phylogeny. It also focuses on mass extinctions, on taxa that are problematic in some significant way, on the principal fossil-Lagerstätten of the world, and on historical turning points marked by index fossils. Although there are many current resources on the subject, none contains an accurate representation of the paleontological lexicon. Although well aware that the fast-changing field of paleontology will always defy any attempt at complete description, the author has attempted to provide an accurate and comprehensive set of about 4,000 entries that will be useful to professionals as well as to general readers of scientific literature without a background in paleontology.

The oceans cover 70% of the Earth's surface, and are critical components of Earth's climate system. This new edition of Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences, Six Volume Set summarizes the breadth of knowledge about them, providing revised, up to date entries as well coverage of new topics in the field. New and expanded sections include microbial ecology, high latitude systems and the cryosphere, climate and climate change, hydrothermal and cold seep systems. The structure of the work provides a modern presentation of the field, reflecting the input and different perspective of chemical, physical and biological oceanography, the specialized area of expertise of each of the three Editors-in-Chief. In this framework maximum attention has been devoted to making this an organic and unified reference. - Represents a one-stop. organic information resource on the breadth of ocean science research - Reflects the input and different perspective of chemical, physical and biological oceanography, the specialized area of expertise of each of the three Editors-in-Chief - New and expanded sections include microbial ecology, high latitude systems and climate change - Provides scientifically reliable information at a foundational level, making this work a resource for students as well as active researches

This authored dictionary presents a unique glossary of paleontological terms, taxa, localities, and concepts, with focus on the most significant orders, genera, and species in terms of historical turning points such as mass extinctions. The book is an accurate and up-to-date collection of the most important paleontological terms and taxa, and may be used as a resource by students, researchers, libraries, and museums.Though useful to many in professional and academic settings, the book is also aimed at general readers of scientific literature who may enjoy the material without a background in paleontology. While there are many current resources on the subject, few fully encapsulate an accurate representation of the paleontological lexicon. This book attempts to compile such a representation in a moderately comprehensive manner, and includes a list of the most important monographs and articles that have been consulted to put together this essential work.

Pathology of Wildlife and Zoo Animals is a comprehensive resource that covers the pathology of wildlife and zoo species, including a wide scope of animals, disease types and geographic regions. It is the definitive book for students, biologists, scientists, physicians, veterinary clinicians and pathologists working with non-domestic species in a variety of settings. General chapters include information on performing necropsies, proper techniques to meet the specialized needs of forensic cases, laboratory diagnostics, and an introduction into basic principles of comparative clinical pathology. The taxon-based chapters provide information about disease in related groups of animals and include descriptions of gross and histologic lesions, pathogenesis and diagnostics. For each group of animals, notable, unique gross and microscopic anatomical features are provided to further assist the reader in deciding whether differences from the domestic animal paradigm are'normal.'Additional online content, which includes text, images, and whole scanned glass slides of selected conditions, expands the published material resulting in a comprehensive approach to the topic. 2019 PROSE Awards - Winner: Category: Textbook/Biological and Life Sciences: Association of American Publishers Presents a single resource for performing necropsies on a variety of taxa, including terrestrial and aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates Describes notable, unique gross and microscopic anatomical variations among species/taxa to assist in understanding normal features, in particular those that can be mistaken as being abnormal Provides consistent organization of chapters with descriptions of unique anatomic features, common non-infectious and infectious diseases following brief overviews of the taxonomic group Contains full-color, high quality illustrations of diseases Links to a large online library of scanned slides related to topics in the book that illustrate important histologic findings

A thorough understanding of planktonic organisms is the first step towards a real appreciation of the diversity, biology, and ecological importance of marine life. A detailed knowledge of their distribution and community composition is particularly important since these organisms are often very delicate and sensitive to change, and can be used as early indicators of environmental change. Natural and man-induced modification of the environment can affect both the distribution and composition of plankton, with important ecological and economic impacts. Marine Plankton provides a practical guide to plankton biology with a large geographic coverage spanning the North Sea to the north-eastern Atlantic coast of the USA and Canada. The book is divided into three sections: an overview of plankton ecology, an assessment of methodology in plankton research covering sampling, preservation, and counting of samples, and a taxonomic guide richly illustrated with detailed line drawings to aid identification. This is an essential reference text suitable for senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in marine ecology (particularly useful for fieldwork) as well as for professional marine biologists. It will also be of relevance and use to environmental scientists, conservation biologists, marine resource managers, environmental consultants, and other specialised practitioners.

With more than 15,000 species, nearly a quarter of the total number of vertebrate species on Earth, freshwater fishes are extremely varied. They include the largest fish species, the beluga at over 7 meters long, and the smallest, the Paedocypris at just 8 millimeters, as well as the carnivorous, such as the piranha, and the calm, such as the Chinese algae eater. Certain species evolve rapidly, cichlids for example, while others transform very slowly, like lungfish. The fossils of these animals are very diverse in nature, sometimes just small scattered bones where sites correspond to ancient river beds or magnificent fossils of entire fish where there was once a lake. This book covers the history of these fishes over the last 250 million years by exploring the links between their biological evolution and the paleogeographic and environmental transformations of our planet, whether these be gradual or sudden. - Gathers and synthetizes data from a vast number of publications regarding past freshwater assemblages and several fish lineages that invaded freshwaters - Describes the work of the author's own team, concerning fauna from the Cretaceous of France, Morocco, and Thailand - Presents the recent results of the tempo of diversification in freshwater environments and the evolutionary histories of clades and gar lineages

A monumental reference that provides comprehensive details on the freshwater fishes of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.CHOICE Outstanding Academic TitleCertain to stand among the reference books of choice for anyone interested in the continent's aquatic ecosystems, Freshwater Fishes of North America covers the ecology, morphology, reproduction, distribution, behavior, taxonomy, conservation, and fossil record of each North American fish family. Volume 1 (of three) covers the following North American families of fishes:Petromyzontidae (Lampreys)Dasyatidae (Whiptail Stingrays)Acipenseridae (Sturgeons)Polyodontidae (Paddlefishes)Lepisosteidae (Gars)Amiidae (Bowfins)Hiodontidae (Mooneyes)Anguillidae (Freshwater Eels)Engraulidae (Anchovies)Cyprinidae (Carps and Minnows)Catostomidae (Suckers)The encyclopedic review of each fish family is accompanied by color photographs, maps, and original artwork created by noted fish illustrator Joseph R. Tomelleri. The result is a rich textual and visual experience. Widely anticipated, this monumental reference is the result of decades of analysis and synthesis by leading fish experts from a variety of universities, research laboratories, museums, and aquariums.The chapter authors of Volume 1 are:William E. BemisMicah G. BennettMichael D. BurnsBrooks M. BurrAnthony L. EchelleNicholas J. GidmarkCarter R. GilbertHoward S. GillLance GrandeAlex HaroPhillip M. HarrisEric J. HiltonLisa J. HopmanGregory HubbardBernard R. KuhajdaWilliam J. MatthewsDeborah A. McLennanIan C. PotterClaude B. RenaudStephen T. RossMichael SandelAndrew M. SimonsMelvin L. Warren, Jr.

The opportunity to prepare a second edition of a book that was originally written 30 years ago has provided me with both a challenge and a source of pleas­ over ure; the former as it needed to be spatially constrained within its original limits. Nevertheless, over 1000 references have been added. I must apologize to the many biologists whose contributions could not be included. I have attempted to keep the original format and historical perspective. The information has been princi­ pally described within the context of each phyletic group of the vertebrates and their habitats. Each chapter is reasonably self-contained, but appreciation of mate­ rial in later chapters, as often indicated, can be amplified by reference to Chap­ ters 1 and 2. Information that was provided in tables in the first edition has now often been summarized in the text. Reviewing the work of earlier contributions to this field of study has evoked many pleasant memories of friends and acquain­ tances, some deceased, events and occasions. It has been a particular pleasure to perceive the consequences of such observations and know some of the answers to the questions that they raised. A new generation of such questions has now emerged, which is one of the reasons for preparing this summary. I would like to thank Professor Don Bradshaw for suggesting that this book may be welcome and Springer-Verlag for making it possible.

Chapter 1 - Species Chapter 2 - Vertebrate Chapter 3 - Animal Chapter 4 - Plant Chapter 5 - Insect Chapter 6 - Mollusca Chapter 7 - Crustacean Chapter 8 - Fish Chapter 9 - Amphibian Chapter 10 - Reptile Chapter 11 - Bird Chapter 12 - Mammal

Fishes live in a world that is unfamiliar to us. Although we may make or even more advanced brief visits to this other world using a snorkel, scuba diving equipment, we can never become a part of it. Yet, an understanding of fish ecology requires an awareness of the relationships between fishes and their environment. The purpose of this book is to introduce the ecology of fishes by describing the inter-relationships between fishes and the aquatic habitats they occupy. The book can be read in complementary ways. A sequential reading, chapter by chapter, covers the main themes of ecology, including habitat use, species interactions, migration, feeding, population dynamics and reproduction in relation to the major habitats occupied by fishes. An alternative reading selects a particular sort of habitat, such as rivers, and, by using the index and skipping from chapter to chapter, builds up a picture of the ecology of fishes living in that habitat. The text is written for advanced students. Its emphasis is on descriptive rather than quantitative ecology. It is assumed that the reader will be familiar with the basic biology of fishes, acquired from a text such as The Biology of Fishes (Bone and Marshall, 1982) also published in the Tertiary Level Biology series. I would like to thank Dr J. D. Fish and two anonymous reviewers who, within a tight time-schedule, tried to improve the text. Any mistakes and shortcomings are my contribution.

As the largest group of extant vertebrates, fish offer an almost limitless number of striking examples of evolutionary adaptation to environmental and biotic selection pressure. The most diverse of all vertebrate groups, the higher taxa of fish traditionally have been classified by morphology and paleontology, with a much smaller input of cytogenetic information. DNA sequence data are exerting an increasingly strong influence on modern fish systematics, challenging the classification of numerous higher taxa ranging from genera to orders. The most fruitful approach, however, involves synthetic analyses of morphology, molecular phylogenetics, comparative karyology, and genome size. Karyotypes of more than 3400 species/subspecies are arranged here by fish systematics and include a list of genome size, sex chromosomes, B chromosomes, polyploidy, and locality of material fish, among others. This volume enables both beginners and advanced researchers to survey the existing literature and facilitates the implementation of an integrative approach to fish systematics. The first book on fish chromosomes in nearly 15 years, it is also the most comprehensive.

The groundbreaking Encyclopedia of Ecology provides an authoritative and comprehensive coverage of the complete field of ecology, from general to applied. It includes over 500 detailed entries, structured to provide the user with complete coverage of the core knowledge, accessed as intuitively as possible, and heavily cross-referenced. Written by an international team of leading experts, this revolutionary encyclopedia will serve as a one-stop-shop to concise, stand-alone articles to be used as a point of entry for undergraduate students, or as a tool for active researchers looking for the latest information in the field.Entries cover a range of topics, including:Behavioral EcologyEcological ProcessesEcological ModelingEcological EngineeringEcological IndicatorsEcological InformaticsEcosystemsEcotoxicologyEvolutionary EcologyGeneral EcologyGlobal EcologyHuman EcologySystem Ecology - The first reference work to cover all aspects of ecology, from basic to applied - Over 500 concise, stand-alone articles are written by prominent leaders in the field - Article text is supported by full-color photos, drawings, tables, and other visual material - Fully indexed and cross referenced with detailed references for further study - Writing level is suited to both the expert and non-expert - Available electronically on ScienceDirect shortly upon publication

Mapping of animal genomes has generated huge databases and several new concepts and strategies, which are useful to elucidate origin, evolution and phylogeny. Genetic and physical maps of genomes further provide precise details on chromosomal location, function, expression and regulation of academically and economically important genes. The series Genome Mapping and Genomics in Animals provides comprehensive and up-to-date reviews on genomic research on a large variety of selected animal systems, contributed by leading scientists from around the world. This volume summarizes the first era of genomic studies of aquaculture species, in which the tools and resources necessary to support whole-genome sequencing were developed. These tools will enhance efforts toward selective breeding of aquaculture species. Included in this volume are summaries of work on salmonids, cyprinids, catfish, tilapias, European sea bass, Japanese flounder, shrimps and oysters.

Many different kinds of animals have adopted a parasitic life style on the skin and gills of marine and freshwater fishes, including protozoans, flatworms, leeches, a range of crustaceans and even some vertebrates (lampreys). There is a parasitic barnacle, described first in the 19th century by Charles Darwin, fish lice that change sex and bivalve molluscs parasitic only when young. This book explores for the first time in one volume, the remarkable biology of these little known and frequently bizarre animals. The following closely interwoven themes are considered for each group of parasites: how they find their hosts, how they attach, feed and reproduce, the damage they inflict and how the host's immune system retaliates. Based on the British fauna, but extending where appropriate to examples from North America, Australia and elsewhere, the book is essential reading, not just for the professional parasitologist, but also for anyone interested in fishes and in this neglected field of British natural history. With the enquiring naturalist in mind, terms and concepts are explained as they arise, backed up by a glossary, and the text is liberally illustrated. An introductory chapter on fish biology sets the scene and common fish names are used throughout, as well as scientific names.

The Evolution of the Genome provides a much needed overview of genomic study through clear, detailed, expert-authored discussions of the key areas in genome biology. This includes the evolution of genome size, genomic parasites, gene and ancient genome duplications, polypoidy, comparative genomics, and the implications of these genome-level phenomena for evolutionary theory. In addition to reviewing the current state of knowledge of these fields in an accessible way, the various chapters also provide historical and conceptual background information, highlight the ways in which the critical questions are actually being studied, indicate some important areas for future research, and build bridges across traditional professional and taxonomic boundaries. The Evolution of the Genome will serve as a critical resource for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and established scientists alike who are interested in the issue of genome evolution in the broadest sense. - Provides detailed, clearly written chapters authored by leading researchers in their respective fields - Presents a much-needed overview of the historical and theoretical context of the various areas of genomic study - Creates important links between topics in order to promote integration across subdisciplines, including descriptions of how each subject is actually studied - Provides information specifically designed to be accessible to established researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students alike

Structural genomics is the study of the DNA of living organisms. Evolutionary genomics is the study of the history of the genome. These subjects are closely interlinked. They are approached in this book using as a guideline the investigations carried out in the author's laboratory, relevant literature is critically reviewed and some general conclusions are presented. The author and his collaborators have studied a vast number of genomes, ranging from prokaryotes to human, using different approaches, including physical chemistry of DNA, viral integration and molecular cytogenetics. As the subtitle indicates the book discusses the fundamental importance of natural selection in shaping genomes. In terms of numbers, neutral and nearly neutral mutations represent most mutations, but a'regional'control is exerted by natural selection (essentially negative or purifying selection). A'neo-selectionist'model is proposed for genome evolution.· Summarizes the existing knowledge on genome organization and evolution in a self-containedbook· Discusses important open problem, without refraining from criticism wheneverappropriate

Modern North American sturgeons and paddlefish are the result of 100 million years of evolution. Once an integral part of aboriginal culture, their numbers were decimated by overfishing and habitat destruction during the past two centuries. This book details the extensive science aimed at helping these remarkable species recover from the brink of extinction, and describes the historical, biological, and ecological importance of North American sturgeon and paddlefish. The text is enhanced by photographs and detailed line drawings. This comprehensive volume will be an invaluable resource for researchers, educators, and consultants, in academic and government settings, who work to further scientific understanding of these fishes. No other single compilation has documented current information in such detail.

Selected, reviewed and revised papers from the International Conference on Sturgeon Biodiversity and Conservation held at The American Museum of Natural History in New York on 28-30 July 1994

Air Breathing Fishes: Evolution, Diversity, and Adaptation is unique in its coverage of the evolution of air-breathing, incongruously because it focuses exclusively on fish. This important and fascinating book, containing nine chapters that present the life history, ecology, and physiology of many air-breathing fishes, provides an exceptional overview of air-breathing biology.Each chapter provides a historical background, details the present status of knowledge in the field, and defines the questions needing attention in future research. Thoroughly referenced, containing more than 1,000 citations, and well documented with figures and tables, Air-Breathing Fishes is comprehensive in its coverage and will certainly have wide appeal. Researchers in vertebrate biology, paleontology, ichthyology, vertebrate evolution, natural history, comparative physiology, anatomy and many other fields will find something new and intriguing in Air-Breathing Fishes. - Offers a complete overview of an important and immensely interesting area of research - Provides a perspective of air-breathing fish that spans 300 million years of vertebrate evolution - Contains numerous illustrations as well as comprehensive charts - Provides a synoptic treatment of all the known air-breathing species with important data on their morphological and physiological adaptations