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A Checklist of Host-Parasite Interactions of the Order Crocodylia

Marisa Tellez

Records of parasitism in crocodilians date back to the early 1800s, distributed among published works, unpublished manuscripts, and international parasite catalogs. It is possible that parasites of ... More

Records of parasitism in crocodilians date back to the early 1800s, distributed among published works, unpublished manuscripts, and international parasite catalogs. It is possible that parasites of crocodilians are highly host specific, resulting in a relationship that began over two hundred million years ago. Analyzing parasite-host specificity, geographic distribution, and taxonomy can provide otherwise cryptic details about crocodilian ecology and evolution, as well as their local food web dynamics. This information may also be useful for implementing improved conservation tactics for both crocodilians and their habitat. As climate change, anthropogenic conflict, and environmental pollution endanger crocodilian ecosystems, there is a need for organized information on crocodile, alligator, caiman, and gharial infectious diseases. This is the first checklist of crocodilians and their parasites. I trust this compilation will encourage further studies that incorporate ecology, parasitology, phylogeography, coevolution, and immunology to bring insight to crocodilian life history, evolution, and conservation. Additionally, this information may encourage veterinarians, biologists, and ecologists to expand studies of other reptilian-parasite systems, and it may improve our understanding of human impacts on ecosystems.Less

Common Spiders of North America

Richard A. Bradley

Spiders are fascinating animals that exhibit remarkably varied and complex behavior. Contrary to popular belief, they are mostly harmless, and many are beneficial to humans. Spiders occur in all ... More

Spiders are fascinating animals that exhibit remarkably varied and complex behavior. Contrary to popular belief, they are mostly harmless, and many are beneficial to humans. Spiders occur in all terrestrial habitats and are an ecologically important group of small predators. They are a crucial component of every food web, collectively consuming millions of insect prey every day. Their webs are well suited to capturing prey, yet are also among the most beautiful of natural objects. This book provides curious naturalists with the tools to locate, identify, study, and appreciate spiders. North America has a rich fauna of spiders, including more than 3,700 species. Many of these spiders are small and inconspicuous; some are large and colorful. This book provides a comprehensive guide to all 68 families of spiders in North America and provides illustrations for 469 commonly encountered species. Identification hints and a brief description of the distribution and habits of each species are provided. There is a concise, illustrated introduction to the features of spider anatomy that are important for understanding spider relationships.Less

Video Surveillance of Nesting Birds

Christine Ann Ribic and Frank Richard Thompson III (eds)

Concern about declining populations of bird species that breed in the grasslands and other habitats of North America has spurred extensive research on factors that may affect their reproductive ... More

Concern about declining populations of bird species that breed in the grasslands and other habitats of North America has spurred extensive research on factors that may affect their reproductive success. Understanding the causes of nest failure and reduced productivity is critical for the development of conservation strategies to sustain or increase bird populations. Since the mid-1990s, advances in miniature video cameras and recording equipment have provided researchers with improved tools for monitoring active nests and for studying the behavior and ecology of nesting birds. This volume highlights information gained from such research on a variety of avian taxa in several different ecosystems. The use of video surveillance systems has provided important insights into poorly understood aspects of breeding-bird biology, including hatching, fledging, diurnal and nocturnal activity, nest-predator identification, predator-prey interactions, and cause-specific rates of nest loss. Contributions in this volume offer fresh perspectives for bird conservation and management as well as for theoretical issues not well studied in many bird species.Less

Human Impacts on Seals, Sea Lions, and Sea Otters: Integrating Archaeology and Ecology in the Northeast Pacific

Todd Braje (ed.)

For more than 10,000 years, Native Americans from Alaska to southern California relied on aquatic animals such as seals, sea lions, and sea otters for food and raw materials. Archaeological research ... More

For more than 10,000 years, Native Americans from Alaska to southern California relied on aquatic animals such as seals, sea lions, and sea otters for food and raw materials. Archaeological research on the interactions between people and these marine mammals has made great advances recently and provides a unique lens for understanding the human and ecological past. Archaeological research is also emerging as a crucial source of information on contemporary environmental issues as we improve our understanding of the ancient abundance, ecology, and natural history of these species. This interdisciplinary volume brings together archaeologists, biologists, and other scientists to consider how archaeology can inform the conservation and management of pinnipeds and other marine mammals along the Pacific Coast.Less

Moths of Western North America

Jerry Powell

Philip Myers (ed.)

Insects boast incredible diversity, and this book treats an important component of the western insect biota that has not been summarized before: moths and their plant relationships. There are about ... More

Insects boast incredible diversity, and this book treats an important component of the western insect biota that has not been summarized before: moths and their plant relationships. There are about 8,000 named species of moths in the western North America region, and although most go unnoticed by the public, many attract attention when their larvae create economic damage: eating holes in woolens, infesting stored foods, boring into apples, damaging crops and garden plants, or defoliating forests. In contrast to previous North American moth books, this volume discusses and illustrates about 25% of the species in every family, including the tiny species, making it the most comprehensive book in its field. With this approach it provides access to microlepidoptera study for biologists as well as amateur collectors. About 2,500 species are described and illustrated, including virtually all moths of economic importance, summarizing their morphology, taxonomy, adult behavior, larval biology, and life cycles.Less

International Advances in the Ecology, Zoogeography, and Systematics of Mayflies and Stoneflies

F. R.Hauer and Anthony Welch (eds)

The purpose of this book is to encourage and facilitate focused research, and provide a forum for scholarly exchange about the status of Mayfly and Stonefly science. Professor John Brittain, whose ... More

The purpose of this book is to encourage and facilitate focused research, and provide a forum for scholarly exchange about the status of Mayfly and Stonefly science. Professor John Brittain, whose research is focused on freshwater entomology, especially egg development and life-cycle strategies of Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera, presents a chapter reflecting on the quality of mayflies as good indicators of global warming and the quality of streams and lakes. Professor Emeritus Andrew Sheldon, whose interests have encompassed community and population ecology of aquatic animals over a span of more than 40 years, especially insects and fishes, explores topics of scale and hierarchy and the ecology of Plecoptera, discussing how studies emphasizing scale and perspective reveal the importance of stoneflies to ecosystems. Other topics cover a broad base of disciplines including morphology, physiology, phylogeny, taxonomy, ecology, and conservation. The chapters have been compiled into three sections: Ecology, Zoogeography, and Systematics.Less

The Evolutionary History and a Systematic Revision of Woodrats of the Neotoma lepida Group

James Patton

This book details the evolutionary history of the desert woodrat complex (lepida group, genus Neotoma) of western North America. The analyses include standard multivariate morphometrics of museum ... More

This book details the evolutionary history of the desert woodrat complex (lepida group, genus Neotoma) of western North America. The analyses include standard multivariate morphometrics of museum specimens coupled with mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences and microsatellite loci. The work also traces the spatial and temporal diversification of this group of desert-dwelling rodents, revising species boundaries and delineating subspecies considered valid.Less

Malformed Frogs: The Collapse of Aquatic Ecosystems

Michael Lannoo

The widespread appearance of frogs with deformed bodies has generated much press coverage over the past decade. Frogs with extra limbs or digits, missing limbs or digits, or misaligned appendages ... More

The widespread appearance of frogs with deformed bodies has generated much press coverage over the past decade. Frogs with extra limbs or digits, missing limbs or digits, or misaligned appendages raise an alarming question: “Are deformed humans next?” Taking a fresh look at this disturbing environmental problem, this book provides a balanced overview of the science behind the malformed frog phenomenon. Bringing together data from ecology, parasitology, and other disciplines, the author considers the possible causes of these deformities, tells which frogs have been affected, and addresses questions about what these malformations might mean to human populations. Featuring high-quality radiographic images, the book suggests that our focus should be on finding practical solutions, a key component of which will be controlling chemical, nutrient, and pesticide runoff into wetlands.Less

Sensory Evolution on the Threshold: Adaptations in Secondarily Aquatic Vertebrates

J. G. M. Thewissen (ed.)

From crocodiles and penguins to seals and whales, this synthesis explores the function and evolution of sensory systems in animals whose ancestors lived on land. Together, the chapters explore the ... More

From crocodiles and penguins to seals and whales, this synthesis explores the function and evolution of sensory systems in animals whose ancestors lived on land. Together, the chapters explore the dramatic transformation of smell, taste, sight, hearing, balance, mechanoreception, magnetoreception, and electroreception that occurred as lineages of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals returned to aquatic environments. Each chapter integrates data from fields including sensory physiology, anatomy, paleontology, and neurobiology. A one-stop source for information on the sense organs of secondarily aquatic tetrapods, this book sheds new light on both the evolution of aquatic vertebrates and the sensory biology of their astonishing transition.Less

Phylogeny and Evolution of the Mollusca

Winston Ponder (ed.)

This book brings together thirty-six experts on the evolution of the Mollusca to provide an up-to-date review of its evolutionary history. The Mollusca are the second largest animal phylum and boast ... More

This book brings together thirty-six experts on the evolution of the Mollusca to provide an up-to-date review of its evolutionary history. The Mollusca are the second largest animal phylum and boast a fossil record of over 540 million years. They exhibit remarkable anatomical diversity and include the bivalves (scallops, oysters, and clams), gastropods (limpets, snails, and slugs), and cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish, and octopus). This study treats each major taxon and supplies general information as well as overviews of evolution and phylogeny using data from different sources—morphological, ultrastructural, molecular, developmental, and from the fossil record.Less