Animal Anomalies

Animal Anomalies
Author: Lewis I. Held, Jr
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 295
Release: 2021-03-18
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1108834701

Highlights what we know about the pathways pursued by embryos and evolution, and stresses what we do not yet know.

Planar Cell Polarization during Development

Planar Cell Polarization during Development
Author: Marek Mlodzik
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 183
Release: 2005-08-02
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0080458610

Cellular polarization is key to all cellular functions. Our perceptions, which are derived from our senses, depend on the proper cellular polarization of our sense organs, such as the eyes or ears. Much of this book examines the different aspects in cellular polarization and its researched role in the Drosophila, where the first planar cellular polarity (PCP) gene was discovered over 20 years ago. Topics also include: From flies to man: how we are polarized, Marking an embryo work, Cellular polarization at its functional best, Hearing and seeing your environment, and From a cell to an organ.This series represents timely issues in developmental biology. It provides annual reviews of selected topics, written from the perspectives of leading investigators in the field of development.* Presents many various organisms such as flies, fish, frogs and mice* Offers over 40 exceptional illustrations* First of its kind to include new data and detailed models on cell planar polarization

Evolution

Evolution
Author: Mark Ridley
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Total Pages: 792
Release: 2009-03-30
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1444309234

Mark Ridley's Evolution has become the premier undergraduate text in the study of evolution. Readable and stimulating, yet well-balanced and in-depth, this text tells the story of evolution, from the history of the study to the most revent developments in evolutionary theory. The third edition of this successful textbook features updates and extensive new coverage. The sections on adaptation and diversity have been reorganized for improved clarity and flow, and a completely updated section on the evolution of sex and the inclusion of more plant examples have all helped to shape this new edition. Evolution also features strong, balanced coverage of population genetics, and scores of new applied plant and animal examples make this edition even more accessible and engaging. Dedicated website – provides an interactive experience of the book, with illustrations downloadable to PowerPoint, and a full supplemental package complementing the book – www.blackwellpublishing.com/ridley. Margin icons – indicate where there is relevant information included in the dedicated website. Two new chapters – one on evolutionary genomics and one on evolution and development bring state-of-the-art information to the coverage of evolutionary study. Two kinds of boxes – one featuring practical applications and the other related information, supply added depth without interrupting the flow of the text. Margin comments – paraphrase and highlight key concepts. Study and review questions – help students review their understanding at the end of each chapter, while new challenge questions prompt students to synthesize the chapter concepts to reinforce the learning at a deeper level.

Current Perspectives on Sexual Selection

Current Perspectives on Sexual Selection
Author: Thierry Hoquet
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2015-01-28
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9401795851

This root-and-branch re-evaluation of Darwin’s concept of sexual selection tackles the subject from historical, epistemological and theoretical perspectives. Contributions from a wealth of disciplines have been marshaled for this volume, with key figures in behavioural ecology, philosophy, and the history of science adding to its wide-ranging relevance. Updating the reader on the debate currently live in behavioural ecology itself on the centrality of sexual selection, and with coverage of developments in the field of animal aesthetics, the book details the current state of play, while other chapters trace the history of sexual selection from Darwin to today and inquire into the neurobiological bases for partner choices and the comparisons between the hedonic brain in human and non-human animals. Welcome space is given to the social aspects of sexual selection, particularly where Darwin drew distinctions between eager males and coy females and rationalized this as evolutionary strategy. Also explored are the current definition of sexual selection (as opposed to natural selection) and its importance in today’s biological research, and the impending critique of the theory from the nascent field of animal aesthetics. As a comprehensive assessment of the current health, or otherwise, of Darwin’s theory, 140 years after the publication of his Descent of Man, the book offers a uniquely rounded view that asks whether ‘sexual selection’ is in itself a progressive or reactionary notion, even as it explores its theoretical relevance in the technical biological study of the twenty-first century.

The Evolution of Mating Systems in Insects and Arachnids

The Evolution of Mating Systems in Insects and Arachnids
Author: Jae C. Choe
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 401
Release: 1997-06-12
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0521580293

Insects and arachnids display the most impressive diversity of mating and social behaviour among all animals. This book investigates sexual competition in these groups, and the variety of ways in which males and females pursue, persuade, manipulate, control and help one another, enabling us to gain a better understanding of how conflicts and confluences of interest evolve together. Each chapter provides a comprehensive review of mating systems in particular insect and arachnid groups, discusses intrinsic and extrinsic factors responsible for observed mating strategies, and suggests fruitful avenues for further research. The book culminates in a synthesis, reviewing the date in terms of the theory of sexual conflict. This broad-based book will be of immense value to students and researchers interested in reproductive strategies, behavioural ecology, entomology and arachnology.

Arthropod Brains

Arthropod Brains
Author: Nicholas James Strausfeld
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 849
Release: 2012-01-02
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0674046331

In The Descent of Man, Charles Darwin proposed that an ant’s brain, no larger than a pin’s head, must be sophisticated to accomplish all that it does. Yet today many people still find it surprising that insects and other arthropods show behaviors that are much more complex than innate reflexes. They are products of versatile brains which, in a sense, think. Fascinating in their own right, arthropods provide fundamental insights into how brains process and organize sensory information to produce learning, strategizing, cooperation, and sociality. Nicholas Strausfeld elucidates the evolution of this knowledge, beginning with nineteenth-century debates about how similar arthropod brains were to vertebrate brains. This exchange, he shows, had a profound and far-reaching impact on attitudes toward evolution and animal origins. Many renowned scientists, including Sigmund Freud, cut their professional teeth studying arthropod nervous systems. The greatest neuroanatomist of them all, Santiago Ramón y Cajal—founder of the neuron doctrine—was awed by similarities between insect and mammalian brains. Writing in a style that will appeal to a broad readership, Strausfeld weaves anatomical observations with evidence from molecular biology, neuroethology, cladistics, and the fossil record to explore the neurobiology of the largest phylum on earth—and one that is crucial to the well-being of our planet. Highly informative and richly illustrated, Arthropod Brains offers an original synthesis drawing on many fields, and a comprehensive reference that will serve biologists for years to come.