Various endogenous and environmental challenges of homoiostasis have resulted in the evolution of apparently quite different mechanisms for the same or similar functions in individual representatives of the animal kingdom. One of the prominent achievements of comparative physiology over the last few decades has been the description of regula- tory features common to many studied species beyond the extreme diversity of their morphological forms. Delineation offunctional princi- ples universally applicable to the physiology and biochemistry of living systems became often possible through...

Although feeding is not yet been thoroughly studied in many vertebrates taxa, and different conceptual and methodological approaches of the concerned scientists make a synthesis difficult, the aim of the editors is to provide a comprehensive overview of the feeding design in aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates with a detailed description of its functional properties. The book emphasizes the constant interaction between function and form, behaviour and morphology in the course of evolution of the feeding apparatus and way of feeding both complementary and basically related to survival...

When survival is challenged by the cold, animals react by employing both behavioral and physiological solutions. Depending on the magni tude of the cold stress and the nature of the adjustment, simple avoidance or sophisticated capacity or resistance compensations may be used. Thus, migration, shelter seeking, metabolic and insulative compen sation, torpor, and freezing avoidance and tolerance are successful tac tics used by diverse groups of animals. To understand and appreciate the benefits of these tactics, it is necessary to examine not only the well being of the whole animal but also...

Advances in Comparative and Environmental Physiology provides comprehensive, integrated reviews giving sound, critical, and provocative summaries of our present knowledge in environmental and comparative physiology, from the molecular to the organismic level. The field has now gained the international status it deserves and the organization of a series devoted to it is very timely in view of its actual rapid development. Biologists, physiologists, and biochemists, independently of their basic scientific orientation, will find this new series of major interest.

Advances in Comparative and Environmental Physiology helps biologists, physiologists, and biochemists keep track of the extensive literature in the field. Providing comprehensive, integrated reviews and sound, critical, and provocative summaries, this series is a must for all active researchers in environmental and comparative physiology.