Despite dramatic differences in the mechanisms by which different taxa determine the initial sex of offspring, each group has found its own way of adjusting offspring sex ratios in response to social and environmental cues.
Despite dramatic differences in the mechanisms by which different taxa determine the initial sex of offspring, each group has found its own way of adj...
There is extensive evidence that vertebrates of all classes have the ability to control the sexes of the offspring they produce. Despite dramatic differences in the mechanisms by which different taxa determine the initial sex of offspring, each group has found its own way of adjusting offspring sex ratios in response to social and environmental cues. For example, stress is a well-known modulator of offspring sex in members of all groups studied to date. Food availability, and limitation in particular, is another common cue that stimulates biases in offspring sex ratios in a wide variety of...
There is extensive evidence that vertebrates of all classes have the ability to control the sexes of the offspring they produce. Despite dramatic diff...
This open access book summarizes the multi-disciplinary results of one of China’s main primatological research projects on the endemic Tibetan macaque (Macaca thibetana), which had continued for over 30 years, but which had never been reported on systematically. Dedicated to this exceptional Old World monkey, this book makes the work of Chinese primatologists on the social behavior, cooperation, culture, cognition, group dynamics, and emerging technologies in primate research accessible to the international scientific community.
One of the most...
This open access book summarizes the multi-disciplinary results of one of China’s main primatological research projects on the endemic Tib...
Stingless bees (Meliponini) are the largest and most diverse group of social bees, yet their largely tropical distribution means that they are less studied than their relatives, the bumble bees and honey bees. Stingless bees produce honey and collect pollen from tens of thousands of tropical plant species and, in the process, provide critical pollination services in the tropics. Like many other insects, they are struggling with new human-made challenges like habitat destruction, climate change and new diseases.
This book provides an overview of stingless bee biology, with chapters...
Stingless bees (Meliponini) are the largest and most diverse group of social bees, yet their largely tropical distribution means that they are less...
In the present book the Paleogene fossil record of birds is detailed for the first time on a worldwide scale. I have developed the idea for such a project for several years, and think that it is an appropriate moment to present a summary of our c- rent knowledge of the early evolution of modern birds. Meanwhile not only is there a confusing diversity of fossil taxa, but also significant progress has been made concerning an understanding of the higher-level phylogeny of extant birds. Hypotheses which were not considered even a decade ago are now well supported by independent analyses of...
In the present book the Paleogene fossil record of birds is detailed for the first time on a worldwide scale. I have developed the idea for such a pro...
Love, one of the most profound of human emotions, love that accompanies us from puberty to old age, love that follows us from ancient times to modern, from ancient writings, through the Bible and the texts of medieval scribes to modern day books and movies. Through the millennia love has lost none of its secrecy, charm, attractiveness, craziness, even in this digital age, when we are overwhelmed by information.
But what is love? Where does this emotion originate? Are we humans the only living beings feeling this emotion? Can love be explained by some chemical reactions in our brains?...
Love, one of the most profound of human emotions, love that accompanies us from puberty to old age, love that follows us from ancient times to mode...
Caterpillars are excellent model organisms for understanding how multiple selective forces shape the ecology and evolution of insects, and organisms in general. Recent research using the tools of modern molecular biology, genetics, metabolomics, microbial ecology, experiments conducted at a global level, network analysis, and statistical analyses of global data sets, combined with basic natural history, are yielding exciting new insights into caterpillar adaptations and ecology. The best way to view these research advances is within a framework of tri-trophic interactions. This is a timely...
Caterpillars are excellent model organisms for understanding how multiple selective forces shape the ecology and evolution of insects, and organism...
This book provides, for the first time, a comprehensive overview of the fundamental roles that ecological interactions play in extinction processes, bringing to light an underground of hidden pathways leading to the same dark place: biodiversity loss.
We are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction. We see species declining and vanishing one after another. Poached rhinos, dolphins and whales slaughtered, pandas surviving only in captivity are strong emotional testimonials of what is happening. Yet, the main threat to natural communities may be overshadowed by the...
This book provides, for the first time, a comprehensive overview of the fundamental roles that ecological interactions play in extinction pr...
While much attention has been given to animal life in amber, the remains of a variety of plants, including angiosperm flowers, also exist in fossilized resin. Presented here is a pictorial synopsis of 94 flowers that occur in four major amber deposits around the world. These deposits are from Burma (Myanmar), the Baltic area, the Dominican Republic and Mexico, and range in age from the mid-Cretaceous to the mid-Tertiary. The basic features of these flowers are presented and their relationship with existing plant lineages discussed. This work will be of...
While much attention has been given to animal life in amber, the remains of a variety of plants, including angiosperm flowers, also exist in fossil...
