Biology

Shows how evolution has been'plugging-and-playing'with the subcellular components of life from the very beginning and continues to do so today. For evidence, we need look no further than the inner workings of our own cells. Molecular biology has allowed us to gaze back more than three billion years, revealing the microbial mergers and acquisitions that underpin the development of complex life.

Now published by Academic Press and revised from the author's previous Five Kingdoms 3rd edition, this extraordinary, all inclusive catalogue of the world's living organisms describes the diversity of the major groups, or phyla, of nature's most inclusive taxa. Developed after consultation with specialists, this modern classification scheme is consistent both with the fossil record and with recent molecular, morphological and metabolic data. Generously illustrated, now in full color, Kingdoms and Domains is remarkably easy to read. It accesses the full range of life forms that still inhabit our planet and logically and explicitly classifies them according to their evolutionary relationships.

Plants of the World is the first book to systematically explore every vascular plant family on earth—more than four hundred and fifty of them—organized in a modern phylogenetic order. Detailed entries for each family include descriptions, distribution, evolutionary relationships, and fascinating information on economic uses of plants and etymology of their names.

This book explores why different groups of scientists understand and use the names given to species in very different ways, and the consequences for measuring and understanding biodiversity.

Consisting of more than six thousand species, amphibians are more diverse than mammals and are found on every continent save Antarctica. Despite the abundance and diversity of these animals, many aspects of the biology of amphibians remain unstudied or misunderstood. The Ecology and Behavior of Amphibians aims to fill this gap in the literature on this remarkable taxon.

The premier illustrated atlas of bird diversity, behavior, and conservation. Features full-color maps, photos, and diagrams. Covers bird evolution, classification, and behavior. Describes the complex relationship between birds and their habitats. Explores the impact of human activities on species survival Illustrates where and why birds are most under threat--and how to protect them.

The taxonomy of recent mammals has lately undergone tremendous revision. Integrating the latest advances in research, this new, wholly original work, A Manual of the Mammalia includes global range maps, high-resolution photographs of skulls and mandibles and outstanding artwork to provide an overview of biological attributes of each higher taxon while highlighting key and diagnostic characters needed to identify skulls and skins of all recent mammalian orders and most families.

The principal monographic work in the field of prokaryotic biology reflects advances in DNA sequencing technology that have led to a major change in the way that prokaryotes are classified. Gene-based phylogenetic classifications have led to many new discoveries about prokaryotes that were not reflected in the original classification. New classification divides the prokaryotes into two broad domains: the Archaea and the Bacteria This volume provides introductory essays Introductory Essays to the phylum Proteobacteria.

book brings together theinformation from these varied fields, and demonstrates that it is indeed now possible to build a phylogenetic tree from a combination of both morphology and gene sequences.This thoroughly revised third edition of Animal Evolution brings the subject fully up to date, especially in light of the latest advances in molecular techniques. The book is generously illustrated throughout with finely detailed line drawings and clear diagrams, many of them new.

Takes a broad approach to evolution, dealing both with the core theory itself and how evolutionary theory impacts different aspects of the world we live in. Discusses how taxonomy relates to evolutionary theory.