Predator-Prey Interactions in the Fossil Record

Predator-Prey Interactions in the Fossil Record PDF

Author: Patricia H. Kelley

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 488

ISBN-13: 146150161X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

From the Foreword: "Predator-prey interactions are among the most significant of all organism-organism interactions....It will only be by compiling and evaluating data on predator-prey relations as they are recorded in the fossil record that we can hope to tease apart their role in the tangled web of evolutionary interaction over time. This volume, compiled by a group of expert specialists on the evidence of predator-prey interactions in the fossil record, is a pioneering effort to collate the information now accumulating in this important field. It will be a standard reference on which future study of one of the central dynamics of ecology as seen in the fossil record will be built." (Richard K. Bambach, Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech, Associate of the Botanical Museum, Harvard University)

Biodiversity in Managed Landscapes

Biodiversity in Managed Landscapes PDF

Author: Robert C. Szaro

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 812

ISBN-13: 9780195079586

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The conservation of biodiversity has profound implications for managing natural resources with the need for scientific information as a foundation for management decisions increasing dramatically. The_ intent of this book is to look beyond the theory of biodiversity to_ the principles, practices, and policies needed for its conservation. Its objectives are to provide the scientific basis for understanding biodiversity, document case examples of theory and concepts applied at differing scales, and examine policies that affect its conservation.

Evolution of Primary Producers in the Sea

Evolution of Primary Producers in the Sea PDF

Author: Paul Falkowski

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2011-08-31

Total Pages: 456

ISBN-13: 9780080550510

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Evolution of Primary Producers in the Sea reference examines how photosynthesis evolved on Earth and how phytoplankton evolved through time – ultimately to permit the evolution of complex life, including human beings. The first of its kind, this book provides thorough coverage of key topics, with contributions by leading experts in biophysics, evolutionary biology, micropaleontology, marine ecology, and biogeochemistry. This exciting new book is of interest not only to students and researchers in marine science, but also to evolutionary biologists and ecologists interested in understanding the origins and diversification of life. Evolution of Primary Producers in the Sea offers these students and researchers an understanding of the molecular evolution, phylogeny, fossil record, and environmental processes that collectively permits us to comprehend the rise of phytoplankton and their impact on Earth's ecology and biogeochemistry. It is certain to become the first and best word on this exhilarating topic. Discusses the evolution of phytoplankton in the world's oceans as the first living organisms and the first and basic producers in the earths food chain Includes the latest developments in the evolution and ecology of marine phytoplankton specifically with additional information on marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles The only book to consider of the evolution of phytoplankton and its role in molecular evolution, biogeochemistry, paleontology, and oceanographic aspects Written at a level suitable for related reading use in courses on the Evolution of the Biosphere, Ecological and Biological oceanography and marine biology, and Biodiversity

Bryozoan Evolution

Bryozoan Evolution PDF

Author: Frank K. McKinney

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 1991-10-15

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 9780226560472

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The authors argue that the growth pattern and form of the colony in many bryozoans is an adaptive strategy rather than a stable genetic character. "Bryozoan Evolution is profusely illustrated and has a bibliography of over 400 titles. It will find an appreciative audience of paleontologists, invertebrate zoologists, and ecologists thanks to its innovative and detailed evaluations of the roles of ecology, adaptive and functional morphology, life histories, biomechanics, developmental constraints, and chance on the evolution of the marine taxa of this speciose group."—Russel L. Zimmer, Science "This book is an excellent source of information on the functional morphology and variety of colonial architecture in bryozoans, very well illustrated, and worth reading at least twice."-Robert L. Anstey, Paleobiology "Even as one of the converted, I found the book a stimulating combination of paleobiology and ecology. In many ways it is a 'teaser'-the authors suggest a number of interesting hypotheses, and can test only some of them. Perhaps most important, McKinney and Jackson provide a plethora of fascinating ideas and examples that demonstrate the potential of this group of animals, and that should stimulate more work."-Michael S. Keough, TREE "This stimulating book is sure to promote further interest in bryozoans. It will appeal to biologists and paleontologists alike."-Paul Taylor, Times Higher Education Supplement

Ichnology

Ichnology PDF

Author: Luis A. Buatois

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2011-08-11

Total Pages: 371

ISBN-13: 1139500643

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Ichnology is the study of traces created in the substrate by living organisms. This is the first book to systematically cover basic concepts and applications in both paleobiology and sedimentology, bridging the gap between the two main facets of the field. It emphasizes the importance of understanding ecologic controls on benthic fauna distribution and the role of burrowing organisms in changing their environments. A detailed analysis of the ichnology of a range of depositional environments is presented using examples from the Precambrian to the recent, and the use of trace fossils in facies analysis and sequence stratigraphy is discussed. The potential for biogenic structures to provide valuable information and solve problems in a wide range of fields is also highlighted. An invaluable resource for researchers and graduate students in paleontology, sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy, this book will also be of interest to industry professionals working in petroleum geoscience.

Fossil Behavior Compendium

Fossil Behavior Compendium PDF

Author: Arthur J. Boucot

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2010-04-12

Total Pages: 941

ISBN-13: 143985923X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

In this complete and thorough update of Arthur Boucot's seminal work, Evolutionary Paleobiology of Behavior and Coevolution, Boucot is joined by George Poinar, who provides additional expertise and knowledge on protozoans and bacteria as applied to disease. Together, they make the Fossil Behavior Compendium wider in scope, covering all relevant ani

Patterns and Processes in the History of Life

Patterns and Processes in the History of Life PDF

Author: D.M. Raup

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 448

ISBN-13: 3642708315

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Hypothesis testing is not a straightforward matter in the fossil record and here, too interactions with biology can be extremely profitable. Quite simply, predictions regarding long-term consequences of processes observed in liv ing organisms can be tested directly using paleontological data if those liv ing organisms have an adequate fossil record, thus avoiding the pitfalls of extrapolative approaches. We hope to see a burgeoning of this interactive effort in the coming years. Framing and testing of hypotheses in paleon tological subjects inevitably raises the problem of inferring process from pattern, and the consideration and elimination of a broad range of rival hy is an essential procedure here. In a historical science such as potheses paleontology, the problem often arises that the events that are of most in terest are unique in the history of life. For example, replication of the metazoan radiation at the beginning of the Cambrian is not feasible. How ever, decomposition of such problems into component hypotheses may at least in part alleviate this difficulty. For example, hypotheses built upon the role of species packing might be tested by comparing evolutionary dy namics (both morphological and taxonomic) during another global diversi fication, such as the biotic rebound from the end-Permian extinction, which removed perhaps 95% of the marine species (see Valentine, this volume). The subject of extinction, and mass extinction in particular, has become important in both paleobiology and biology.

Earth and Life

Earth and Life PDF

Author: John A. Talent

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-06-28

Total Pages: 1104

ISBN-13: 9048134285

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This volume focuses on the broad pattern of increasing biodiversity through time, and recurrent events of minor and major ecosphere reorganization. Intense scrutiny is devoted to the pattern of physical (including isotopic), sedimentary and biotic circumstances through the time intervals during which life crises occurred. These events affected terrestrial, lacustrine and estuarine ecosystems, locally and globally, but have affected continental shelf ecosystems and even deep ocean ecosystems. The pattern of these events is the backdrop against which modelling the pattern of future environmental change needs to be evaluated.

Taphonomy

Taphonomy PDF

Author: Ronald E. Martin

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1999-10-28

Total Pages: 526

ISBN-13: 1316582671

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Taphonomy: A Process Approach is the first book to review the entire field of taphonomy, or the science of fossil preservation. It describes the formation of animal and plant fossils in marine and terrestrial settings and how this affects deciphering the ecology and extinction of past lifeforms and the environments in which they lived. The volume emphasises a process approach to taphonomy and reviews the taphonomic behaviour of all important taxa, plant and animal. It will be useful to anyone interested in the preservation of fossils and the formation of fossil assemblages, but it is aimed primarily at advanced students and professionals working in paleontology, stratigraphy, sedimentology, climate modeling and biogeochemistry.