Covers phylogeny & classification, taxonomic changes & catalog of names.

The advent of relational databasing and data storage capacity, coupled with revolutionary advances in molecular sequencing technology and specimen imaging, have led to a taxonomic renaissance. Systema Naturae 250 - The Linnaean Ark maps the origins of this renaissance, beginning with Linnaeus, through his "apostles", via the great unsung hero Charl

Thorp and Covich's Freshwater Invertebrates, Fourth Edition: Keys to Neotropical Hexapoda, Volume Three, provides a guide for identifying and evaluating a key subphylum, hexapoda, for Central America, South America and the Antarctic. This book is essential for anyone working in water quality management, conservation, ecology or related fields in this region, and is developed to be the most modern and consistent set of taxonomic keys available. It is part of a series that is designed to provide a highly comprehensive, current set of keys for a given bioregion, with all keys written in a consistent style. This series can be used for a full spectrum of interested readers, from students, to university professors and government agencies. - Includes zoogeographic coverage of the entire Neotropics, from central México and the Caribbean Islands, to the tip of South America - Identifies aquatic springtails (Collembola) and insects to the genus level for many groups, and family or subfamily level for less well known taxa - Presents multiple keys, from higher to lower taxonomic levels that are appropriate for each users' level of scientific knowledge and needs - Provides a general introduction and sections on limitations, terminology and morphology, material preparation and preservation, and references

Volume One of the thoroughly revised and updated guide to the study of biodiversity in insects The second edition of Insect Biodiversity: Science and Society brings together in one comprehensive text contributions from leading scientific experts to assess the influence insects have on humankind and the earth’s fragile ecosystems. Revised and updated, this new edition includes information on the number of substantial changes to entomology and the study of biodiversity. It includes current research on insect groups, classification, regional diversity, and a wide range of concepts and developing methodologies. The authors examine why insect biodiversity matters and how the rapid evolution of insects is affecting us all. This book explores the wide variety of insect species and their evolutionary relationships. Case studies offer assessments on how insect biodiversity can help meet the needs of a rapidly expanding human population, and also examine the consequences that an increased loss of insect species will have on the world. This important text: Explores the rapidly increasing influence on systematics of genomics and next-generation sequencing Includes developments in the use of DNA barcoding in insect systematics and in the broader study of insect biodiversity, including the detection of cryptic species Discusses the advances in information science that influence the increased capability to gather, manipulate, and analyze biodiversity information Comprises scholarly contributions from leading scientists in the field Insect Biodiversity: Science and Society highlights the rapid growth of insect biodiversity research and includes an expanded treatment of the topic that addresses the major insect groups, the zoogeographic regions of biodiversity, and the scope of systematics approaches for handling biodiversity data.

A marvelously illustrated reference to the natural wonders of one of the most spectacular places on earth Separated from Africa’s mainland for tens of millions of years, Madagascar has evolved a breathtaking wealth of biodiversity, becoming home to thousands of species found nowhere else on the planet. The New Natural History of Madagascar provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date synthesis available of this island nation’s priceless biological treasures. Now fully revised and expanded, this beautifully illustrated compendium features contributions by more than 600 globally renowned experts who cover the history of scientific exploration in Madagascar, as well as the island’s geology and soils, climate, forest ecology, human ecology, marine and coastal ecosystems, plants, invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. This invaluable two-volume reference also includes detailed discussions of conservation efforts in Madagascar that showcase several successful protected area programs that can serve as models for threatened ecosystems throughout the world. Provides the most comprehensive overview of Madagascar’s rich natural historyCoedited by 18 different specialistsFeatures hundreds of new contributions by world-class expertsIncludes hundreds of new illustrationsCovers a broad array of topics, from geology and climate to animals, plants, and marine lifeSheds light on newly discovered species and draws on the latest scienceAn essential resource for anyone interested in Madagascar or tropical ecosystems in general, from biologists and conservationists to ecotourists and armchair naturalists

Documents morphology, taxonomy, phylogeny, evolutionary changes, and interactions of 23 orders of insects from the Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous faunas in Northern China This book showcases 23 different orders of insect fossils from the Mid Mesozoic period (165 to 125 Ma) that were discovered in Northeastern China. It covers not only their taxonomy and morphology, but also their potential implications on natural sciences, such as phylogeny, function, interaction, evolution, and ecology. It covers fossil sites; paleogeology; co-existing animals and plants in well-balanced eco-systems; insects in the spotlight; morphological evolution and functional development; and interactions of insects with co-existing plants, vertebrates, and other insects. The book also includes many elegant and beautiful photographs, line drawings, and 3-D reconstructions of fossilized and extant insects. Rhythms of Insect Evolution: Evidence from the Jurassic and Cretaceous in Northern China features chapter coverage of such insects as the: Ephemeroptera; Odonata; Blattaria; Isoptera; Orthoptera; Notoptera; Dermaptera; Chresmodidae; Phasmatodea; Plecoptera; Psocoptera; Homoptera; Heteroptera; Megaloptera; Raphidioptera; Neuroptera; Coleoptera; Hymenoptera Diptera; Mecoptera; Siphonaptera; Trichoptera and Lepidoptera. Combines academic natural science, popular science, and artistic presentation to illustrate rhythms of evolution for fossil insects from the Mid Mesozoic of Northern China Documents morphology, taxonomy, phylogeny, and evolutionary changes of 23 orders of insects from the Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous faunas in Northern China Presents interactions of insects with plants, vertebrates, and other insects based on well-preserved fossil evidence Uses photos of extant insects and plants, fossil and amber specimens, line drawings, and 3-D computer-generated reconstruction artworks to give readers clear and enjoyable impressions of the scientific findings Introduces insect-related stories from western and Chinese culture in text or sidebars to give global readers broader exposures Rhythms of Insect Evolution: Evidence from the Jurassic and Cretaceous in Northern China will appeal to entomologists, evolutionists, paleontologists, paleoecologists, and natural scientists.