An expansive investigation into the most unifying and enduring structure in the history of life—and a story of biological richness at a moment when so much of our precious biodiversity hangs in the balance. Eggs are the origins of ninety percent of the Earth’s organisms. They can be found as far apart as deep-sea volcanoes and in space. Yet despite their fundamental importance, eggs often find themselves an afterthought in the discussion of evolution of life on Earth as the interests of scientists congregate around the things that emerge from eggs rather than the eggs themselves. In his new book Infinite Life: The Revolutionary Story of Eggs, Evolution, and Life on Earth, Jules Howard explains—with great passion, authority, expertise, and infectious enthusiasm—why it’s time to give eggs their moment in the spotlight: it is the eggs that can teach us new and surprising lessons about Earth’s history, the trials of life, and the exceptional ways in which natural selection operates to propagate the survival of individual species. Infinite Life: The Revolutionary Story of Eggs, Evolution, and Life on Earth, offers a wholly new perspective on the animal kingdom, and, indeed, life on Earth. By examining eggs from their earliest histories to the very latest fossilized discoveries—encompassing the myriad changes and mutations of eggs from the evolution of yolk, to the hard eggshells of lost dinosaurs, to the animals that have evolved to simultaneously give birth to eggs and live young—Howard reveals untold stories of great diversity and majesty to shed light on the huge impact that egg science has on our lives.

The history of biology is populated by numerous model species or organisms. But few vertebrate groups have aided evolutionary and ecological research more than the live-bearing fishes of the family Poeciliidae. Found throughout tropical and subtropical waters, poeciliids exhibit a fascinating variety of reproductive specializations, including viviparity, matrotrophy, unisexual reproduction, and alternative mating strategies, making them ideal models for research on patterns and processes in ecology, behavior, and evolution. Ecology and Evolution of Poeciliid Fishes is a much-needed overview of the scientific potential and understanding of these live-bearing fishes. Chapters by leading researchers take up a wide range of topics, including the evolution of unisexual reproduction, life in extreme environments, life-history evolution, and genetics. Designed to provide a single and highly approachable reference, Ecology and Evolution of Poeciliid Fishes will appeal to students and specialists interested in all aspects of evolutionary ecology.

Advances in the Study of Behavior was initiated over 40 years ago to serve the increasing number of scientists engaged in the study of animal behavior. That number is still expanding. This thematic volume makes another important "contribution to the development of the field" by bringing together material that aggregates studies conducted on the behavior of tropical animals. Advances in the Study of Behavior is now available online at ScienceDirect--full-text online from volume 30 onward.

This book celebrates the guppy's unique contribution to evolutionary ecology. Ever since Caryl Haskins described guppy populations as a 'natural experiment' because of the way predation pressure varies over a small geographical area, generations of researchers have been drawn to Trinidad to investigate evolution in the wild. The species continues to provide classic examples of natural selection in action and elegantly illustrates how ecology, evolution, and behaviour are interlinked. Anne Magurran's account of the evolutionary ecology of the guppy integrates historical breakthroughs with new research in this fast-moving field. She reveals how guppies provided some of the first evidence of sperm competition and sexual selection, and how they continue to inform scientific thought on mating systems and cryptic choice. The consequences of variation in predation risk—as well as a host of other biotic and abiotic factors—are described and evaluated at all life stages from conception to death. The book discusses behavioural responses to ecological conditions alongside life history patterns. It examines the potential for ecological speciation and discusses new research into how reproductive isolating mechanisms become established in promiscuous mating systems. Conservation issues are also considered, both in terms of protecting the irreplaceable Trinidadian guppy system and in the context of invasion ecology. This timely synthesis of research into a species that has raised key questions in evolutionary ecology will be of great interest to graduate level students as well as professional researchers in the fields of behavioural ecology and evolutionary biology.

This discipline of behavioural ecology has reached a turning point- empirical evidence in behavioural ecology has led to the reformulation of the classic explanatory theories, and new areas of interest have opened up. The study of fish provides an excellent model of the subject, allowing a concise but complete treatment of the field. This book is based on papers from the proceedings of a conference held at the Ettore Majorana Centre, Erice, Italy, provides an overview of the key developments in behavioural ecology. Four main areas of interest are covered the behavioural ecology of predator avoidance, foraging, resource defence and life histories and reproduction.

How does behaviour affect biological invasions? Can it explain why some animals are such successful invaders? With contributions from experts in the field, and covering a broad range of animals, this book examines the role of behaviour in biological invasions from the point of view of both invaders and native species. The chapters cover theoretical aspects, particularly relevant behaviours and well-documented case studies, showing that behaviour is critical to the success, and ecological and socio-economic impact, of invasive species. Its insights suggest methods to prevent and mitigate those impacts, and offer unique opportunities to understand the adaptive role of behaviour. Offering a comprehensive overview of current understanding on the subject, the book is intended for biological invasion researchers and behavioural ecologists, as well as ecologists and evolutionary biologists interested in how organisms deal with anthropogenic environmental changes such as climate change and habitat loss.