Reproductive Biology and Phylogeny of Lizards and Tuatara is a remarkable compendium of chapters written by the world's leading experts from over four continents. The book begins with a chapter recounting historical discoveries in reproductive biology and a review of phylogenetics and up-to-date hypotheses concerning evolutionary relationships amon

South America is one of the few areas of the world that includes vast areas of as yet undisturbed natural habitats. These areas are home to as many as half the world's species of plants and animals. Many of the animals inhabit ing these areas are of direct and immediate economic importance, while others are of unknown potential value. With economic development of these areas, there is a coincident disruption of natural habitats that have a direct impact on the reproductive capabilities of the affected species. Re production is central to the survival of all species and, regardless of the environmental stresses imposed on them, scientific attention must be fo cused on reproductive biology as a way to deal with these pressures. It is vitally important to gather as much research data as possible on the repro ductive biology of the species on this continent in order to provide gov ernmental agencies and scientists with the most accurate information on which to base decisions regarding development. This volume is intended to draw attention to these pressing matters by gathering a wide representation of scientists actively engaged in reproduction research relating to South American vertebrates. It is intended that this volume will serve as a re source for individuals and organizations interested in reproductive biology and species survival. An additional benefit is that economically important species, as well as potentially important ones such as sharks, will be dis cussed.

The present volume of the book series Advances in Anatomy, Embryology and Cell Biology brings together current reviews from leading experts to address the diversity of placentation by which species establish and maintain pregnancy. Development of viviparity and placentation in rodents, dogs, pigs, cattle, horses, marsupials, primates and elephants are discussed. The development of viviparity in mammals, including some invertebrate species, required the adaptation of the placenta to serve as a functional conduit for interplay between the semiallograftic fetus with the maternal uterus. Although the ‘placenta’ protects the fetus from maternal immune rejection and provides oxygen and nutrient flow to support it to term across all the species, structural differentiation of this fetal-maternal interface can vary from simple to very complex. E.C. Amoroso contributed greatly to our early understanding and knowledge of placentation across a great variety of species. His work on placentation provides numerous illustrations and histological sections which are used for teaching and stimulating research today. With this book, we want to pay tribute to his lifetime contributions to the field by reviewing our current understanding of the development of viviparity and placentation in different species. The book is written for researchers, physicians and medical students working in the field of reproductive science or with an interest in placentation and viviparity.

This volume describes features of autonomy and integrates them into the recent discussion of factors in evolution. In recent years ideas about major transitions in evolution are undergoing a revolutionary change. They include questions about the origin of evolutionary innovation, their genetic and epigenetic background, the role of the phenotype and of changes in ontogenetic pathways. In the present book, it is argued that it is likewise necessary to question the properties of these innovations and what was qualitatively generated during the macroevolutionary transitions. The author states that a recurring central aspect of macroevolutionary innovations is an increase in individual organismal autonomy whereby it is emancipated from the environment with changes in its capacity for flexibility, self-regulation and self-control of behavior. The first chapters define the concept of autonomy and examine its history and its epistemological context. Later chapters demonstrate how changes in autonomy took place during the major evolutionary transitions and investigate the generation of organs and physiological systems. They synthesize material from various disciplines including zoology, comparative physiology, morphology, molecular biology, neurobiology and ethology. It is argued that the concept is also relevant for understanding the relation of the biological evolution of man to his cultural abilities. Finally the relation of autonomy to adaptation, niche construction, phenotypic plasticity and other factors and patterns in evolution is discussed. The text has a clear perspective from the context of systems biology, arguing that the generation of biological autonomy must be interpreted within an integrative systems approach.

Amniote Origins integrates modern systematic methods with studies of functional and physiological processes, and illustrates how studies of paleobiology can be illuminated by studies of neonatology. For this reason, comparative anatomists and physiologists, functional morphologists, zoologists, and paleontologists will all find this unique volume very useful. Inspired by the prospect of integrating fields that have long been isolated from one another, Amniote Origins provides a thorough and interdisciplinary synthesis of one of the classic transitions of evolutionary history. - Integrates modern systematic methods with studies of functional and physiological processes - Illustrates how studies of paleobiology can be illuminated by studies of neonatology - Provides a thorough and interdisciplinary synthesis of one of the classic transitions of evolutionary history