You've probably seen it before: a human brain dramatically lit from the side, the camera circling it like a helicopter shot of Stonehenge, and a modulated baritone voice exalting the brain's elegant design in reverent tones.

To which this book says: Pure nonsense. In a work at once deeply learned and wonderfully accessible, the neuroscientist David Linden counters the widespread assumption that the brain is a paragon of design--and in its place gives us a compelling explanation of how the brain's serendipitous evolution has resulted in nothing short of our humanity. A guide to the strange and often illogical world of neural function, The Accidental Mind shows how the brain is not an optimized, general-purpose problem-solving machine, but rather a weird agglomeration of ad-hoc solutions that have been piled on through millions of years of evolutionary history. Moreover, Linden tells us how the constraints of evolved brain design have ultimately led to almost every transcendent human foible: our long childhoods, our extensive memory capacity, our search for love and long-term relationships, our need to create compelling narrative, and, ultimately, the universal cultural impulse to create both religious and scientific explanations. With forays into evolutionary biology, this analysis of mental function answers some of our most common questions about how we've come to be who we are.

Popular understanding holds that genetic changes create cancer. James DeGregori uses evolutionary principles to propose a new way of thinking about cancer’s occurrence. Cancer is as much a disease of evolution as it is of mutation, one in which mutated cells outcompete healthy cells in the ecosystem of the body’s tissues. His theory ties cancer’s progression, or lack thereof, to evolved strategies to maximize reproductive success.

Through natural selection, humans evolved genetic programs to maintain bodily health for as long as necessary to increase the odds of passing on our genes—but not much longer. These mechanisms engender a tissue environment that favors normal stem cells over precancerous ones. Healthy tissues thwart cancer cells’ ability to outcompete their precancerous rivals. But as our tissues age or accumulate damage from exposures such as smoking, normal stem cells find themselves less optimized to their ecosystem. Cancer-causing mutations can now help cells adapt to these altered tissue environments, and thus outcompete normal cells. Just as changes in a species’ habitat favor the evolution of new species, changes in tissue environments favor the growth of cancerous cells.

DeGregori’s perspective goes far in explaining who gets cancer, when it appears, and why. While we cannot avoid mutations, it may be possible to sustain our tissues’ natural and effective system of defense, even in the face of aging or harmful exposures. For those interested in learning how cancers arise within the human body, the insights in Adaptive Oncogenesis offer a compelling perspective.

Inducing highs of excitement, anger, and terror, adrenaline fuels the extremes of human experience. A rush empowers superhuman feats in emergencies. Risk-taking junkies seek to replicate this feeling in dangerous recreations. And a surge may literally scare us to death. Adrenaline brings us up to speed on the fascinating molecule that drives some of our most potent experiences.

Adrenaline was discovered in 1894 and quickly made its way out of the lab into clinics around the world. In this engrossing account, Brian Hoffman examines adrenaline in all its capacities, from a vital regulator of physiological functions to the subject of Nobel Prize–winning breakthroughs. Because its biochemical pathways are prototypical, adrenaline has had widespread application in hormone research leading to the development of powerful new drugs. Hoffman introduces the scientists to whom we owe our understanding, tracing the paths of their discoveries and aspirations and allowing us to appreciate the crucial role adrenaline has played in pushing modern medicine forward.

Hoffman also investigates the vivid, at times lurid, place adrenaline occupies in the popular imagination, where accounts of its life-giving and lethal properties often leave the realm of fact. Famous as the catalyst of the “fight or flight” response, adrenaline has also received forensic attention as a perfect poison, untraceable in the bloodstream—and rumors persist of its power to revive the dead. True to the spirit of its topic, Adrenaline is a stimulating journey that reveals the truth behind adrenaline’s scientific importance and enduring popular appeal.

An invaluable reference, reviewing research into commercial legume crops throughout the world. Topics covered include: diversity, adapatation and yield; nitrogen metabolism and plant nutrition; biochemistry and nutritional factors; pests, diseases, resistance and breeding; fodder, forage and cover legumes.

Papers from the Kew International Legume Conference in 1992 dealing with cultivated legumes, their origins and relationships. Pulse crops, forage crops and fuelwood crops are all discussed.

Collection of 16 papers addressing various aspects of the nitrogen economy of legumes, including nodulation and its evolution, the phytochemistry, costs and benefits of nitrogen compounds, and the relationship between legumes and their predators.

A collection of seventeen papers discussing the phylogeny of various legume groups. The first paper attempts a cladistic analysis of the whole family, and is followed by two dealing with molecular aspects of phylogeny. The remainder survey the phylogeny of various tribes and genera.

Proceedings of the 1997 AETFAT Congress in Harare, Zimbabwe, focussing on the biodiversity and use of plants, whilst also covering aspects of taxonomy, biogeography and community ecology. 48 papers are presented, ranging from 'A Review of African forest Zingiberaceae' to 'Studies on indigenous plant use in Transkei'.

Prologue
Context and Rationale for the Thought Pieces on COVID-19 Response in Africa
Paul Tiyambe Zeleza

Section 1: COVID-19 Pandemic: Responses and Lessons Learnt from AAP African Universities
AAP Universities’ Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned and Shared
Samuel L. Stanley, Jr., Tawana Kupe, Ibrahima Thioub, David Norris, and Rose Mwonya

Reflections on University Education in Uganda and the COVID-19 Pandemic Shock: Responses and Lessons Learned
Barnabas Nawangwe, Anthony Mugagga Muwagga, Mukadasi Buyinza, and Fred Masaazi Masagazi

COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria: Lessons on Responsibility, University Leadership, and Navigating the New Normal
Olanike K. Adeyemo, Selim A. Alarape, Victoria O. Adetunji, and David T. Afolayan

Facing COVID-19 Pandemic Learning/Teaching Challenges: Lessons and Perspectives from Malian Universities
Fatoumata Keïta, Binta Koïta, Aboubacar Niamabélé, and Welore Tamboura

Strategies of the Dominican University Nigeria in Coping with the COVID-19 Pandemic
Obiageli C. Okoye

Efforts to Preserve Educational Access, Research, and Public Service Relevance at the University of Dar es Salaam in the Age of COVID-19
Lulu T. Kaaya, William A. L. Anangisye, Bonaventure Rutinwa, and Bernadetha Killian

The Future of Continental and International Collaborations at the University of Nigeria after COVID-19
Charles A. Igwe, Anthonia I. Achike, and Bennett C. Nwanguma

Section 2: Social and Psychological Impacts of COVID-19 in the African HEI Context
Exploring the Gendered Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Academic Staff in Tanzania
Perpetua J. Urio, Susan P. Murphy, Ikupa Moses, Consolata Chua, and Immanuel Darkwa
The Mental and Psychosocial Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on University Faculty and Students
Ruthie C. Rono and Lucy Waithera Kung’u

Coping with the Impact of COVID-19 in Higher Education: Responses and Recommendations from the University of Botswana
Lucky Odirile

African Women Scientists’ COVID-Related Experiences: Reflecting on the Challenges and Suggesting Ways Forward
Olubukola Oluranti Babalola, Stephenie Chinwe Alaribe, Olabimpe Ajoke Olatunji, Pendo Nandiga Bigambo, Sunday Samson Babalola, Adenike Eunice Amoo, Mercy Olajumoke Kutu, Inutu Katoti, Hazel Tumelo Mufhandu, and Helen Orisaghe Imarfidor

Locked Down during the Lockdown
Egodi Uchendu, Amuche Nnabueze, and Elizabeth Onogwu

Section 3: Stories of Innovative Approaches to Issues of Access to Education and Research in the African HEI Context During and Beyond
Looking into Africa’s Future: The Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Role of ICT Education
Romain Murenzi, Max Paoli, Sena Galazzi, and Sean Treacy

A Community-University Partnership: Responding to COVID-19 in South Africa via the University of Pretoria’s Community Engagement Initiative
Martina Jordaan and Nita Mennega

Pre- and Post-COVID-19: Exploring Issues of Access in Higher Education in Botswana and Ghana
Gbolagade Adekanmbi, Joseph Ammoti Kasozi, Christinah Seabelo, and Changu Batisani

Business Repositioning at Botswana Open University in the Face of COVID-19
Sunny Enow Aiyuk, Lekopanye Lacic Tladi, and Freeson Kaniwa

COVID-19 and African Civil Society Organizations: Impact and Responses
Shaninomi Eribo

Epilogue
Future Directions: Next Generation of Partnerships for Africa’s Post-COVID World
Richard Mkandawire, Amy Jamison, and José Jackson-Malete

Taking us to the cutting edge of the new frontier of medicine, a visionary biotechnologist and a pathbreaking researcher show how we can optimize our health in ways that were previously unimaginable.

We are on the cusp of a major transformation in healthcare—yet few people know it. At top hospitals and a few innovative health-tech startups, scientists are working closely with patients to dramatically extend their “healthspan”—the number of healthy years before disease sets in. In The Age of Scientific Wellness, two visionary leaders of this revolution in health take us on a thrilling journey to this new frontier of medicine.

Today, most doctors wait for clinical symptoms to appear before they act, and the ten most commonly prescribed medications confer little or no benefit to most people taking them. Leroy Hood and Nathan Price argue that we must move beyond this reactive, hit-or-miss approach to usher in real precision health—a form of highly personalized care they call “scientific wellness.” Using information gleaned from our blood and genes and tapping into the data revolution made possible by AI, doctors can catch the onset of disease years before symptoms arise, revolutionizing prevention. Current applications have shown startling results: diabetes reversed, cancers eliminated, Alzheimer’s avoided, autoimmune conditions kept at bay.

This is not a future fantasy: it is already happening, but only for a few patients and at high cost. It’s time to make this gold standard of care more widely available. Inspiring in its possibilities, radical in its conclusions, The Age of Scientific Wellness shares actionable insights to help you chart a course to a longer, healthier, and more fulfilling life.

Audubon was not the father of American ornithology. That honorific belongs to Alexander Wilson, whose encyclopedic American Ornithology established a distinctive approach that emphasized the observation of live birds. In the first full-length study to reproduce all of Wilson’s unpublished drawings for the nine-volume Ornithology, Edward Burtt and William Davis illustrate Wilson’s pioneering and, today, underappreciated achievement as the first ornithologist to describe the birds of the North American wilderness.

Abandoning early ambitions to become a poet in the mold of his countryman Robert Burns, Wilson emigrated from Scotland to settle near Philadelphia, where the botanist William Bartram encouraged his proclivity for art and natural history. Wilson traveled 12,000 miles on foot, on horseback, in a rowboat, and by stage and ship, establishing a network of observers along the way. He wrote hundreds of accounts of indigenous birds, discovered many new species, and sketched the behavior and ecology of each species he encountered.

Drawing on their expertise in both science and art, Burtt and Davis show how Wilson defied eighteenth-century conventions of biological illustration by striving for realistic depiction of birds in their native habitats. He drew them in poses meant to facilitate identification, making his work the model for modern field guides and an inspiration for Audubon, Spencer Fullerton Baird, and other naturalists who followed. On the bicentennial of his death, this beautifully illustrated volume is a fitting tribute to Alexander Wilson and his unique contributions to ornithology, ecology, and the study of animal behavior.

The world is in the midst of an ecological explosion with devastating implications. Thousands of species of microbes, plants, and animals are being introduced, both deliberately and inadvertently, to new land areas, seas, and freshwaters. In many regions, these new colonists are running wild, disrupting the dynamics of ecosystems, pushing native species toward extinction, and causing billions of dollars in direct economic damages.Alien Species in North America and Hawaii provides a comprehensive overview of the invasive species phenomenon, examining the threats posed and the damage that has already been done to ecosystems across North America and Hawaii. George W. Cox considers both the biological theory underlying invasions and the potential and actual effects on ecosystems and human activities. His book offers a framework for understanding the problem and provides a detailed examination of species and regions. Specific chapters examine: North American invaders and their threats how exotic species are dispersed to new regions how physical and biotic features influence the establishment and spread of invasives patterns of exotic invasions, with separate chapters covering each of the ten most seriously invaded regions and ecosystems patterns of invasiveness exhibited by major groups of exotics the theory of invasive capability of alien species and the resistance of communities to invasion theoretical aspects of ecosystem impacts of invaders and the evolutionary interaction of invaders and natives management and public policy issuesAlien Species in North America and Hawaii offers for the first time an assessment and synthesis of the problem of invasive species in North American and Hawaiian ecosystems. Scientists, conservation professionals, policymakers, and anyone involved with the study and control of invasive species will find the book an essential guide and reference to one of the most serious and widespread threats to global biodiversity.

Aloe vera is one of the most important cultivated medicinal plants and a key component of the floras of Africa, Arabia, and Madagascar. Here, for the first time since the 1960s, is a comprehensive account of all currently accepted aloe taxa in an easy-to-use and accessible format. Organized by habitat and size, entries for more than five hundred species each include descriptions, illustrations, and diagnostic features, accompanied by information on distribution, habitat, and relationship to other Aloe species. This volume is a must-have not only for succulent plant enthusiasts but for all who need a well-illustrated and comprehensive academic reference to the Aloe genus.

Alpines, From mountain to garden is a refreshing new perspective on the many stunning plant species that make their home above the treeline. Where most guides to alpine plants have favored collecting and rare species, Richard Wilford offers a holistic approach that describes their discovery and introduction into cultivation and why these factors must be taken in to consideration when planting these mountain dwellers in your garden.

           

Organized geographically, Alpines, From mountain to garden covers the conditions—drainage, climate, light levels, temperature, and precipitation—and species native to each of nine regions, including the United States and Canada, South America, China, Europe, and Africa.  In all, over three hundred plants are described and prolifically illustrated. Additional chapters cover cultivation, conservation, and the impact of indiscriminate collecting on the many species that are now on the verge of extinction. With its wealth of insight into where alpine plants come from and how this affects their cultivation, this new book from Kew’s Botanical Magazine Monograph series is sure to be a hit with gardeners, collectors, travelers, and photographers alike.

A biography of a staple grain we often take for granted, exploring how wheat went from wild grass to a world-shaping crop.

At breakfast tables and bakeries, we take for granted a grain that has made human civilization possible, a cereal whose humble origins belie its world-shaping power: wheat. Amber Waves tells the story of a group of grass species that first grew in scattered stands in the foothills of the Middle East until our ancestors discovered their value as a source of food. Over thousands of years, we moved their seeds to all but the polar regions of Earth, slowly cultivating what we now know as wheat, and in the process creating a world of cuisines that uses wheat seeds as a staple food. Wheat spread across the globe, but as ecologist Catherine Zabinski shows us, a biography of wheat is not only the story of how plants ensure their own success: from the earliest bread to the most mouthwatering pasta, it is also a story of human ingenuity in producing enough food for ourselves and our communities.

Since the first harvest of the ancient grain, we have perfected our farming systems to grow massive quantities of food, producing one of our species’ global mega crops—but at a great cost to ecological systems. And despite our vast capacity to grow food, we face problems with undernourishment both close to home and around the world. Weaving together history, evolution, and ecology, Zabinski’s tale explores much more than the wild roots and rise of a now-ubiquitous grain: it illuminates our complex relationship with our crops, both how we have transformed the plant species we use as food, and how our society—our culture—has changed in response to the need to secure food sources. From the origins of agriculture to gluten sensitivities, from our first selection of the largest seeds from wheat’s wild progenitors to the sequencing of the wheat genome and genetic engineering, Amber Waves sheds new light on how we grow the food that sustains so much human life.

Whether we live in cities, in the suburbs, or in the country, birds are ubiquitous features of daily life, so much so that we often take them for granted. But even the casual observer is aware that birds don’t fill our skies in the number they once did. That awareness has spawned conservation action that has led to notable successes, including the recovery of some of the nation’s most emblematic species, such as the Bald Eagle, Brown Pelican, Whooping Crane, and Peregrine Falcon. Despite this, a third of all American bird species are in trouble—in many cases, they’re in imminent danger of extinction. The most authoritative account ever published of the threats these species face, The American Bird Conservancy Guide to Bird Conservation will be the definitive book on the subject.

The Guide presents for the first time anywhere a classification system and threat analysis for bird habitats in the United States, the most thorough and scientifically credible assessment of threats to birds published to date, as well as a new list of birds of conservation concern. Filled with beautiful color illustrations and original range maps, the Guide is a timely, important, and inspiring reference for birders and anyone else interested in conserving North America’s avian fauna. But this book is far more than another shout of crisis. The Guide also lays out a concrete and achievable plan of long-term action to safeguard our country’s rich bird life. Ultimately, it is an argument for hope. Whether you spend your early weekend mornings crouched in silence with binoculars in hand, hoping to check another species off your list, or you’ve never given much thought to bird conservation, you’ll appreciate the visual power and intellectual scope of these pages.

This is volume 200 issue 5 of The American Naturalist. Since its inception in 1867, The American Naturalist has maintained its position as one of the world’s premier peer-reviewed publications in ecology, evolution, and behavior research. Its goals are to publish articles that are of broad interest to the readership, pose new and significant problems, introduce novel subjects, develop conceptual unification, and change the way people think. The American Naturalist emphasizes sophisticated methodologies and innovative theoretical syntheses — all in an effort to advance the knowledge of organic evolution and other broad biological principles.

This is volume 200 issue 6 of The American Naturalist. Since its inception in 1867, The American Naturalist has maintained its position as one of the world’s premier peer-reviewed publications in ecology, evolution, and behavior research. Its goals are to publish articles that are of broad interest to the readership, pose new and significant problems, introduce novel subjects, develop conceptual unification, and change the way people think. The American Naturalist emphasizes sophisticated methodologies and innovative theoretical syntheses — all in an effort to advance the knowledge of organic evolution and other broad biological principles.

This is volume 201 issue 1 of The American Naturalist. Since its inception in 1867, The American Naturalist has maintained its position as one of the world’s premier peer-reviewed publications in ecology, evolution, and behavior research. Its goals are to publish articles that are of broad interest to the readership, pose new and significant problems, introduce novel subjects, develop conceptual unification, and change the way people think. The American Naturalist emphasizes sophisticated methodologies and innovative theoretical syntheses — all in an effort to advance the knowledge of organic evolution and other broad biological principles.

This is volume 201 issue 2 of The American Naturalist. Since its inception in 1867, The American Naturalist has maintained its position as one of the world’s premier peer-reviewed publications in ecology, evolution, and behavior research. Its goals are to publish articles that are of broad interest to the readership, pose new and significant problems, introduce novel subjects, develop conceptual unification, and change the way people think. The American Naturalist emphasizes sophisticated methodologies and innovative theoretical syntheses — all in an effort to advance the knowledge of organic evolution and other broad biological principles.

This is volume 201 issue 3 of The American Naturalist. Since its inception in 1867, The American Naturalist has maintained its position as one of the world’s premier peer-reviewed publications in ecology, evolution, and behavior research. Its goals are to publish articles that are of broad interest to the readership, pose new and significant problems, introduce novel subjects, develop conceptual unification, and change the way people think. The American Naturalist emphasizes sophisticated methodologies and innovative theoretical syntheses — all in an effort to advance the knowledge of organic evolution and other broad biological principles.

This is volume 201 issue 4 of The American Naturalist. Since its inception in 1867, The American Naturalist has maintained its position as one of the world’s premier peer-reviewed publications in ecology, evolution, and behavior research. Its goals are to publish articles that are of broad interest to the readership, pose new and significant problems, introduce novel subjects, develop conceptual unification, and change the way people think. The American Naturalist emphasizes sophisticated methodologies and innovative theoretical syntheses — all in an effort to advance the knowledge of organic evolution and other broad biological principles.

It all started in 1965 with a guy riding a whale. The guy was Flip Nicklin’s father, Chuck, and the whale was an unlucky Bryde’s Whale that had gotten caught up in some anchor line. Hoping to free the whale, Chuck and some friends took their boat as near as they could, and, just before they cut it loose, Chuck posed astride it for a photo.

That image, carried on wire services nationwide, became a sensation and ultimately changed the life of Chuck’s young son, Flip. In the decades since that day, Flip Nicklin has made himself into the world’s premier cetacean photographer. It’s no exaggeration to say that his photos, published in such venues as National Geographic and distributed worldwide, have virtually defined these graceful, powerful creatures in the mind of the general public—even as they helped open new ground in the field of marine mammalogy.

Among Giants tells the story of Nicklin’s life and career on the high seas, from his first ill-equipped shoots in the mid-1970s through his long association with the National Geographic Society to the present, when he is one of the founders of Whale Trust, a nonprofit conservation and research group. Nicklin is equal parts photographer, adventurer, self-trained scientist, and raconteur, and Among Giants reflects all those sides, matching breathtaking images to firsthand accounts of their making, and highlighting throughout the importance of conservation and new advances in our understanding of whale behavior. With Nicklin as our guide, we see not just whales but also our slowly growing understanding of their hidden lives, as well as the evolution of underwater photography—and the stunning clarity and drama that can be captured when a determined, daring diver is behind the lens.

Humpbacks, narwhals, sperm whales, orcas—these and countless other giants of the ocean parade through these pages, spouting, breaching, singing, and raising their young. Nicklin’s photographs bring us so completely into the underwater world of whales that we can’t help but feel awe, while winning, personal accounts of his adventures remind us of what it’s like to be a lone diver sharing their sea.

For anyone who has marveled at the majesty of whales in the wild, Among Giants is guaranteed to be inspiring, even moving—its unmatched images of these glorious beings an inescapable reminder of our responsibility as stewards of the ocean.

Like all cellular organisms, humans run on electricity. Slight imbalances of electric charge across cell membranes result in sensation, movement, awareness, and thinking—nearly everything we associate with being alive. Robert Campenot offers a comprehensive overview of animal electricity, examining its physiological mechanisms as well as the experimental discoveries that form the basis for our modern understanding of nervous systems across the animal kingdom.

Cells work much like batteries. Concentration gradients of sodium and potassium cause these ions to flow in and out of cells by way of protein channels, creating tiny voltages across the cell membrane. The cellular mechanisms that switch these ion currents on and off drive all the functions associated with animal nervous systems, from nerve impulses and heartbeats to the 600-volt shocks produced by electric eels.

Campenot’s examination of the nervous system is presented in the context of ideas as they evolved in the past, as well as today’s research and its future implications. The discussion ranges from the pre-Renaissance notion of animal spirits and Galvani’s eighteenth-century discovery of animal electricity, to modern insights into how electrical activity produces learning and how electrical signals in the cortex can be used to connect the brains of paralyzed individuals to limbs or prosthetic devices. Campenot provides the necessary scientific background to make the book highly accessible for general readers while conveying much about the process of scientific discovery.

Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species is the most important and yet least read scientific work in the history of science. Now James T. Costa—experienced field biologist, theorist on the evolution of insect sociality, and passionate advocate for teaching Darwin in a society in which a significant proportion of adults believe that life on earth has been created in its present form within the last 10,000 years—has given a new voice to this epochal work. By leading readers line by line through the Origin, Costa brings evolution’s foundational text to life for a new generation.The Annotated Origin is the edition of Darwin’s masterwork used in Costa’s course at Western Carolina University and in Harvard’s Darwin Summer Course at Oxford. A facsimile of the first edition of 1859 is accompanied by Costa’s extensive marginal annotations, drawing on his extensive experience with Darwin’s ideas in the field, lab, and classroom. This edition makes available an accessible, useful, and practical resource for anyone reading the Origin for the first time or for those who want to reread it with the insights and perspective that a working biologist can provide.

The lizard genus Anolis contains more species than any other genus of reptile, bird, or mammal. Caribbean members of this group have been intensively studied and have become a model system for the study of ecology, evolution, and biogeography, but knowledge of the anoles of Central and South America has lagged behind. In this landmark volume, veteran herpetologists James R. McCranie and Gunther Köhler take a step toward rectifying this shortcoming by providing a detailed account of the rich anole fauna of Honduras.

Generously illustrated with 157 photos and drawings, The Anoles of Honduras includes information on the evolutionary relationships, natural history, distribution, and conservation of all 39 Honduran anole species. The work is the result of decades of study both in the field and in museums and is the first synthetic discussion of the complete anole fauna of any Central or South American country. Each species is described in great detail with locality maps. Bilingual (English and Spanish), extensively illustrated identification keys are also included.

Antidesma is a genus in the family Phyllanthaceae (Malpighiales; Euphorbiaceae sensu lato). It comprises trees and shrubs which are conspicuous by their racemes of often abundant red or purple fruits. The genus is most diverse in South-East Asia where it is commonly found in the understorey of tropical forests as well as in open vegetation. This taxonomic revision describes the 56 species and 13 varieties occurring in Malesia and Thailand. Separate identification keys for staminate and pistillate plants are presented, and critical characters are illustrated. The distribution of each taxon is shown in a map. Ecology, uses, common names, etymology and conservation status are given, and line drawings of 25 taxa are included.

This landmark work, the distillation of a lifetime of research by the world’s leading myrmecologists, is a thoroughgoing survey of one of the largest and most diverse groups of animals on the planet. Bert Hölldobler and Edward O. Wilson review in exhaustive detail virtually all topics in the anatomy, physiology, social organization, ecology, and natural history of the ants. In large format, with almost a thousand line drawings, photographs, and paintings, it is one of the most visually rich and all-encompassing views of any group of organisms on earth. It will be welcomed both as an introduction to the subject and as an encyclopedia reference for researchers in entomology, ecology, and sociobiology.

This book offers a unique insider's perspective on the unfolding discovery of a crucial link in our evolution: Proconsul, a fossil ape named whimsically after a performing chimpanzee called Consul.

The Ape in the Tree is written in the voice of Alan Walker, whose involvement with Proconsul began when his graduate supervisor analyzed the tree-climbing adaptations in the arm and hand of this extinct creature. Today, Proconsul is the best-known fossil ape in the world.

The history of ideas is set against the vivid adventures of Walker's fossil-hunting expeditions in remote regions of Africa, where the team met with violent thunderstorms, dangerous wildlife, and people isolated from the Western world. Analysis of the thousands of new Proconsul specimens they recovered provides revealing glimpses of the life of this last common ancestor between apes and humans.

The attributes of Proconsul have profound implications for the very definition of humanness. This book speaks not only of an ape in a tree but also of the ape in our tree.

In this masterwork, Russell H. Tuttle synthesizes a vast research literature in primate evolution and behavior to explain how apes and humans evolved in relation to one another, and why humans became a bipedal, tool-making, culture-inventing species distinct from other hominoids. Along the way, he refutes the influential theory that men are essentially killer apes--sophisticated but instinctively aggressive and destructive beings.

Situating humans in a broad context, Tuttle musters convincing evidence from morphology and recent fossil discoveries to reveal what early primates ate, where they slept, how they learned to walk upright, how brain and hand anatomy evolved simultaneously, and what else happened evolutionarily to cause humans to diverge from their closest relatives. Despite our genomic similarities with bonobos, chimpanzees, and gorillas, humans are unique among primates in occupying a symbolic niche of values and beliefs based on symbolically mediated cognitive processes. Although apes exhibit behaviors that strongly suggest they can think, salient elements of human culture--speech, mating proscriptions, kinship structures, and moral codes--are symbolic systems that are not manifest in ape niches.

This encyclopedic volume is both a milestone in primatological research and a critique of what is known and yet to be discovered about human and ape potential.

This is by far the best and most comprehensive manual and illustrated guide to native and naturalized vascular plants—ferns, conifers, and flowering plants—growing in aquatic and wetland habitats in northeastern North America, from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and south to Virginia and Missouri. Published in two volumes, this long-awaited work completely revises and greatly expands Norman Fassett’s 1940 classic A Manual of Aquatic Plants, yet retains the features that made Fassett’s book so useful.

 Features include:
 *  coverage of 1139 plant species, 1186 taxa, 295 genera, 109 families
 *  more than 600 pages of illustrations, and illustrations for more than 90% of the taxa
 *  keys for each species include references to corresponding illustrations
 *  habitat information, geographical ranges, and synonomy
 *  a chapter on nuisance aquatic weeds
 *  glossaries of botanical and habitat terms
 *  a full index for each volume

Wetland ecologists, botanists, resource managers, public naturalists, and environmentalists concerned with the preservation of wetland areas, which are increasingly threatened, will welcome this clear, workable, and comprehensive guide.

This is by far the best and most comprehensive manual and illustrated guide to native and naturalized vascular plants—ferns, conifers, and flowering plants—growing in aquatic and wetland habitats in northeastern North America, from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and south to Virginia and Missouri. Published in two volumes, this long-awaited work completely revises and greatly expands Norman Fassett’s 1940 classic A Manual of Aquatic Plants, yet retains the features that made Fassett’s book so useful.

 Features include:
 *  coverage of 1139 plant species, 1186 taxa, 295 genera, 109 families
 *  more than 600 pages of illustrations, and illustrations for more than 90% of the taxa
 *  keys for each species include references to corresponding illustrations
 *  habitat information, geographical ranges, and synonomy
 *  a chapter on nuisance aquatic weeds
 *  glossaries of botanical and habitat terms
 *  a full index for each volume

Wetland ecologists, botanists, resource managers, public naturalists, and environmentalists concerned with the preservation of wetland areas, which are increasingly threatened, will welcome this clear, workable, and comprehensive guide.

In This Issue

Ecology, fisheries and aquaculture in African aquatic ecosystems: GLOW 9, Part I
Editorial
Preface

What affects fisheries in African lakes: Climate change or fishing effort? A case study from Lake Kariba
B. E. Marshall (New Zealand)

Using the Multi-metric Index of Biotic Integrity methodological approach to determine the major river catchment that most pollutes a lake
C. M. Aura, C. S. Nyamweya, J. M. Njiru, R. Omondi, J. Manyala, S. Musa, H. Owiti, F. Guya, C. Ongore, Z. Ogari, J. Mwamburi (Kenya)

Sustainable crab fishery for blue economy in Kenya
E. N. Fondo, B. Ogutu (Kenya)

Growth and survival of Mud Crab, Scylla serrata, reared in bottom and floating cages within Mida creek mangroves, coastal Kenya
J. M. Mwaluma, B. Kaunda-Arara (Kenya)

The status of seagrass beds in the coastal county of Lamu, Kenya
J. Uku, L. Daudi, V. Alati, A. Nzioka, C. Muthama (Kenya) 35

An overview of fish disease and parasite occurrence in the cage culture of Oreochromis niloticus: A case study in Lake Victoria, Kenya
V. M. Mwainge, C. Ogwai, C. M. Aura, A. Mutie, V. Ombwa, H. Nyaboke, K. N. Oyier, J. Nyaundi (Kenya)

The state of cage culture in Lake Victoria: A focus on sustainability, rural economic empowerment, and food security
P. Orina, E. Ogello, E. Kembenya, C. Muthoni, S. Musa, V. Ombwa, V. Mwainge, J. Abwao, R. Ondiba, J. Kengere, S. Karoza (Kenya)

Socioeconomic dynamics and characterization of land-based aquaculture in Western Kenya
J. Abwao, S. Musa, R. Ondiba, Z. Ogari (Kenya)

The role of women in freshwater aquaculture development in Kenya
F. J. Awuor (Kenya)

Fish feeds and feed management practices in the Kenyan aquaculture sector: Challenges and opportunities
J. Munguti, H. Odame, J. Kirimi, K. Obiero, E. Ogello, D. Liti (Kenya)

The effects of situation analysis practices on implementation of poverty alleviation mariculture projects in the coast of Kenya
J. O. Odhiambo, J. Wakibia, M. M. Sakwa, F. Munyi, H. Owiti, E. Waiyaki (Kenya)

Kenya marine fisheries: The next frontier for economic growth?
J. Njiru, J. O. Omukoto, E. N. Kimani, C. M. Aura, M. Van der Knaap (Kenya)

GLOW 9 Synthesis: Blue Economy, a long way to go
M. Van der Knaap, M. Munawar, J. Njiru (Ethiopia)

Joe Leach: In Memoriam
Articles by M. Munawar, E. Mills, G. D. Haffner, W. G. Sprules, J. Hartig, T. B. Johnson, M. Fitzpatrick, D. Stanley
 

In This Issue

State of Aquatic Invasive Species in India: Past, present and future
Editorial
Prelude
Foreword
Preface

Aquatic invasive species status in India
State of invasive aquatic species in tropical India: An overview
A. K. Singh (India)

Changing food webs of Indian aquatic ecosystems under the threats of invasive species: An overview
P. Panikkar, M. Feroz Khan, U.K. Sarkar, and B.K. Das (India)

Regional status of aquatic invasive species in India
Spatial assemblage and interference competition of introduced Brown Trout (Salmo trutta fario) in a Himalayan river network: Implications for native fish conservation
A. Sharma, V. K. Dubey, J. A. Johnson, Y. K. Rawal, and K. Sivakumar (India)

MaxEnt distribution modeling for predicting Oreochromis niloticus invasion into the Ganga river system, India and conservation concern of native fish biodiversity
A. K. Singh, S. C. Srivastava, and P. Verma (India)

Establishment and impact of exotic Cyprinus carpio (Common Carp) on native fish diversity in Buxar stretch of River Ganga, India
A. Ray, C. Johnson, R. K. Manna, R. Baitha, S. D. Gupta, N. K. Tiwari, H. S. Swain, and B. K. Das (India)

Distribution of alien invasive species in aquatic ecosystems of the southern Western Ghats, India
S. Raj, P. Prakash, R. Reghunath, J. C. Tharian, R. Raghavan, and A. B. Kumar (India)

Invasion and potential risks of introduced exotic aquatic species in Indian islands
C. Raghunathan, T. Mondal, and K. Chandra (India)

Management of aquatic invasive species in India
Management of alien aquatic invasive species: Strategic guidelines and policy in India
A. K. Singh (India)

Stakeholder perceptions and strategies for management of non-native freshwater fishes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
R. Kiruba-Sankar, J. Praveenraj, K. Saravanan, K L. Kumar, H. Haridas, U. Biswas (India)

Managements strategies to regulate the introduction of exotic ornamental fish, the silent invaders of freshwater ecosystems in India
T. T. A. Kumar and K. K. Lal (India)

Contributed Articles
Bioaccumulation of trace elements in migratory waterbirds at two wetlands of Indus river
M. A. Ashraf and Z. Ali (Pakistan)

Seasonal variation of heavy metal accumulation in environment and fishes from the Cirebon coast, Indonesia
H. I. Januar, Dwiyitno, and I. Hidayah (Indonesia)

Evaluation of the effect of carbamazepine on the concentration of vitellogenin in Pseudoplatystoma magdaleniatum
S. M. Cacua Ortiz, N. J. Aguirre, and G. A. Peñuela (Colombia)

Classification of Typha-dominated wetlands using airborne hyperspectral imagery along Lake Ontario, USA
G. M. Suir, D. A. Wilcox, and M. Reif (USA)

CONTENTS
Climate change and changing Indian fisheries in the 21st century: Vulnerability, adaptation, and mitigation

Foreword
Preface

Impact of climate change on Indian fisheries
Research advances in climate and environmental change impacts on inland fisheries of India: status, vulnerability, and mitigation strategies
U. K. Sarkar and B. K. Das (India)

Invasion meltdown and burgeoning threats of invasive fish species in inland waters of India in the era of climate change
A. K. Singh and S. C. Srivastava (India)

Impacts of climate change and adaptations in shrimp aquaculture: A study in coastal Andhra Pradesh, India
M.Muralidhar, M. Kumaran, M. Jayanthi, J. Syama Dayal, J. Ashok Kumar,R.Saraswathy, and A. Nagavel (India)

Effect of extreme climatic events on fish seed production in Lower Brahmaputra Valley, Assam, India: Constraint analysis and adaptive strategies
B. K. Bhattacharjya, A. K. Yadav, D. Debnath, B. J. Saud, V. K. Verma, S. Yengkokpam, U. K. Sarkar, and B. K. Das (India)

Impact of climate change on Indian wetlands and fisheries
Floodplain wetlands of eastern India in a changing climate: Trophic characterization, ecological status, and implications for fisheries
M.Puthiyottil, U. K. Sarkar, L. Lianthuamluaia, G. Karnatak, M. A. Hassan, S. Kumari,B.D. Ghosh, and B. K. Das (India)

Ecosystem vulnerability of floodplain wetlands of the Lower Brahmaputra Valley to climatic and anthropogenic factors
D. Debnath, B. K. Bhattacharjya, S. Yengkokpam, U. K. Sarkar, P. Paul, B. K. Das (India)

Dynamics of river flows towards sustaining floodplain wetland fisheries under climate change: A case study
A. K. Sahoo, B. K. Das, L. Lianthuamluaia, R. K. Raman, D. K. Meena, C. M. Roshith, A. R. Chowdhury, S. R. Choudhury, and D. Sadhukhan (India)

Enhancing adaptive capacity of wetland fishers through pen culture in the face of changing climate: A study from a tropical wetland, India
G. Karnatak, U. K. Sarkar, M. Puthiyottil, L. Lianthuamluaia, B. D. Ghosh, S. Bakshi, A. K. Das, and B. K. Das (India)

Impact of climate change-induced challenges on fisheries in the North Eastern Region of India and the way ahead
B. C. Borah (India)

Contributed Articles
Response of extreme significant wave height to climate change in the South China Sea and northern Indian Ocean
Y. Luo, H. Shi and W. Wang (China)

Pattern of spatio-temporal fish diversity in association with habitat gradients in a tropical reservoir, India
R. V. Leela, S. M. Salim, J. Parakkandi, P. Panikkar, K. Mani, V. M. Eregowda, U. K. Sarkar, and B. K. Das (India)

Contents
Ecosystem health and fisheries of Indian inland waters: Ecology and socio-economics - Part 1 (AEHMS 12)

Foreword
Prelude
Preface

Ecology of inland waters
Exploring microbiome from sediments of River Ganga using a metagenomic approach
B. K. Behera, P. Sahu, A. K. Rout, P. K. Parida, D. J. Sarkar, N. K. Kaushik, A. R. Rao, A.Rai, B. K. Das, T. Mohapatra (India)

Assessment of heavy metal contaminations in water and sediment of River Godavari, India
S.Samanta, V. Kumar, S. K. Nag, K. Saha, A.M. Sajina, S. Bhowmick, S. K. Paul, andB. K. Das (India)

Influence of riverine connectivity on phytoplankton abundance and diversity of associated wetlands of River Ganga: A comparative study of an open and a closed wetland
S.Bayen, T. R. Mohanty, T. N. Chanu, C. Johnson, N. K. Tiwari, R. K. Manna,H. S. Swain, B. K. Das (India)

Assessing the influence of environmental factors on fish assemblage and spatial diversity in an unexplored subtropical Jargo reservoir of the Ganga River basin
A.Alam, J. Kumar, U. K. Sarkar, D. N. Jha, S. C. S. Das, S. K. Srivastava, V. Kumar,B. K. Das (India)

Impact of fish stock enhancement on fish yield of floodplain wetlands in different agro-climatic zones of Assam, India
A. K. Yadav, K. K. Das, S. Borah, P. Das, B. K. Bhattacharjya, B. K. Das (India)

Status of biodiversity and limno-chemistry of Deepor Beel, a Ramsar site of international importance: Conservation needs and the way forward
B. K. Bhattacharjya, B. J. Saud, S. Borah, P. K. Saikia, and B. K. Das (India)

Socio-economics
Resilience of inland fishers against nature’s fury: A study on effect of extremely severe cyclone Fani on socio-economy and livelihood of fishers’ household in Odisha, India
A. Pandit, A. Saha, L. Chakraborty, H. S. Swain, S. K. Sharma, B. P. Mohanty, and B. K. Das (India)

An overview of enclosure culture in inland open waters: Responding to socio-economic, ecological and climate change issues in inland fisheries
D. Debnath, B.K. Bhattacharjya, S. Yengkokpam, U.K. Sarkar, M.A. Hassan, A.K. Das, and B.K. Das (India)

Contributed Articles
The effects of hydrology on macroinvertebrate traits in river channel and wetland habitats
I. Growns, I. W. Tsoi, M. Southwell, S. Mika, S. Lewis, B. Vincent (Australia)

Evaluating the use of hyperspectral imagery to calculate raster-based wetland vegetation condition indicator
G. M. Suir and D. A. Wilcox (USA)

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CONTENTS

Ecosystem services of fish and fisheries: Social, cultural, and economic perspective Part 1 - North and South America

Forward
Preface

North America
From fragments to connections to restoration: A case history of emergent sociocultural services in the Clark Fork River and Lake Pend Oreille fishery
C. E. Corsi, M. P. Corsi, K. E. Wallen, K. A. Bouwens, P. C. Kusnierz, K. E. Shaw, N. E. Hall, J. S. Maroney, J. S. Williams (USA)

Cultural and educational releases of salmon in areas blocked by major hydroelectric projects on the Columbia River
C. Baldwin, C. Giorgi, T. Biladeau (USA)

Reconnecting people to the Detroit River – A transboundary effort
J. H. Hartig, T. Scott, G. Gell, and K. Berk (Canada/USA)

Freshwater and fisheries: The need for comparative valuation
D. Bartley (USA)

More than ponds amid skyscrapers: Urban fisheries as multiscalar human-natural systems
A. K. Carlson, W. J. Boonstra, S. Joosse, D. I. Rubenstein, S. A. Levin (USA)

South America
Quantifying fish catches and fish consumption in the Amazon Basin
A. Sirén and J. Valbo-Jørgensen (Ecuador)

Ecosystem services in the floodplains: socio-cultural services associated with ecosystem unpredictability in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil
R. M. Chiaravalloti, F. Bolzan, F. de Oliveira Roque, S. Biswas (USA)

Contributed papers
Half a century of dedicated research for the sake of the lakes: A record of the celebration for Mohiuddin Munawar by Fisheries and Oceans Canada
M. Van der Knaap (Kenya)

Influence of coastal engineering on the intertidal macrobenthic community in the Dongtou Islands, China
Y. Tang, Y. Liao, L. Shou, C. Li (China)

Autonomous underwater glider observations in southern Lake Ontario and Niagara River plume
P. McKinney, T. Hollenhorst, J. Hoffman (USA)
 

CONTENTS
Ecosystem health and fisheries of Indian inland waters: Fisheries and biodiversity - Part 2 (AEHMS 12)

Application of the Laurentian Great Lakes ‘Ecosystem Approach’ towards remediation and restoration of the mighty River Ganges, India
M. Munawar, M. Fitzpatrick, I.F. Munawar (Canada)

Fisheries and Biodiversity
Genetic diversity study of three Indian major carps from four riverine ecosystems
B.K. Behera, V. S. Baisvar, A.K. Rout, P. Paria, P. K. Parida, D.K. Meena, P. Das, B. Sahu, B.K. Das, J. Jena (India)

Development and validation of fish-based index of biotic integrity for assessing ecological health of Indian rivers Mahanadi and Kathajodi-Devi
A.M. Sajina, D. Sudheesan, S. Samanta, S. K. Paul, S. Bhowmick, S. K. Nag, V. Kumar (India)

Fishery and population dynamics of Otolithoides pama (Hamilton, 1822) from Hooghly-Matlah Estuary of West Bengal, India
D. Bhakta, S.K. Das, B.K. Das, T.S. Nagesh, and B.K. Behera (India)

On the population characteristics of anadromous Tenualosa ilisha (Hamilton, 1822) occurring from River Brahmaputra, India
S. Borah, G. Vaisakh, A.K. Jaiswar, B.K. Bhattacharjya, A.K. Sahoo, G. Deshmukhe, B.K. Behera, D.K. Meena, P. Das, and B.K. Das (India)

Fish diversity and assemblage structure along the river-estuary continuum in the River Cauvery, India
C. M. Roshith, R. K. Manna, S. Samanta, V. R. Suresh, Lohith Kumar, S. Sibinamol, S. K. Sharma, A. Roy Choudhury, M. E. Vijayakumar, and B. K. Das (India)

Fish diversity, community structure, and environmental variables of River Tamas, a tributary of River Ganga, India
S. C. S. Das, D.N. Jha, V. Kumar, A. Alam, K. Srivastava, A.K. Sahoo, and B.K. Das (India)

E-Flow estimation through a hydrology-based method in the Tamas River at Bakiya Barrage, Madhya Pradesh, India
D.N. Jha, S.C.S. Das, K. Srivastava, V. Kumar, A.K. Sahoo, R. S. Srivastava, B.K. Das (India)

Ecosystem Health and Fisheries of Indian Inland Waters (AEHMS 12), Pantnagar, Utterakhand, India, February 17-19, 2020: Declaration and final recommendations of the conference

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Contributed Papers
Model development in support of the Lake Ontario Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative
Y. Hui, D. Schlea, J. Atkinson, Z. Zhu, and T. Redder (USA)

Ecosystem services of fish and fisheries: Social, cultural, and economic perspective Part 2 - Europe, Africa and Asia

Europe
Ecosystem service trade-offs at small lakes: Preferences of the general public and anglers
J. Meyerhoff, T. Klefoth and R. Arlinghaus (Germany)

Perceived socio-cultural ecosystem services provided by wild Atlantic salmon populations in four European countries
S. Kochalski, C. Riepe and R. Arlinghaus (Germany)

Sociocultural ecosystem services of small-scale fisheries: challenges, insights, and perspectives for marine resource management and planning
M. Stithou,* M. Kourantidou, and V. Vassilopoulou (Greece)

Africa
The impact of culture on market competitiveness and nutritional outcomes for small indigenous species: An examination of the Dagaa fishery in Lake Victoria, Kenya
H. Owiti Onyango and J. Ochiewo (Kenya)

Inland fisheries and the four pillars of food security in Sub-Saharan Africa: Assessing current research trends
E. Gondwe,* A. Bennett, P. Muhonda, and E. Rice (USA)

Asia
Market efficiency as indicators of fish market along the middle stretch of River Ganga, India
J. Shaikh, R. S. Shrivastava, D. Jha, A. R. Pandey (India)

Socioeconomic study of traditional fish farmers and trained farmers in the Indian Sundarbans ecosystem
S. Ghosh, A. Baidya, B.D. Ghosh, N.C. Sahu, F.H. Rahaman, A.K. Das and K.S. Das (India)

Nutrient composition and microbial food safety of a locally-processed fish product in Cambodia
Q. Wang, K. A. Byrd, C. Navin, S.H. Thilsted, V. Try, M. Kim, M. Lejeune, R. Worobo, S. Than and K. J. Fiorella (Malaysia)

Impact of Mekong River biodiversity on the food culture of women and children in Prey Veng, Cambodia
M. Nurhasan, D. Sok, S.H. Thilsted, S. Nguon, D. James, C. Ritz, S. Sok, C. Chhoun and N. Roos (Denmark)

Ecology, fisheries and cage culture in African aquatic ecosystems: GLOW 9, Part II

Editorial

Emerging frontiers for blue growth in African Great Lakes: The potential for recreational fishing industry in Lake Victoria, Kenya
H. Nyaboke, J. Nyaundi, M. Owili, C.S. Nyamweya, C.M. Aura, N. Gichuru, J. Okechi, H. Owiti, V. Sudoi, and D. Liti (Kenya)

Water pollution and its impact on the Blue Economy initiative: A lesson learned from the Kenyan Coast
E. Okuku, G. Owato, C. Mwalugha, V. Wanjeri, L. Kiteresi, and S. Mwangi (Kenya)

Feasibility for cage farming in Africa: The case of the Kenyan part of Lake Victoria
Z. Shitote, N. Osieko Munala, and J. S. Maremwa (Kenya)

Challenges to the lake fisheries, and factors affecting the effectiveness of a co-management regime in African Great Lakes: A case study of Lake Victoria, Kenya
C.O. Odoli, H. Owiti, J. Mwamburi, P. Oduor-Odote, H. Nyaboke, C. Nyamweya, and C. Aura (Kenya)

Cage farming in the environmental mix of Lake Victoria: An analysis of its status, potential environmental and ecological effects, and a call for sustainability
K. Nyakeya, F.O. Masese, Z. Gichana, J.M. Nyamora, A. Getabu, J. Onchieku, C. Odoli, and R. Nyakwama (Kenya)

Protection of fish breeding areas in Lake Baringo and the potential for sustainable resource management
J. Mugo, C. Odoli, and K. Nyakeya (Kenya)

Performance of diets composed of Artemia biomass and fish meal fed to juvenile marine Tilapia in cages
E. Wairimu Magondu, D. Oersted Mirera, and D. Okemwa (Kenya)

Sex reversal dynamics of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and impact on growth performance
G. Nduku, D. O. Mirera, and J. Nyabeta (Kenya)

Future demand and supply of aquafeed ingredients: Outlines to commercialize non-conventional protein ingredients to enhance aquaculture production for food security in sub-Saharan Africa
R. Nyakwama Ondiba, E.O. Ogello, E. Kembenya, Z. Gichana, and K. Obiero (Kenya)

Contributed
Toxic cyanobacteria blooms of Mukhor Bay (Lake Baikal, Russia) during a period of intensive anthropogenic pressure
I. Tikhonova, A. Kuzmin, G. Fedorova, E. Sorokovikova, A. Krasnopeev, A. Tsvetkova, Y. Shtykova, S. Potapov, M. Ivacheva, T. Zabortzeva, O. Evstropyeva, I. Tomberg, N. Zhuchenko, A. Galachyants, O. Belykh (Russia)
 

Using the ecosystem concept as his starting point, the author examines the complex relationship between premodern armed forces and their environment at three levels: landscapes, living beings, and diseases. The study focuses on Europe’s Meuse Region, well-known among historians of war as a battleground between France and Germany. By analyzing soldiers’ long-term interactions with nature, this book engages with current debates about the ecological impact of the military, and provides new impetus for contemporary armed forces to make greater effort to reduce their environmental footprint.

A richly illustrated, captivating study of army ants, nature’s preeminent social hunters.

A swarm raid is one of nature’s great spectacles. In tropical rainforests around the world, army ants march in groups by the thousands to overwhelm large solitary invertebrates, along with nests of termites, wasps, and other ants. They kill and dismember their prey and carry it back to their nest, where their hungry brood devours it. They are the ultimate social hunters, demonstrating the most fascinating collective behavior.

In Army Ants we see how these insects play a crucial role in promoting and sustaining the biodiversity of tropical ecosystems. The ants help keep prey communities in check while also providing nutrition for other animals. Many species depend on army ants for survival, including a multitude of social parasites, swarm-following birds, and flies. And while their hunting behavior, and the rules that govern it, are clearly impressive, army ants display collective behavior in other ways that are no less dazzling. They build living nests, called bivouacs, using their bodies to protect the queen and larvae. The ants can even construct bridges over open space or obstacles by linking to one another using their feet. These incredible feats happen without central coordination. They are the result of local interactions—self-organization that benefits the society at large.

Through observations, stories, and stunning images, Daniel Kronauer brings these fascinating creatures to life. Army ants may be small, but their collective intelligence and impact on their environment are anything but.

In The Descent of Man, Charles Darwin proposed that an ant's brain, no larger than a pin's head, must be sophisticated to accomplish all that it does. Yet today many people still find it surprising that insects and other arthropods show behaviors that are much more complex than innate reflexes. They are products of versatile brains which, in a sense, think.

Fascinating in their own right, arthropods provide fundamental insights into how brains process and organize sensory information to produce learning, strategizing, cooperation, and sociality. Nicholas Strausfeld elucidates the evolution of this knowledge, beginning with nineteenth-century debates about how similar arthropod brains were to vertebrate brains. This exchange, he shows, had a profound and far-reaching impact on attitudes toward evolution and animal origins. Many renowned scientists, including Sigmund Freud, cut their professional teeth studying arthropod nervous systems. The greatest neuroanatomist of them all, Santiago Ramón y Cajal-founder of the neuron doctrine-was awed by similarities between insect and mammalian brains.

Writing in a style that will appeal to a broad readership, Strausfeld weaves anatomical observations with evidence from molecular biology, neuroethology, cladistics, and the fossil record to explore the neurobiology of the largest phylum on earth-and one that is crucial to the well-being of our planet. Highly informative and richly illustrated, Arthropod Brains offers an original synthesis drawing on many fields, and a comprehensive reference that will serve biologists for years to come.

The first in-depth study of Japanese fermentation science in the twentieth century.

The Arts of the Microbial World explores the significance of fermentation phenomena, both as life processes and as technologies, in Japanese scientific culture. Victoria Lee’s careful study documents how Japanese scientists and skilled workers sought to use the microbe’s natural processes to create new products, from soy-sauce mold starters to MSG, vitamins to statins. In traditional brewing houses as well as in the food, fine chemical, and pharmaceutical industries across Japan, they showcased their ability to deal with the enormous sensitivity and variety of the microbial world. 

Charting developments in fermentation science from the turn of the twentieth century, when Japan was an industrializing country on the periphery of the world economy, to 1980 when it had emerged as a global technological and economic power, Lee highlights the role of indigenous techniques in modern science as it took shape in Japan. In doing so, she reveals how knowledge of microbes lay at the heart of some of Japan’s most prominent technological breakthroughs in the global economy.

At a moment when twenty-first-century developments in the fields of antibiotic resistance, the microbiome, and green chemistry suggest that the traditional eradication-based approach to the microbial world is unsustainable, twentieth-century Japanese microbiology provides a new, broader vantage for understanding and managing microbial interactions with society.

In the early part of this century, few dared imagine that Oregon would ever welcome back the majestic California Condor. Nobody would have predicted record numbers of Snowy Plovers on the coast. Oregon’s raptors and fish-eating birds were almost decimated. Yet, thanks to the heroic efforts of Oregon’s ornithologists, the birds are returning. As the Condor Soars presents a series of engaging essays about the efforts these scientists have made, and continue to make, to reduce the decline of Oregon’s bird species and restore their habitats.
 
The essays collected in As the Condor Soars focus on the role that ornithologists have played in research, management, and conservation debates across the state over the past century. Contributors to this volume discuss new developments in the study of birds, from sophisticated tracking devices to the evolving connections between ornithologists and artists. Readers also learn about the important role of citizen scientists in saving our treasured birds. These essays provide hope for species recovery, despite environmental threats, when scientists and the public work together. They also offer to other regions examples of adaptive management learned through these efforts. 
 
This full-color book is beautifully illustrated by noted Oregon Coast artist Ram Papish and includes over eighty stunning photographs donated by some of the state’s finest nature photographers. Fifty capsule biographies of noted Oregon avian scientists round out the inspirational stories about the monumental efforts that have taken shape in recent decades. Accessibly written for scientists and laypeople alike, As the Condor Soars is a gift to everyone who cares about the conservation and restoration of Oregon’s birds.
 

Ash is a beautifully illustrated account of the botanical and cultural faces of the ash tree. The book maps the tree’s evolution and geographical spread across the entire Northern Hemisphere over the last 44 million years, and describes the 43 species that grace the planet today. Edward Parker also explores the botany, cultural history, and medicinal uses of the tree, from its significance in ancient Indo-European cultures, to its remarkable properties in treating Alzheimer’s disease. In addition he looks at topical issues, such as the devastating effects that the spread of the emerald ash borer beetle and the ash dieback fungal infection are having on Northern Hemisphere forests.

The familiar European hive bee, Apis mellifera, has long dominated honey bee research. But in the last 15 years, teams in China, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand began to shift focus to the indigenous Asian honey bees. Benjamin Oldroyd, well known for his work on the genetics and evolution of worker sterility, has teamed with Siriwat Wongsiri, a pioneer of the study of bees in Thailand, to provide a comparative work synthesizing the rapidly expanding Asian honey bee literature. After introducing the species, the authors review evolution and speciation, division of labor, communication, and nest defense. They underscore the pressures colonies face from pathogens, parasites, and predators--including man--and detail the long and amazing history of the honey hunt. This book provides a cornerstone for future investigations on these species, insights into the evolution across species, and a direction for conservation efforts to protect these keystone species of Asia's tropical forests.