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Relationships of Natural Enemies and Non-prey Foods (Progress in Biological Control #7)

Feeding on Non-Prey Resources by Natural Enemies Moshe Coll Reports on the consumption of non-prey food sources, particularly plant materials, by predators and parasitoids are common throughout the literature (reviewed recently by Naranjo and Gibson 1996, Coll 1998a, Coll and Guershon, 2002). Predators belonging to a variety of orders and families are known to feed on pollen and nectar, and adult parasitoids acquire nutrients from honeydew and floral and extrafloral nectar. A recent publication by Wäckers et al. (2005) discusses the p- visioning of plant resources to natural enemies from the perspective of the plant, exploring the evolutionary possibility that plants enhance their defenses by recru- ing enemies to food sources. The present volume, in contrast, presents primarily the enemies’ perspective, and as such is the first comprehensive review of the nut- tional importance of non-prey foods for insect predators and parasitoids. Although the ecological significance of feeding on non-prey foods has long been underappreciated, attempts have been made to manipulate nectar and pollen ava- ability in crop fields in order to enhance levels of biological pest control by natural enemies (van Emden, 1965; Hagen, 1986; Coll, 1998a). The importance of n- prey foods for the management of pest populations is also discussed in the book.

Relaxin 2000: Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Relaxin & Related Peptides 22–27 October 2000, Broome, Australia

The first international forum on relaxin was a workshop held in Hawaii in 1980. This was followed by the Kroc Foundation conference in Santa Ynes, California in 1981 and then the First International Congress on the Hormone Relaxin in Florence in 1982. After a hiatus of several years, the Second International Congress on the Hormone Relaxin was held in Adelaide in 1994. Since that time, the enormous advances in molecular biology and protein chemistry have led to a stellar growth in relaxin research. Novel sites of action of the hormone have been elucidated, numerous new mammalian primary structures determined, more detailed mechanisms of action postulated, the control of relaxin secretion better understood, non-pregnant roles of the hormone identified, and, importantly, relaxin-related peptides (particularly INSL 3 and 5) identified and possible synergistic actions with relaxin proposed. A raft of novel clinical applications of relaxin has also been explored. Together, these exciting developments made the time ripe for a third international conference. We were therefore delighted to welcome many colleagues, old and new, at Relaxin 2000, the first international forum on relaxin and related peptides in the new Millennium. This conference, which we hope will now be held every four to five years, was held at the Cable Beach Inter-Continental Resort at the delightful old pearling town of Broome in the far north-west of Australia from 22-27 October, 2000.

The Release of Genetically Modified Microorganisms—REGEM 2 (F.E.M.S. Symposium Series #63)

If ripple effect is a measure of greatness in scientific discovery then GEMMOs have a lot going for them and this book dramatically illustrates the risks associated with advances being made by researchers to mobilize and control the power of the microorganism in the world's fight to perfect nature and fmd remedies for its imperfections. In the field of genetic science it is abundantly clear that so much more can be achieved through prevention rather than cure and that the indirect kill, by reason of its logic is a much more powerful weapon for winning results. Nevertheless the dilemma facing politicians arises over whether man should tamper with something which is God-given such as Radioactivity and Genetic endowment. The Roman Catholic church fmds difficulty in accepting the proposition that what is God­ given can be treated as a product under human control and maybe that is why recently half a century of genetic research on a strain of bees resistant to a devastating parasite at the Buckfastleigh Benedictine Monastery has inexplicably ceased whilst verging on scientific success.(l) The Anglican Community on the other hand does not see the sacrosanctity of Radioactivity and Genetic material as a bar to man-manipulation with appropriate safeguards.

Relics: Travels in Nature's Time Machine

On any night in early June, if you stand on the right beaches of America’s East Coast, you can travel back in time all the way to the Jurassic. For as you watch, thousands of horseshoe crabs will emerge from the foam and scuttle up the beach to their spawning grounds, as they’ve done, nearly unchanged, for more than 440 million years. Horseshoe crabs are far from the only contemporary manifestation of Earth’s distant past, and in Relics, world-renowned zoologist and photographer Piotr Naskrecki leads readers on an unbelievable journey through those lingering traces of a lost world. With camera in hand, he travels the globe to create a words-and-pictures portrait of our planet like no other, a time-lapse tour that renders Earth’s colossal age comprehensible, visible in creatures and habitats that have persisted, nearly untouched, for hundreds of millions of years. Naskrecki begins by defining the concept of a relic—a creature or habitat that, while acted upon by evolution, remains remarkably similar to its earliest manifestations in the fossil record. Then he pulls back the Cambrian curtain to reveal relic after eye-popping relic: katydids, ancient reptiles, horsetail ferns, majestic magnolias, and more, all depicted through stunning photographs and first-person accounts of Naskrecki’s time studying them and watching their interactions in their natural habitats. Then he turns to the habitats themselves, traveling to such remote locations as the Atewa Plateau of Africa, the highlands of Papua New Guinea, and the lush forests of the Guyana Shield of South America—a group of relatively untrammeled ecosystems that are the current end point of staggeringly long, uninterrupted histories that have made them our best entryway to understanding what the prehuman world looked, felt, sounded, and even smelled like. The stories and images of Earth’s past assembled in Relics are beautiful, breathtaking, and unmooring, plunging the reader into the hitherto incomprehensible reaches of deep time. We emerge changed, astonished by the unbroken skein of life on Earth and attentive to the hidden heritage of our planet’s past that surrounds us.

Relics: Travels in Nature's Time Machine

On any night in early June, if you stand on the right beaches of America’s East Coast, you can travel back in time all the way to the Jurassic. For as you watch, thousands of horseshoe crabs will emerge from the foam and scuttle up the beach to their spawning grounds, as they’ve done, nearly unchanged, for more than 440 million years. Horseshoe crabs are far from the only contemporary manifestation of Earth’s distant past, and in Relics, world-renowned zoologist and photographer Piotr Naskrecki leads readers on an unbelievable journey through those lingering traces of a lost world. With camera in hand, he travels the globe to create a words-and-pictures portrait of our planet like no other, a time-lapse tour that renders Earth’s colossal age comprehensible, visible in creatures and habitats that have persisted, nearly untouched, for hundreds of millions of years. Naskrecki begins by defining the concept of a relic—a creature or habitat that, while acted upon by evolution, remains remarkably similar to its earliest manifestations in the fossil record. Then he pulls back the Cambrian curtain to reveal relic after eye-popping relic: katydids, ancient reptiles, horsetail ferns, majestic magnolias, and more, all depicted through stunning photographs and first-person accounts of Naskrecki’s time studying them and watching their interactions in their natural habitats. Then he turns to the habitats themselves, traveling to such remote locations as the Atewa Plateau of Africa, the highlands of Papua New Guinea, and the lush forests of the Guyana Shield of South America—a group of relatively untrammeled ecosystems that are the current end point of staggeringly long, uninterrupted histories that have made them our best entryway to understanding what the prehuman world looked, felt, sounded, and even smelled like. The stories and images of Earth’s past assembled in Relics are beautiful, breathtaking, and unmooring, plunging the reader into the hitherto incomprehensible reaches of deep time. We emerge changed, astonished by the unbroken skein of life on Earth and attentive to the hidden heritage of our planet’s past that surrounds us.

Religion and Human Enhancement: Death, Values, and Morality (Palgrave Studies in the Future of Humanity and its Successors)

This collection vigorously addresses the religious implications of extreme human enhancement technology. Topics covered include cutting edge themes, such as moral enhancement, common ground to both transhumanism and religion, the meaning of death, desire and transcendence, and virtue ethics. Radical enhancement programs, advocated by transhumanists, could arguably have a more profound impact than any other development in human history. Reflecting a range of opinion about the desirability of extreme enhancement, leading scholars in the field join with emerging scholars to foster enhanced conversation on these topics.

The Reluctant Rescue

Meet Pooch, the top dog living a life of luxury. Until, that is, his humans adopt a Greek stray called Mary and bring her back to England.For Mary living in a home with lawns, sofas and unlimited food is heaven. Pooch, however, struggles to share his paradise.When another stray called Brando arrives on the scene, things only get worse. Will Pooch ever learn to love his newfound companions?Heart-warming and hilarious, this is the true story of the rescue of stray dogs from Greece.

Remarkable Racecourses

Remarkable Racecourses is a beautifully presented collection of the world’s most striking racecourses. Lavish photographs and informative text show why each racecourse is unique, whether it’s the oldest, longest, shortest, most southerly, most northerly, most beautiful or most extraordinary.

Remnants of Ancient Life: The New Science of Old Fossils

The revolution in science that is transforming our understanding of extinct lifeWe used to think of fossils as being composed of nothing but rock and minerals, all molecular traces of life having vanished long ago. We were wrong. Remnants of Ancient Life reveals how the new science of ancient biomolecules—pigments, proteins, and DNA that once functioned in living organisms tens of millions of years ago—is opening a new window onto the evolution of life on Earth.Paleobiologists are now uncovering these ancient remnants in the fossil record with increasing frequency, shedding vital new light on long-extinct creatures and the lost world they inhabited. Dale Greenwalt is your guide to these astonishing breakthroughs. He explains how ancient biomolecules hold the secrets to how mammoths dealt with the bitter cold, what colors dinosaurs exhibited in mating displays, how ancient viruses evolved to become more dangerous, and much more. Each chapter discusses different types of biomolecules and the insights they provide about the physiology, behavior, and evolution of extinct organisms, many of which existed long before the age of dinosaurs.A marvelous adventure of discovery, Remnants of Ancient Life offers an unparalleled look at an emerging science that is transforming our picture of the remote past. You will never think of fossils in the same way again.

Remnants of Ancient Life: The New Science of Old Fossils

The revolution in science that is transforming our understanding of extinct lifeWe used to think of fossils as being composed of nothing but rock and minerals, all molecular traces of life having vanished long ago. We were wrong. Remnants of Ancient Life reveals how the new science of ancient biomolecules—pigments, proteins, and DNA that once functioned in living organisms tens of millions of years ago—is opening a new window onto the evolution of life on Earth.Paleobiologists are now uncovering these ancient remnants in the fossil record with increasing frequency, shedding vital new light on long-extinct creatures and the lost world they inhabited. Dale Greenwalt is your guide to these astonishing breakthroughs. He explains how ancient biomolecules hold the secrets to how mammoths dealt with the bitter cold, what colors dinosaurs exhibited in mating displays, how ancient viruses evolved to become more dangerous, and much more. Each chapter discusses different types of biomolecules and the insights they provide about the physiology, behavior, and evolution of extinct organisms, many of which existed long before the age of dinosaurs.A marvelous adventure of discovery, Remnants of Ancient Life offers an unparalleled look at an emerging science that is transforming our picture of the remote past. You will never think of fossils in the same way again.

Renaissance Porticoes and Painted Pergolas: Nature and Culture in Early Modern Italy (Visual Culture in Early Modernity)

This book is the first study of the portico and its decorative program as a cultural phenomenon in Renaissance Italy. Focusing on a largely neglected group of porticoes decorated with painted pergolas that appeared in Rome and environs in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, it tells the story of how an element of the garden—the pergola—became a pictorial topos in portico decoration, and evolved, hand in hand with its real cousin in the garden, into an object for cultural emulation among the educated patrons of early modern Rome. The liminality of both the portico and the pergola at the interface of architecture and garden is key to the interpretation of these architectural and painted forms, which rests on the intersecting frameworks of the classical tradition, natural history, and the cultural identity of the aristocracy. In the mediating space of the Renaissance portico, the illusionism pergola created an art gallery, a natural history museum, and a virtual garden where one could engage in leisurely strolls, learned conversations, appreciation of art, and scientific investigation, as well as extensive travel across time and space. The book proposes the interpretation that the illusionistic pergola was an artistic formula for the early modern perception of nature.

Renaissance Porticoes and Painted Pergolas: Nature and Culture in Early Modern Italy (Visual Culture in Early Modernity)

This book is the first study of the portico and its decorative program as a cultural phenomenon in Renaissance Italy. Focusing on a largely neglected group of porticoes decorated with painted pergolas that appeared in Rome and environs in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, it tells the story of how an element of the garden—the pergola—became a pictorial topos in portico decoration, and evolved, hand in hand with its real cousin in the garden, into an object for cultural emulation among the educated patrons of early modern Rome. The liminality of both the portico and the pergola at the interface of architecture and garden is key to the interpretation of these architectural and painted forms, which rests on the intersecting frameworks of the classical tradition, natural history, and the cultural identity of the aristocracy. In the mediating space of the Renaissance portico, the illusionism pergola created an art gallery, a natural history museum, and a virtual garden where one could engage in leisurely strolls, learned conversations, appreciation of art, and scientific investigation, as well as extensive travel across time and space. The book proposes the interpretation that the illusionistic pergola was an artistic formula for the early modern perception of nature.

Renal Eicosanoids (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology #259)

Renal Physiology and Hydrosaline Metabolism

This volume discusses renal function and the mechanisms by which the kidney regulates the composition and volume of the extracellular fluid. It also highlights the role of the kidney in the development and progression of arterial hypertension. Most textbooks of renal physiology are based in mammalians physiology and mostly human physiology of the kidney, but the authors considered that this book should also include other species to include the broad spectrum of students and researchers in the life and biomedical sciences. In this sense, we included chapters such as comparative osmoregulation in non-mammalian vertebrates and we emphasize that in vertebrates like fish, reptiles, amphibians and birds, the kidneys and extrarenal organs are vital to maintain fluid homeostasis. The purpose of the book is to provide a concise frame of knowledge in a clear and direct language, of the renal function to medical and biological sciences students. In the context of normal renal function, we provide pathophysiological basis for chronic renal diseases and hypertension with the participation of renal vasoactive hormones. This book is used as textbook in several physiology courses for medical, nursing and biological sciences students at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Finis Terrae University, Universidad San Sebastian as well as other universities.

Renal Transport of Organic Substances (Proceedings in Life Sciences)

This book is a collection of reviews on the renal transport of organic substances. The first chapters deal with general aspects of the topic. The following articles treat the present knowledge on the renal trans­ port of specific compounds or classes of organic substances, whereas the fmal chapter on comparative physiology deals with the renal trans­ port of organic substances in non-mammalian vertebrates. The articles of this volume were presented in an abbreviated form as introductory lectures at a recent Symposium on Renal Transport of Organic Substances. This conference was organized by Prof. Deetjen and the editors, and was held in Innsbruck, Austria, in July 1980 at the Department of Physiology of the University of Innsbruck. During this conference the authors of the free communications (published as abstracts ill Renal Physiology, 2 (3), pp 135-166 (1980) as well as Drs. C. Gottschalk, T. Hoshi, K.C. Huang, J.P. Kokko, Ch. de Rouffignac, K. Scharer, BM. Schmidt-Nielsen, and J.A. Young, who acted as chair­ persons at the meeting, were invaluable contributors to the discussions of the topics reviewed in this volume. We hope that the book will be of value to nephrologists, to renal physiologists, and to those who are involved in teaching physiology, pharmacology, and internal medicine.

Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation (Wildlife Management and Conservation)

Renewable energy is often termed simply "green energy," but its effects on wildlife and other forms of biodiversity can be quite complex. While capturing renewable resources like wind, solar, and energy from biomass can require more land than fossil fuel production, potentially displacing wildlife habitat, renewable energy infrastructure can also create habitat and promote species health when thoughtfully implemented.The authors of Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation argue that in order to achieve a balanced plan for addressing these two crucially important sustainability issues, our actions at the nexus of these fields must be directed by current scientific information related to the ecological effects of renewable energy production. Synthesizing an extensive, rapidly growing base of research and insights from practitioners into a single, comprehensive resource, contributors to this volume• describe processes to generate renewable energy, focusing on the Big Four renewables—wind, bioenergy, solar energy, and hydroelectric power• review the documented effects of renewable energy production on wildlife and wildlife habitats• consider current and future policy directives, suggesting ways industrial-scale renewables production can be developed to minimize harm to wildlife populations• explain recent advances in renewable power technologies• identify urgent research needs at the intersection of renewables and wildlife conservationRelevant to policy makers and industry professionals—many of whom believe renewables are the best path forward as the world seeks to meet its expanding energy needs—and wildlife conservationists—many of whom are alarmed at the rate of renewables-related habitat conversion—this detailed book culminates with a chapter underscoring emerging opportunities in renewable energy ecology.Contributors: Edward B. Arnett, Brian B. Boroski, Regan Dohm, David Drake, Sarah R. Fritts, Rachel Greene, Steven M. Grodsky, Amanda M. Hale, Cris D. Hein, Rebecca R. Hernandez, Jessica A. Homyack, Henriette I. Jager, Nicole M. Korfanta, James A. Martin, Christopher E. Moorman, Clint Otto, Christine A. Ribic, Susan P. Rupp, Jake Verschuyl, Lindsay M. Wickman, T. Bently Wigley, Victoria H. Zero

Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation (Wildlife Management and Conservation)

Renewable energy is often termed simply "green energy," but its effects on wildlife and other forms of biodiversity can be quite complex. While capturing renewable resources like wind, solar, and energy from biomass can require more land than fossil fuel production, potentially displacing wildlife habitat, renewable energy infrastructure can also create habitat and promote species health when thoughtfully implemented.The authors of Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation argue that in order to achieve a balanced plan for addressing these two crucially important sustainability issues, our actions at the nexus of these fields must be directed by current scientific information related to the ecological effects of renewable energy production. Synthesizing an extensive, rapidly growing base of research and insights from practitioners into a single, comprehensive resource, contributors to this volume• describe processes to generate renewable energy, focusing on the Big Four renewables—wind, bioenergy, solar energy, and hydroelectric power• review the documented effects of renewable energy production on wildlife and wildlife habitats• consider current and future policy directives, suggesting ways industrial-scale renewables production can be developed to minimize harm to wildlife populations• explain recent advances in renewable power technologies• identify urgent research needs at the intersection of renewables and wildlife conservationRelevant to policy makers and industry professionals—many of whom believe renewables are the best path forward as the world seeks to meet its expanding energy needs—and wildlife conservationists—many of whom are alarmed at the rate of renewables-related habitat conversion—this detailed book culminates with a chapter underscoring emerging opportunities in renewable energy ecology.Contributors: Edward B. Arnett, Brian B. Boroski, Regan Dohm, David Drake, Sarah R. Fritts, Rachel Greene, Steven M. Grodsky, Amanda M. Hale, Cris D. Hein, Rebecca R. Hernandez, Jessica A. Homyack, Henriette I. Jager, Nicole M. Korfanta, James A. Martin, Christopher E. Moorman, Clint Otto, Christine A. Ribic, Susan P. Rupp, Jake Verschuyl, Lindsay M. Wickman, T. Bently Wigley, Victoria H. Zero

The Renin-Angiotensin System: Comparative Aspects (Zoophysiology #35)

The renin-angiotensin system and the mechanisms regulating this system developed during the adaptive evolution of verte­ brates, along with many other systems involved in the in­ tegrated survival of the organism. Because animal species have evolved from common ancestral populations, a basis for the comparison of body structures and physiological processes ex­ ists among animal groups belonging to different classifications. The comparative approach provides a better understanding of the structure and function of adaptive systems and facilitates the development of general principles governing these systems among animal groups; further, this approach reveals significant characteristics specific to certain animal groups. As the evolu­ tion of adaptation of animals to environmental conditions is explored, directions for future research are suggested. In this book, advances in research on the renin-angiotensin system are described with emphasis on the comparative aspects. However, since studies on the renin-angiotensin system of birds, reptiles, amphibians and fishes are limited compared with those con­ ducted in mammals, in some chapters descriptions are con­ cerned primarily with mammals. It has taken a long time to write this volume, and the topic is a broad one, with new data always emerging; therefore, certain aspects, and sometimes the most recent information, may not be included. Chapters 1-3 and sections 8. 1-8. 4,8. 6, 8. 7 were written by H. K. ; Chapters 4-7 and Section 8. 5 by Y. T. ; Chapter 9 was written by both authors. H. Uemura, M. Nozaki, Y. Okawara, We are indebted to Drs.

The Reoviridae (The Viruses)

It is now just 20 years since Gomatos and his co-workers at the Rocke­ feller University showed that the nucleic acid in reovirus particles is double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). This discovery created great excitement, for dsRNA was at that time under intense investigation as the replicative form of viral genomes consisting of single-stranded RNA. An equally interesting and important finding followed soon after: it was found that the reovirus genome consists, not of a single nucleic acid molecule, but of 10 discrete "segments," each with its specific sequence content and each transcribed into its own messenger RNA. It is clear now that these segments are genes. Not surprisingly, the availability of a viral genome 10 unlinked genes has permitted some unique lines of in­ consisting of vestigation in molecular biology. Mammalian and avian reoviruses proved to be but the first of several viruses recognized as sharing Similarity in size and morphology and ge­ nomes consisting of 10, II, or 12 separate genes. These viruses are dis­ tributed throughout living organisms; among the natural hosts of mem­ bers of this virus family are vertebrates, Insects, and plants. Members of the Reoviridae family differ widely in the virulence that they exhibit toward their hosts . . For example, the first discovered mam­ malian reovirus literally is, as the name signifies, a "respiratory enteric orphan" virus, that is, a virus unassociated with disease.

Reporter Genes: A Practical Guide (Methods in Molecular Biology #411)

Reporter genes have played, and continue to play, a vital role in many areas of biological research by providing a ready means for qualitative and quantitative assessment of the activity of genes and location of gene products in different environments. This book describes practical protocols for experimentation with the most useful reporter genes for mammalian systems that are available.

Representation and Brain

Understanding brain functions, especially the neural mechanisms of higher cognitive processes such as thinking, reasoning, judging, and decision making, are the subjects covered by the chapters of this book. They describe recent progress in four major research areas: visual functions, motor functions, memory functions, and prefrontal functions. There are many color illustrations making this book an especially valuable resource for students and researchers in neuroscience.

Reproduction and Development in Annelida (Reproduction and Development in Aquatic Invertebrates)

This book is a concise informative elucidation of all aspects of reproduction and development in annelids covering from arenicola to tubifex. Annelids flourish between 4,900 m depth to 2,000 m altitude; some of them occur in unusual habitats like hydrothermal vents and subterranean aquatic system (stigobionts). A few have no gut and acquire adequate nutrients through osmotrophism and/or engaging symbiotic microbes. In the absence of exoskeleton to escape predation, the 17,000 speciose annelids have explored bewildering modes of reproduction; not surprisingly, 42–47% of them are brooders. With 13,000 species, polychaetes are gonochores but some 207 species of them are hermaphrodites. Clitellates are all hermaphrodites; of them, 76 species are parthenogens, of which 56 are earthworms. Regenerative potency of annelids ranges from an organ to an entire worm from a single ‘seminal’ segment. The head, tail and both together can be regenerated 21, 42 and 20 times, respectively. However, the potency is limited to ~1% of polychaetes and Heterogamatic sex determination is reported to occur only in six polychaete species, although karyotype is known for 83 annelid species. In temperate polychaetes, a dozen neuroendocrines, arising mostly from the ‘brain’ regulates reproductive cycle. A complete chapter devoted to vermiculture, (i) recognizes the fast-growing candidate species, (ii) distinguishes 'layers' from 'brooders', (iii) indicates that the harvest of oligochaetes may reduce the input of nitrogenous fertilizer in the ricefield, and (iv) explores the scope for increasing wealth from waste.

Reproduction and Development in Annelida (Reproduction and Development in Aquatic Invertebrates)

This book is a concise informative elucidation of all aspects of reproduction and development in annelids covering from arenicola to tubifex. Annelids flourish between 4,900 m depth to 2,000 m altitude; some of them occur in unusual habitats like hydrothermal vents and subterranean aquatic system (stigobionts). A few have no gut and acquire adequate nutrients through osmotrophism and/or engaging symbiotic microbes. In the absence of exoskeleton to escape predation, the 17,000 speciose annelids have explored bewildering modes of reproduction; not surprisingly, 42–47% of them are brooders. With 13,000 species, polychaetes are gonochores but some 207 species of them are hermaphrodites. Clitellates are all hermaphrodites; of them, 76 species are parthenogens, of which 56 are earthworms. Regenerative potency of annelids ranges from an organ to an entire worm from a single ‘seminal’ segment. The head, tail and both together can be regenerated 21, 42 and 20 times, respectively. However, the potency is limited to ~1% of polychaetes and Heterogamatic sex determination is reported to occur only in six polychaete species, although karyotype is known for 83 annelid species. In temperate polychaetes, a dozen neuroendocrines, arising mostly from the ‘brain’ regulates reproductive cycle. A complete chapter devoted to vermiculture, (i) recognizes the fast-growing candidate species, (ii) distinguishes 'layers' from 'brooders', (iii) indicates that the harvest of oligochaetes may reduce the input of nitrogenous fertilizer in the ricefield, and (iv) explores the scope for increasing wealth from waste.

Reproduction and Development in Crustacea

Dating back to the early Cambrian period, crustaceans had ample time to undertake endless experimentation with form and function. Today, no other group of plants or animals on the planet exhibit the range of morphological diversity seen among extant Crustacea. With more than 52,000 species, they are placed fourth in terms of overall species diversi

Reproduction and Development in Echinodermata and Prochordata (Reproduction and Development in Aquatic Invertebrates)

Echinoderms and prochordates occupy a key position in vertebrate evolution. The genomes of sea urchin share 70% homology with humans. Researches on cell cycle in sea urchin and phagocytosis in asteroids have fetched Nobel Prizes. In this context, this book assumes immense importance. Echinoderms are unique, as their symmetry is bilateral in larvae but pentamerous radial in adults. The latter has eliminated the development of an anterior head and bilateral appendages. Further, the obligate need to face the substratum for locomotion and acquisition of food has eliminated their planktonic and nektonic existence. Egg size, a decisive factor in recruitment, increases with decreasing depths up to 2,000-5,000 m in lecithotrophic asteroids and ophiuroids but remains constant in their planktotrophics. Smaller ( 110 mm) asteroids generate planktotrophic eggs only. Publications on sex ratio of echinoderms indicate the genetic determination of sex at fertilization but those on hybridization, karyotype and ploidy induction do not provide evidence for heterogametism. But the herbivorous echinoids and larvacea with their gonads harboring both germ cells and Nutritive Phagocytes (NPs) have economized the transportation and hormonal costs on gonadal function. Despite the amazing potential just 2 and 3% of echinoderms undergo clonal reproduction and regeneration, respectively. Fission is triggered, when adequate reserve nutrients are accumulated. It is the most prevalent mode of clonal reproduction in holothuroids, asteroids and ophiuroids. However, budding is a more prevalent mode of clonal reproduction in colonial hemichordates and urochordates. In echinoderms, fission and budding eliminate each other. Similarly, autoregulation of early development eliminates clonal reproduction in echinoids and solitary urochordates. In pterobranchs, thaliaceans and ascidians, the repeated and rapid budding leads to colonial formation. Coloniality imposes reductions in species number and body size, generation time and life span, gonad number and fecundity as well as switching from gonochorism to simultaneous hermaphorditism and oviparity to ovoviviparity/viviparity.