Best of
Biology

1986

The Great Dinosaur Debate: New Theories Unlocking the Mystery of the Dinosaurs and Their Extinction


Robert T. Bakker - 1986
    The author explodes the old orthodoxies and gives us a convincing picture of how dinosaurs hunted, fed, mated, fought and died.Containing over 200 detailed illustrations, The Great Dinosaur Debate will enthrall "dinosaurmaniacs". It is a bold new look at the extraordinary reign and eventual extinction of the awesome behemoths who ruled the earth for 150 million years.

Microcosmos: Four Billion Years of Microbial Evolution


Lynn Margulis - 1986
    Margulis to create a vivid new picture of the world that is crucial to our understanding of the future of the planet. Addressed to general readers, the book provides a beautifully written view of evolution as a process based on interdependency and the interconnectedness of all life on the planet.

The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design


Richard Dawkins - 1986
    No two covers are exactly alike.Acclaimed as the most influential work on evolution written in the last hundred years, The Blind Watchmaker offers an inspiring and accessible introduction to one of the most important scientific discoveries of all time. A brilliant and controversial book which demonstrates that evolution by natural selection - the unconscious, automatic, blind yet essentially non-random process discovered by Darwin - is the only answer to the biggest question of all: why do we exist?

The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior


Jane Goodall - 1986
    Goodall crowns her first quarter-century with the chimpanzees of Gombe by giving a comprehensive, up-to-date account of her work, a grand synthesis of animal behavior that presents a vast amount of information about man's nearest phylogenetic relative. 336 black-and-white, 23 color halftones. Illustrations.

The Biology Coloring Book


Robert D. Griffin - 1986
    Whether studying biology on your own or enrolled in a course in high school or college, you will find this book indispensable.More than 50% of your brain is devoted to vision and movement. Use the unique and highly effective Coloring Concepts method to experience for yourself how the action of coloring allows for more complete understanding than passive reading. Allow yourself to be tutored step-by-step through the fundamental concepts of biology and the evidence and reasoning processes which lead to them, while the colors and your movements form strong mental associations which greatly improve comprehension and memory. Students will learn:About the basic chemistry of lifeHow organisms fit into their environmentsClassification and organization of animalsIntroductory genetics and the genetic codeNucleic acids: DNA and RNAThe Scientific Method; Observations and Hypotheses

The Biosphere


Vladimir I. Vernadsky - 1986
    Vernadsky's The Biosphere revolutionized our view of Earth. Vernadsky teaches us that life has been the transforming geological force on our planet. He illuminates the difference between an inanimate, mineralogical view of Earth's history, and an endlessly dynamic picture of Earth as the domain and product of living matter to a degree still poorly understood. What Darwin did for life through time, Vernadsky did for all life through space. With this milestone publication, the first English translation of the entire text, English-speaking readers can at last read one of the great classics of modern science in their own language. Mark A. S. McMenamin, Professor of Geology at Mount Holyoke College, has written extensive annotations to explain the structure of Vernadsky's arguments and their modern relevance. Jacques Grinevald, the world's leading authority on the idea of the biosphere, has provided an introduction that places the book in historical context.

The Ontogeny of Information: Developmental Systems and Evolution


Susan Oyama - 1986
    Originally published in 1985, this was a foundational text in what is now the substantial field of developmental systems theory. In this revised edition Susan Oyama argues compellingly that nature and nurture are not alternative influences on human development but, rather, developmental products and the developmental processes that produce them. Information, says Oyama, is thought to reside in molecules, cells, tissues, and the environment. When something wondrous occurs in the world, we tend to question whether the information guiding the transformation was pre-encoded in the organism or installed through experience or instruction. Oyama looks beyond this either-or question to focus on the history of such developments. She shows that what developmental “information” does depends on what is already in place and what alternatives are available. She terms this process “constructive interactionism,” whereby each combination of genes and environmental influences simultaneously interacts to produce a unique result. Ontogeny, then, is the result of dynamic and complex interactions in multileveled developmental systems. The Ontogeny of Information challenges specialists in the fields of developmental biology, philosophy of biology, psychology, and sociology, and even nonspecialists, to reexamine the existing nature-nurture dichotomy as it relates to the history and formation of organisms.

Urban Foxes (British Natural History Series)


Stephen Harris - 1986
    This book dispels many urban myths: that foxes will kill cats; that foxes live by rifling dustbins or that they will mate with your dog. Nor are they less healthy than rural foxes, and in fact they live slightly longer lives. They prefer Tory boroughs where large gardens and potting sheds afford them desirable residences. Some even commute into town to feed and back to the suburbs to sleep during the day. This second edition includes much new fascinating information on the social lives of foxes, their serial fathering of cubs and their social interactions. Sadly it also discusses mange, which has hit the famous Bristol fox populations particularly badly. But although this population is down to 10 per cent of previous levels, other cities (Blackpool, Norwich, York and others) have new fox populations.

Shorebirds: An Identification Guide to the Waders of the World


Peter Hayman - 1986
    The clear, accurate text describes each species in detail.

A Natural History of Sex: The Ecology and Evolution of Mating Behavior


Adrian Forsyth - 1986
    Why do roosters crow and waggle their wattles? Why does it benefit the female human to remain inscrutable about her sexual cycle? Who instituted monogamy? Why would a male mite copulate with its mother? Why does the male bedbug drive its "outlandish, formidable penis" into the female's abdomen? Forsyth's highly observational mind ranges over the natural world, revealing the seemingly random patterns and consequences of animal sexual behavior. This classic reference is a must for anyone who has ever wondered just what it is that makes the world go round.

Sewall Wright and Evolutionary Biology


William B. Provine - 1986
    . . Provine has produced an intellectual biography which serves to chart in considerable detail both the life and work of one man and the history of evolutionary theory in the middle half of this century. Provine is admirably suited to his task. . . . The resulting book is clearly a labour of love which will be of great interest to those who have a mature interest in the history of evolutionary theory."-John Durant, ;ITimes Higher Education Supplement;X

Red Fox: The Catlike Canine


J. David Henry - 1986
    David Henry recounts his years of field research on this flame-colored predator. With its catlike whiskers, teeth, and paws, as well as vertical-slit pupils, the North American red fox not only resembles but often behaves like a feline, especially when hunting. Probing the reasons for these similarities, Henry reveals the behavior and ecology of a species that thrives from the edge of suburbia to the cold northern tundra.

Key-Guide to Mammal Skulls and Lower Jaws


Aryan I. Roest - 1986
    

Mayonnaise And The Origin Of Life: Thoughts Of Minds And Molecules


Harold J. Morowitz - 1986
    

Gene Cloning: An Introduction


Terence A. Brown - 1986
    The third edition is longer and contains greater detail, yet is still aimed squarely at undergraduates and at those who have little or no previous experience of cloning techniques.

The Enchanted Canopy: Secrets From The Rainforest Roof


Andrew Mitchell - 1986
    

Alaska Trees and Shrubs


Leslie A. Viereck - 1986
    This new, completely revised second edition provides updated information on habitat, as well as detailed descriptions of every tree or shrub species in the state. New distribution maps reflect the latest survey data, while the keys, glossary, and appendix on non-native plants make this the most useful guide to Alaska trees and shrubs ever published.

The History of Scurvy and Vitamin C


Kenneth J. Carpenter - 1986
    Professor Carpenter documents the arguments that led to the numerous theories about the disease and eventually to the isolation and synthesis of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), and illustrates how the changing ideas about scurvy reflected the scientific and medical beliefs of different periods in history. The author also examines the modern claims for the use of very high levels of vitamin C to bring about a state of super-health, and he analyses the most important evidence for and against this practice. This fascinating story in the history of science and medicine will be of interest to the historian, scientist and the general reader.

American Sportsmen and the Origins of Conservation


John F. Reiger - 1986
    Reiger's work has been hailed as an authoritative look at these early conservationists; now his landmark book is available in an expanded edition that broadens its historic sweep.

The Human Skeleton


Pat Shipman - 1986
    A detailed look at the skeletal system covers bone structure, growth, joints, functions, diseases, and reconstruction.

Coastal Fishes of the Pacific Northwest


Andy Lamb - 1986
    It is also a useful reference for marine fishes of Oregon and Northern California.Each fish is identified by its common name, and is illustrated with a full-colour photograph and labelled sketch. Special sections present catching tips for anglers and commercial fishermen; location hints for divers, beachcombers, and pleasure boaters; and cooking ideas for seafood gourmets. The information included in these sections provides a brief but detailed description of each fish's habitat, physical characteristics and behaviour - everything that a fisherman or an amateur naturalist needs to know!

Mind from Matter Cloth


Max Delbrück - 1986
    He traces organic evolution from bacteria to man, and explains how biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology have done so much to advance our understanding of that process. Professor Delbruck was honoured with the Nobel Prize in 1969 for his pioneering studies in viral genetics. After his death in 1981, this manuscript was completed by his collaborators.

Origins of Sex: Three Billion Years of Genetic Recombination


Lynn Margulis - 1986
    Margulis and Sagan trace sex from its inauspicious beginnings in bacteria threatened by ultraviolet radiation to its intimate relation with the origin of mitotic division of nucleated cells. The origin of meiotic sex through cannibalism followed by centriole reproductive tardiness and the connection of cell symbiosis to sex and differentiation are explored.“The authors have not only given us a new and exiting scenario for the evolution of sex, but have also provided us with critical ways in which we can test their hypotheses. . . . This is a stimulating book that is sure to invoke criticism and discussion; I strongly recommend it.”—Symbiosis“The book is well organized and well written, leading the reader from one thought to another almost effortlessly. Background information is presented to aid those of us who are not experts in this field, and a glossary is appended. The book could be used at all levels of study, from interested undergraduates in general biology though postdoctoral students of genetics and evolution. I recommend this thought-provoking book to you for both your enjoyment and your enlightenment.”—Richard W. Cheney, Jr., Journal of College Science Teaching“This book, undoubtedly controversial, is a thoughtful and original contribution to an important aspect of cellular biology.”—John Langridge

A Genetic Switch: Gene Control and Phage Lambda


Mark Ptashne - 1986
    Understanding the repressor function is essential to an understanding of biochemical activity within the gene as it is fundamental to the process by which growth and development are regulated at the molecular level. The book is intended as a basic introduction to repressor function for both advanced and undergraduate and graduate level courses in genetics and biochemistry. It will also be essential reading for researchers and students of phage, viral and general genetics.