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This book is intended as a guide for anyone who is interested in animals and how their welfare can be assessed scientifically. It addresses the question of why, despite growing public interest in how animals are treated, it has proved so difficult to arrive at an agreed definition of what ‘animal welfare’ is and it then provides an answer. A definition of animal welfare as ‘health and animals having what they want’ can be easily understood by scientists and non-scientists alike, expresses in simple words what underlies many existing definitions and shows what evidence we need to collect to improve animal welfare in practice. Above all, it puts an animal’s own point of view at the heart of the assessment of its welfare. The book shows how ‘health and what animals want’ also helps us to make sense of the long and often confusing list of welfare measurements that are now in use, such as ‘stress’ and ‘feel-good hormones’, expressive sounds and gestures, natural behaviour, cognitive bias and stereotypies. Animal sentience (conscious feelings of pleasure and suffering) are discussed in the context of our current knowledge of human and animal consciousness. Finally, the book highlights some key ideas in the relationship between animal welfare science and animal ethics and shows how closely the well-being of humans and that of animals are linked together.

This book is a practical guide designed for students and researchers with an existing knowledge of R who wish to learn how to apply it in an epidemiological context and exploit its versatility. It also serves as a broader introduction to the quantitative aspects of modern practical epidemiology. The standard tools used in epidemiology are described and the practical use of R for these is explained and laid out. R code examples, many with output, are embedded throughout the text. Epidemiology with R is an advanced textbook suitable for senior undergraduate and graduate students, professional researchers, and practitioners in the fields of human and non-human epidemiology, public health, veterinary science, and biostatistics.

America’s Scientific Treasures is a comprehensive travel guide, designed for adults, that takes the reader to well-known and lesser-known sites of scientific and technological interest in the United States. The book is divided into nine geographical chapters. Subdivided by states, each chapter is represented by its scientific and technological treasures, including museums, arboretums, zoos, national parks, planetariums, natural or technological points of interest, and the homes of famous scientists. While the book is aimed at adults, many of the sites may also be of interest to teens and younger children. The traveler is provided with essential information, including addresses, telephone numbers, hours of entry, handicapped access, dining facilities, dates open and closed, available public transportation, and websites. Nearly every site included here has been visited by the authors. Although written with scientists in mind, this book is for anyone who likes to travel and visit places of historical and scientific interest. Included are photographs of many sites within each state.

Conservation physiology is a rapidly expanding, multi-disciplinary field that uses physiological tools to characterize and solve conservation problems. This text provides a consolidated overview of the scope, purpose, and goals of conservation physiology, with a focus on animals. It outlines the major avenues by which conservation physiology is contributing to the monitoring, management, and restoration of animal populations and defines opportunities for growth in the field. By using a series of case studies, it illustrates how approaches from the conservation physiology toolbox tackle diverse conservation issues ranging from monitoring environmental stress, predicting the impact of climate change, understanding disease dynamics, improving captive breeding, reducing human–wildlife conflict, and many others. Moreover, by acting as practical road maps across a diversity of subdisciplines, these case studies will serve to increase the accessibility of this discipline to new researchers. The diversity of taxa, biological scales, and ecosystems that are highlighted illustrate the far-reaching nature of the discipline and allow readers to gain an appreciation for the purpose, value, and status of the field.

Forensic DNA evidence has helped convict the guilty, exonerate the wrongfully convicted, identify victims of genocide, and reunite families torn apart by war and repressive regimes. Yet many of the scientific, legal, and ethical concepts that underpin forensic DNA evidence remain unclear to the general public; judges; prosecutors; defense attorneys; and students of law, forensic sciences, ethics, and genetics. This book examines the history and development of DNA forensics; its applications in the courtroom and humanitarian settings; and the relevant scientific, legal, and psychosocial issues. It describes the DNA technology used to compare the genetic profile of a crime scene sample to that of a suspect, as well as the statistical interpretation of a match. It also reviews how databases can be searched to identify suspects and how DNA evidence can be used to exonerate the wrongfully convicted. Recent developments in DNA technology are reviewed, as are strategies for analyzing samples with multiple contributors. The book recounts how the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo searched for children kidnapped during military rule in Argentina, as well as more recent efforts to locate missing children in El Salvador. Other chapters examine the role that DNA forensics played in the identification of victims of genocide in Bosnia and of terrorism in the post-9/11 era. Social anthropologists, legal scholars, and scientists explore current applications of DNA analysis in human trafficking and mass catastrophes; border policies affecting immigration; and the ethical issues associated with privacy, informed consent, and the potential misuse of genetic data.

This book presents a new conceptualization of river-related policy issues, using concepts such as the Commercial and Cordon approaches to rivers and their opposite, the Ecological and Open approaches. It draws upon river-related experience from across the world to substantiate and illustrate these concepts. This new conceptualization will help to connect the river policy discussion of experts and specialists with that of river activists and the public. This shared discussion will allow better river policy formulation. The book argues for replacing the currently dominant Commercial and Cordon approaches to rivers by the Ecological and Open approaches, and it shows how such a policy change can be more conducive to achieving sustainable development. Rivers are a vital component of the ecology of the world. The earth’s hydrological cycle depends on them. As the world population grows and the demand for freshwater increases, rivers are coming under more stress. Many rivers are already exhausted before reaching the sea, and climate change further destabilizes them. River-related conflicts are spreading. The need to adopt correct river policies is more urgent than ever. Yet the current disconnection between river-related discussions by experts and specialists, on the one hand, and activists and policymakers, on the other, makes formulation of correct river policies difficult. By helping to move the river policy discussion from the confines of experts to the public arena, this book will allow formulation of more pro-people and pro-environment river policies.

Written by Jesús Rivas, the undisputed expert on the biology of anacondas, this is the first authoritative book on the biology of the green anaconda, the world’s largest snake. Rivas describes his experiences over a quarter of a century exploring the secret life of these fantastic snakes, including their diet, movement patterns, life and tribulations, survival, behavior, and fascinating reproductive life. But more than just presenting facts about anacondas, Rivas tells his story about studying them in the field. Ultimately, his love for anacondas and his unorthodox approach give his voice a unique accent that makes this book stand out among other books of its kind. The rich photography and its storytelling approach make this an enjoyable and thoroughly readable book that can sit as comfortably on a coffee table as in the bookshelves of advanced scholars.

Essential Ornithology provides the reader with a concise but comprehensive introduction to the biology of birds, one of the most widely studied taxonomic groups. The book begins by considering the dinosaur origins of birds and their subsequent evolution. Development, anatomy, and physiology are then discussed followed by chapters devoted to avian reproduction, migration, ecology, and conservation. Sections dealing with aspects of bird/human relationships and bird conservation give the book an applied context. This new edition has been thoroughly updated, providing new information from rapidly developing fields including the avian fossil record, urban and agricultural ecology, responses to climate change, invasive species biology, technologies to track movement, avian disease, and the role of citizen scientists. There is also a greater focus on North American ornithology. Drawing extensively upon the wider scientific literature, this engaging text places the results of classical studies of avian biology alongside the most recent scientific breakthroughs. Useful case studies are presented in a concise and engaging style with the student reader foremost in mind. Key points are highlighted and suggestions for guided reading and key references are included throughout. Essential Ornithology provides a companion text for advanced undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in avian science, as well as a useful reference for professional researchers and consultants. Amateur ornithologists will also find this book offers a scientifically rigorous and accessible overview for a more general readership.

Game theory in biology seeks to predict social behaviour and other traits that influence how individuals interact. It does this by tentatively assuming that current traits are stable endpoints of evolution by natural selection. The theory is used to model aggressive behaviour, cooperation, negotiation, and signalling, as well as phenotypic attributes like an individual’s sex and mating type. This book covers the basic concepts and the traditional examples of biological game theory. It expands the frontiers of the field, emphasizing the importance of the co-evolution of traits and the implications of variation for reputation, markets, negotiation, and other social phenomena. It also highlights that it can be important to embed game interactions in the environment and an individual’s life. A major new direction developed in the book is that game theory can be extended by incorporating behavioural mechanisms, including mechanisms of reinforcement learning. By doing this the theory can successfully describe important phenomena like social dominance in group-living animals that previously have been difficult to model. By focusing on behavioural mechanisms, game theory can also make closer contact with empirical observation and with current research in fields like animal psychology and neuroscience.

This volume examines Evolution and Biogeography of Crustacea, one of the dominant groups of animals, especially in aquatic environments. The first part of this volume is dedicated to the explanation of the origins and successful establishment of the Crustacea in the oceans. In the second part the biogeography of the Crustacea is explored in order to infer how they conquered different biomes globally, while adapting to a wide range of aquatic and terrestrial conditions. A final section examines more general patterns and processes, and looks to the future. Collectively, these eighteen chapters provide a thorough exposition of present knowledge across the major themes in evolution and biogeography of crustaceans. They do this by summarizing what is known and providing novel analyses of patterns.

The deep ocean is, by far, the planet’s largest biome and holds a wealth of potential natural assets. Most of the ocean lies beyond national jurisdiction and hence is the responsibility of us all. Human exploitation of the deep ocean is rapidly increasing, becoming more visible to many through the popular media. The scientific literature of deep-sea exploitation and its actual and potential effects has also rapidly expanded as a direct function of this increased national and global interest in deep-sea resources, both biological (e.g. fisheries, genetic resources) and non-biological (e.g. minerals, oil, gas, methane hydrate). At the same time there is a growing interest in deep-sea contamination (including plastics), with many such studies featured in high-profile scientific journals and covered by global media outlets. Finally, climate change is affecting even the deepest regions of our oceans and is a major priority for the international scientific and political agendas. However, there is currently no comprehensive integration of information about resource extraction, pollution and effects of climate change and these topics are only superficially covered in classic textbooks on deep-sea biology. The human race is at a pivotal point in potentially benefitting from the deep ocean’s natural resources and this concise and accessible work provides an account of past explorations and exploitations of the deep ocean, a present understanding of its natural capital and how this may be exploited sustainably for the benefit of humankind whilst maintaining its ecological integrity. The book gives a comprehensive account of geological and physical processes, ecology and biology, exploitation, management, and conservation.

We can now edit genomes. The technique, which involves cutting and pasting DNA code into the genome, is faster and cheaper than traditional genetic engineering and can be used on almost any animal or plant. What will this technology mean for the future? It may pave the way to banishing many diseases, and help feed the burgeoning population of the world. Woolly mammoths may again roam the tundra. But are there also risks? Might a nightmarish world of bioterrorism and rogue synthetic organisms await? John Parrington reports on the astonishing revolution underway in genetic engineering and why it matters to us all.

Plant Evolution in the Mediterranean: Insights for conservation brings together a diverse literature on the Mediterranean flora in a detailed but synthetic account of plant evolutionary ecology. The central themes of ecological dynamics and evolutionary differentiation are developed at two spatial scales: habitat variation across the landscape and biogeographic processes across the Mediterranean. The history of the Mediterranean region is at the heart of this account and is described within a triptych that links geological and climatic history to the advent and history of human activities. The Mediterranean region is a hotspot of plant biodiversity, a key ingredient of which is its richness in endemic species. A primary question motivating this book concerns the role of historical factors and spatial environmental variation in the evolution of endemism. The Mediterranean landscape is a mosaic of ecological conditions, often with variation over short distances. A second focus is on the ecological and historical factors that mediate dispersal, reproduction, and adaptive trait variation in this mosaic landscape. With an ever-growing human footprint on the Mediterranean region, this book addresses a third major theme concerning the vulnerability and conservation of the flora. Alongside a traditional approach to rare species and protected area management, the book argues for the integration of the loss of evolutionary potential as a priority in conservation policy and practice. This accessible text is aimed at students and researchers in plant evolution, ecology, biogeography, and conservation science. It will be of interest to scientists and natural history societies worldwide.

This book provides an integrated framework for the quantitative analysis of exploited aquatic ecosystems, tracing the critical linkages between fundamental ecological processes and their implications for sustainable resource management. Examples are drawn from freshwater and marine ecosystems throughout the world. Fishery ecosystems have historically been subject to a broad array of human interventions, ranging from large-scale removal of biomass to deliberate attempts at ecosystem engineering involving species introductions, habitat alteration, and selective reorganization of ecosystem structure. Traditional approaches to fisheries analysis and management focus on extraction of resources viewed in isolation from the broader ecosystem setting. Further, these approaches typically are predicated on assumptions of “well-behaved” dynamical properties characterized by stable equilibrium properties. This book explores a broader range of possibilities concerning human impacts on aquatic ecosystems. It places software tools in the hands of students and professionals in an electronic supplement. Modeling and statistical programs in R and other platforms are provided to assist in the transition from concept to practical application.

The impact of bees on the world is immeasurable. Bees are responsible for the evolution of the vast array of brightly colored flowers and for engineering the niches of multitudes of plants, animals, and microbes. They’ve painted landscapes with flowers through their pollination activities and have evolved the most complex societies to aid their exploitation of the environment. The biology of the honey bee is one that reflects their role in transforming environments with their anatomical adaptations and a complex language that together function to exploit floral resources. A complex social system that includes a division of labor builds, defends, and provisions nests containing tens of thousands of individuals, only one of whom reproduces. Traditional biology texts present stratified layers of knowledge where the reader excavates levels of biological organization, each building on the last. This book presents fundamental biology not in layers but wrapped around interesting themes and concepts and in ways designed to explore and understand each concept. It examines the coevolution of bees and flowering plants, bees as engineers of the environment, the evolution of sociality, the honey bee as a superorganism and how it evolves, and the mating behavior of the queen.

The book presents a novel strategy for addressing the major environmental and social problems of our time. It emphasizes transformative actions by individual citizens, both ordinary and extraordinary, rather than by government and other groups. It empowers a spectrum of solutions appropriate to people with varying interests, skills, political persuasions, and level of environmental and social commitment. The book draws on social and ecological theory to formulate a four-tiered stewardship strategy to transform communities, nations, and the planet. Key elements of this strategy are (1) individual actions that link people with nature and reduce human impacts on the planet, (2) effective communication to reduce political polarization and share solutions, (3) collaborations that integrate actions of multiple groups, and (4) political engagement to trigger needed transformations. The book builds on diverse visions and goals for the future of ecosystems and society: concern for future generations, a spiritual commitment to care for Creation and vulnerable people, a desire to sustain the best of nature and of cultures, and a concern about the security and well-being of communities, nations, and the world. This is not a book about what should be done. It is a book about what has been and can be done and a pragmatic strategy for tangible progress.

DNA, once the exclusive domain of scientists in research labs, is now the darling of popular and social media. With personal genetic testing kits in homes and genetically modified organism (GMO) foods in stores, DNA is an increasingly familiar term. Unfortunately, what people know, or think they know, about DNA and genetics is often confused or incorrect. Contrary to popular belief, for instance, genes don’t “skip a generation” and, no, human DNA is not “different” from DNA of other species. With such popular misconceptions proliferating in the news and on the internet, how can anyone sort fact from fiction? DNA Demystified satisfies the public appetite for and curiosity about DNA and genetics. Alan McHughen, an accomplished academic and public science advocate, brings the reader up-to-speed on what we know, what we don’t, and where genetic technologies are taking us. The book begins with the basic groundwork and a brief history of DNA and genetics. Chapters then cover newsworthy topics, including DNA fingerprinting, using DNA in forensic analyses, and identifying cold-case criminals. For readers intrigued by the proliferation of at-home DNA tests, the text includes fascinating explorations of genetic genealogy and family tree construction—crucial for people seeking their biological ancestry. Other chapters describe genetic engineering in medicine and pharmaceuticals, and the use of those same technologies in creating the far more controversial GMOs in food and agriculture. Throughout, the book raises provocative ethical and privacy issues arising from DNA and genetic technologies.

A Primer of Population Genetics and Genomics, 4th edition, has been completely revised and updated to provide a concise but comprehensive introduction to the basic concepts of population genetics and genomics. Recent textbooks have tended to focus on such specialized topics as the coalescent, molecular evolution, human population genetics, or genomics. This primer bucks that trend by encouraging a broader familiarity with, and understanding of, population genetics and genomics as a whole. The overview ranges from mating systems through the causes of evolution, molecular population genetics, and the genomics of complex traits. Interwoven are discussions of ancient DNA, gene drive, landscape genetics, identifying risk factors for complex diseases, the genomics of adaptation and speciation, and other active areas of research. The principles are illuminated by numerous examples from a wide variety of animals, plants, microbes, and human populations. The approach also emphasizes learning by doing, which in this case means solving numerical or conceptual problems. The rationale behind this is that the use of concepts in problem-solving lead to deeper understanding and longer knowledge retention. This accessible, introductory textbook is aimed principally at students of various levels and abilities (from senior undergraduate to postgraduate) as well as practising scientists in the fields of population genetics, ecology, evolutionary biology, computational biology, bioinformatics, biostatistics, physics, and mathematics.

This book focuses on the emerging scientific discipline of astrobiology, exploring the humanistic issues of this multidisciplinary field. To be sure, there are myriad scientific questions that astrobiologists have only begun to address. However, this is not a purely scientific enterprise. More research on the broader social and conceptual aspects of astrobiology is needed. Just what are our ethical obligations toward different sorts of alien life? Should we attempt to communicate with life beyond our planet? What is “life” in the most general sense? The current volume addresses these questions by looking at different perspectives from philosophers, historians, theologians, social scientists, and legal scholars. It sets a benchmark for future work in astrobiology, giving readers the groundwork from which to base the continuous scholarship coming from this ever-growing scientific field.

This book continues the authoritative and established edited series of theoretical ecology books initiated by Robert May which helped pave the way for ecology to become a more robust theoretical science, encouraging the modern biologist to better understand the mathematics behind their theories. This latest instalment in the Theoretical Ecology series builds on the legacy of its predecessors with a completely new set of contributions. Rather than placing emphasis on the historical ideas in theoretical ecology, the editors have encouraged each contribution to: i) synthesize historical theoretical ideas within modern frameworks that have emerged in the last ten to twenty years (e.g., bridging population interactions to whole food webs); ii) describe novel theory that has emerged in the last twenty years from historical empirical areas (e.g., macro-ecology); and iii) cover the booming area of theoretical ecological applications (e.g., disease theory and global change theory). The result is a forward-looking synthesis that will help guide the field through a further decade of development and discovery.