Subterranean Rodents: News from Underground / Edition 1

by Sabine Begall, Hynek Burda, Cristian Eric Schleich

Overview

Subterranean Rodents presents achievements from recent years of research on these rodents, divided into five sections: ecophysiology; sensory ecology; life histories, behavioural ecology and demography; environmental and economical impact; molecular ecology and evolution. It is a must for all researchers working in this field and will be of interest to zoologists, physiologists, morphologists, ecologists, and evolutionary biologists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783540692751
Publisher:	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publication date:	06/12/2007
Edition description:	2007
Pages:	398
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.04(d)

Table of Contents

Subterranean Rodents: News from Underground.- Ecophysiology.- Adaptive Physiological Mechanisms in the Underground Dwellers.- Microclimate in Burrows of Subterranean Rodents — Revisited.- New Data on Metabolic Parameters in Subterranean Rodents.- Skimping as an Adaptive Strategy in Social Fossorial Rodents: The Mole Vole (Ellobius talpinus) as an Example.- The Reproductive Physiology and Endocrinology of the African Mole-rats: with Special Reference to Southern African Mole-rat Species.- Sensory Ecology.- Sensory Ecology of Subterranean Rodents.- Using Odors Underground.- Acoustics, Audition and Auditory System.- Acoustic Communication in Subterranean Rodents.- Visual Systems and the Role of Vision in Subterranean Rodents: Diversity of Retinal Properties and Visual System Designs.- Magnetic Compass: A Useful Tool Underground.- Adaptive Neural Organization of Naked Mole-Rat Somatosensation (and Those Similarly Challenged).- Life Histories, Behavioural Ecology, Demography.- From Natural Histories to Life Histories — A Homage to a Comparative Approach.- Giant Mole-rats, Fukomys mechowii, 13 Years on the Stage.- Biology of the Silvery Mole-rat (Heliophobius argenteocinereus). Why Study a Neglected Subterranean Rodent Species?.- The Biology and Ecology of Plateau Zokors (Eospalax fontanierii).- Senescence Patterns in African Mole-rats (Bathyergidae, Rodentia).- Environmental and Economic Aspects.- The Influence of Subterranean Rodents on the Environment.- The Influence of Pocket Gophers on the Biotic and Abiotic Environment.- Subterranean Rodents as Pests: The Case of the Pocket Gopher.- Influence of Plateau Zokors (Eospalax fontanierii) on Alpine Meadows.- Mountain Beaver: A Primitive Fossorial Rodent.- Molecular Ecology and Evolution.- Molecular Ecology and Evolution.- The Multiple Meanings of Inbreeding: The Key to Understanding the Social and Genetic Structure of Subterranean Rodent Populations.- Behavior, Demography, and Immunogenetic Variation: New Insights from Subterranean Rodents.- African Mole-rats (Bathyergidae): A Complex Radiation in Tropical Soils.- Mosaic Evolution of Subterranean Mammals: Tinkering, Regression, Progression, and Global Convergence.

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews:

“This book is the result of a symposium entitled ‘Light from the underground: Challenges and insights in the third decade of research on subterranean rodents,’ held during the International Mammalogical Congress IX in Sapporo … . provides a set of important tidbits, factoids, pieces of general information, and current hypotheses relevant to the topic at hand. … Given the broad nature of topics included, the book is a one-stop shopping place for a plethora of knowledge concerning the biology of subterranean rodents.”­­­ (Robert D. Bradley, Journal of Mammalian Evolution, Vol. 17, March, 2010)

From the Publisher