Ontogeny, Functional Ecology, and Evolution of Bats

by Edited by Rick A. Adams , Scott C. Pedersen

• ISBN13: 9780521626323
• ISBN10: 0521626323
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-06-26
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

The study of animal development has deep historical roots in codifying the field of evolutionary biology. In the 1940s, evolutionary theory became engulfed by microevolutionary genetic analysis and development became focused on mechanisms, forsaking the evolutionary implications of ontogeny. Recently, ontogeny has resurfaced as a significant component of evolutionary change, population, and community dynamics. Ontogeny, Functional Ecology and Evolution of Bats is a unique reference work by bat biologists who emphasize the importance of understanding ontogeny in the analysis of evolution and ecology. In addition, the developmental underpinnings of specialized morphology, physiology, and behavior are elucidated, and the strong influence of ecology on the ontological niche of juvenile bats is illustrated. This book is an essential reference for bat biologists, and all those working in the fields of ecology, developmental biology, evolution, behavior, and systematics.

Table of Contents

List of contributors	vii
Integrating ontogeny into ecological and evolutionary investigations	1	(8)
R. A. Adams
S. C. Pedersen
Bat phylogeny: an evolutionary context for comparative studies	9	(50)
N. B. Simmons
Early embryology, fetal membranes, and placentation	59	(34)
K. B. Karim
K. P. Bhatnagar
Brain ontogeny and ecomorphology in bats	93	(44)
R. L. Reep
K. P. Bhatnagar
Evolutionary plasticity and ontogeny of the bat cochlea	137	(37)
M. Vater
Skull growth and the acoustical axis of the head in bats	174	(40)
S. C. Pedersen
Ontogeny of the chiropteran basicranium, with reference to the Indian false vampire bat, Megaderma lyra	214	(33)
J. R. Wible
D. L. Davis
A theoretical consideration of dental morphology, ontogeny, and evolution in bats	247	(28)
C. J. Phillips
Wing ontogeny, shifting niche dimensions, and adaptive landscapes	275	(42)
R. A. Adams
Ontogeny and evolution of the hindlimb and calcar: assessing phylogenetic trends	317	(16)
R. A. Adams
K. M. Thibault
A comparative perspective on the ontogeny of flight muscles in bats	333	(29)
J. W. Hermanson
The ontogeny of behavior in bats: a functional perspective	362	(31)
G. Jones
Index	393