Overview

Accounting for nearly a quarter of living mammal species, bats are the focus of large-scale research efforts in almost every field of biology and have become increasingly recognized for their importance to discussions of vertebrate biodiversity and conservation. The past three decades have seen enormous strides in the field of chiropteran biology, largely due to advances in technology, observational techniques, and analytical methods. Presenting the most recent research and synthetic reviews of more than thirty-five of the world's leading authorities on bats, Bat Biology and Conservation discusses bat phylogeny and evolution, functional morphology, echolocation, and conservation biology. Several contributors focus on long-standing problems in bat systematics and illustrate the value of well-substantiated phylogenetic hypotheses for understanding diverse biological patterns. Others emphasize the importance of investigating btoh form and function and consider how morphological and ecological constraints influence flight, mastication, and the sensory systems used in echolocation. Still others consider the conservation status of bats ine very part of the world and discuss the protection of both roosting and foraging habitats. As the loss of natural habitats and their species continues unabated, this book documents efforts to investigate bats in both tropical and temperate ecosystems. It is an essential reference not only for bat scientists but also for conservation biologists and those working with other mammalian groups.

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9781560988250

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This scholarly tome updates readers on recent research developments concerning a widespread, diverse, and fascinating group of mammals, bats, whose over 900 species make up at least 20 percent of the world's described mammal species. Kunz (biology, Boston Univ.) and Racey (natural history, Univ. of Aberdeen, Scotland) have both edited prior works on bats. The chapters in this volume were contributed by 36 experts from around the world. The contents are arranged into four major parts: evolution, bat form and structure, echolocation, and conservation. There are separate subject and taxonomic indexes. The book is best suited for academic and research libraries; two recent popular books, both excellent choices for public libraries and undergraduate collections, are Don E. Wilson's Bats in Question (LJ 6/1/97) and M. Brock Fenton's Bats (LJ 2/1/93). (From Library Journal; William H. Wiese, Iowa State Univ. Lib., Ames; Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.) Bats are riding a new wave in popularity, both with the general public and with researchers. This in turn has created a market for books about bats, with the present volume representing the research end of the spectrum. Based on four symposia held at the Tenth Bat Research Conference in 1995, this collection of papers presents recent research and synthetic reviews by more than 35 of the world's leading bat scientists and covers bat biology and evolution, functional morphology, echolocation, and observation biology. Studies of bats have yielded tremendous technology advances, such as the examination of bat DNA, and the results of this research are giving new insight into the biology of the only true flying mammals. The section on conservation of bats is particularly crucial in a time of increasing threats to all forms of wildlife. Bats account for nearly one quarter of the world's mammals, and although this volume may be overkill for many libraries, it is highly recommended for those with large natural h

This scholarly tome updates readers on recent research developments concerning a widespread, diverse, and fascinating group of mammals, bats, whose over 900 species make up at least 20 percent of the world's described mammal species. Kunz (biology, Boston Univ.) and Racey (natural history, Univ. of Aberdeen, Scotland) have both edited prior works on bats. The chapters in this volume were contributed by 36 experts from around the world. The contents are arranged into four major parts: evolution, bat form and structure, echolocation, and conservation. There are separate subject and taxonomic indexes. The book is best suited for academic and research libraries; two recent popular books, both excellent choices for public libraries and undergraduate collections, are Don E. Wilson's Bats in Question (LJ 6/1/97) and M. Brock Fenton's Bats (LJ 2/1/93). (From Library Journal; William H. Wiese, Iowa State Univ. Lib., Ames; Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.) <br>Bats are riding a new wave in popularity, both with the general public and with researchers. This in turn has created a market for books about bats, with the present volume representing the research end of the spectrum. Based on four symposia held at the Tenth Bat Research Conference in 1995, this collection of papers presents recent research and synthetic reviews by more than 35 of the world's leading bat scientists and covers bat biology and evolution, functional morphology, echolocation, and observation biology. Studies of bats have yielded tremendous technology advances, such as the examination of bat DNA, and the results of this research are giving new insight into the biology of the only true flying mammals. The section on conservation of bats is particularly crucial in a time of increasing threats to all forms of wildlife. Bats account for nearly one quarter of the world's mammals, and although this volume may be overkill for many libraries, it is highly recommended for those with large natural h

Author Information

Thomas H. Kunz is a professor of biology and the director of the Center for Ecology and Conservation Biology at Boston University. Paul A. Racey is the Regius Professor of natural history at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

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