Life Sciences

Over 480 entries

Covering every aspect of animal behaviour from adaptation to warning, this accessible A–Z also includes terms from the related fields of ecology, physiology and psychology. Clear and informative entries on topics such as communication, learning, and navigation are backed up by examples and illustrations where appropriate. The new edition adds 80 new entries, expands coverage of behavioural ecology, cognitive ethology, and evolutionary theory, and brings the text up to date with new theories and research.

An essential source of reference for students of biology, psychology, and zoology, and fascinating reading for all those interested in animal behaviour.

Over 4,500 entries

Fully revised and updated for the seventh edition, this market-leading dictionary is the perfect guide for anyone studying biology, either at school or university.

Clear and concise entries provide comprehensive coverage of biology, biophysics, and biochemistry. Over 250 new entries include terms such as Broca’s area, comparative genomic hybridization, mirror neuron, and Pandoravirus.

Appendices include classifications of the animal and plant kingdoms, the geological time scale, major mass extinctions of species, model organisms and their genomes, Nobel prizewinners, and a new appendix on evolution.

Over 6,500 entries

Written in a clear, accessible style, this authoritative and wide-ranging dictionary contains entries on all aspects of ecology and related environmental scientific disciplines such as biogeography, genetics, soil science, geomorphology, atmospheric science, and oceanography. Entries cover topics such as plant and animal physiology, animal behaviour, pollution, conservation, habitat management, population, evolution, environmental pollution, climatology, and meteorology. It also includes many line drawings and useful appendices.

Fully revised, updated, and expanded, with over 300 new entries that include beach replenishment, delta method, urban heat island, and zonal soils, this new edition is invaluable to students of ecology, biology, and environmental and conservation studies, and professionals in related areas, as well as the general reader with an interest in the natural world.

Over 7,500 entries

This eighth edition of A Dictionary of Genetics contains over 7,500 up-to-date and cross-referenced entries, including 540 that are newly written. The entries include the latest terminology, concepts, theories, and techniques, covering not only genetics but also such overlapping disciplines as cell biology, medicine, and evolutionary biology. The fully revised six appendices are a unique source of detailed supplementary information, including a chronology of scientific and technological breakthroughs spanning the period from 1590 to the present, lists of useful internet sites and journals, and a table of sample genome sizes and gene numbers. A Dictionary of Genetics continues to be the definitive reference work for students, educators, and clinicians in the field of genetics.

2002 Booklist Top 10 Science Reference Sources

2002 Choice Outstanding Title

2003 ALA/RUSA Outstanding Reference Source

370 entries

A comprehensive guide to the essentials of evolutionary biology, these entries by leading experts survey essential concepts and theories, present methods, models and findings, and discuss both the history of the field and current controversies. Readers will find brief treatments on discrete concepts and individuals to illuminating lengthy essays by towering figures in the field. Topics include: Darwin, natural selection, human origins, behavioral ecology, diversity, mathematical models, and cell and developmental biology. Special essays include Stephen Jay Gould's “Macroevolution” and Jane Goodall and Elizabeth Vinson-Lonsdorf on “Culture in Chimpanzees.”

‘an ultimate in natural history books’ - Irish Times Written by an international team of experts and edited by renowned zoologist Professor David Macdonald, this new edition of The Encyclopedia of Mammals has been comprehensively revised and updated to reflect the most recent developments in modern zoology. It covers the behaviour, diet, distribution, and evolution of every known living mammal in the world in clear, accessible language, and is superbly illustrated throughout with photographs and original artwork. There are also feature articles on a range of fascinating topics, such as: Why do primates have big brains? Why do lions roar? And what are the costs of motherhood for seals?

A breathtaking insight into underwater life, this Encyclopedia offers unrivalled coverage of the fish and aquatic invertebrates that inhabit our rivers, lakes, and oceans. It describes in detail the anatomy, behaviour, habitat, breeding, and conservation status of species: from microscopic, single-celled organisms swept along by water currents to gigantic powerhouses of the deep. Fascinating feature articles examine some of the strangest and most interesting aspects of these species in more depth, such as the origins of coral reefs; the cycle of the salmon; and how fish produce and use artificial illumination.

The New Encyclopedia of Birds is the definitive single-volume guide to birds of the world. Entries prepared by a team of renowned biologists and conservationists give a systematic account of every family, covering their form and function, distribution, diet, social behaviour, and breeding biology. With one-eighth of all bird species now under threat, special attention is given to environmental and conservation issues.

With around one million species, insects and their allies are by far the most successful, variable and bizarre group of living things to have evolved on our planet. Yet much of their biology continues to remain a mystery. In this definitive and beautifully written book, Christopher O'Toole has compiled an authoritative overview of all the world’s terrestrial anthropods. Written by the world’s leading experts in entomology, the accounts are accessible to both scientific and general readers. Taking each group in turn, from millipedes to mantids and from spiders to scorpions, this volume provides a summary of the current scientific understanding of this fascinating group of animals. Exceptionally illustrated with specially commissioned artwork illuminating the text, this work is the one-stop guide to the host of largely unseen 'mini-beasts' that share our world.

‘Highly recommended…very attractive…Excellent accounts of the biology are given, each written by experts in the field’ - BBC Wildlife

There has been a huge surge of interest in reptiles and amphibians over the past few years in both scientific research and common interest. This superbly designed and illustrated encyclopedia has brought together a wealth of new and fascinating information on amphibians and reptiles in one volume. Written by a stream of distinguished zoologists and brought together by internationally renowned experts, Tim Halliday and Kraig Adler, the encyclopedia gives an excellent and authoritative overview of reptiles and amphibians. Vividly illustrated, it manages to combine scientific research with easy to read essays thus appealing simultaneously to a general audience interested in natural history and to specialists requiring an accurate up to date reference work.