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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 5,800 entries

This new eighth edition has been fully revised and updated to reflect recent progress in the fields of biology, biophysics, and biochemistry, with particular expansion to the areas of ecology, cell biology, and plant and animal development. Over 150 new entries include de-extinction, ecological footprint, rewilding, and Zika virus.

Numerous appendices include classifications of the animal and plant kingdoms, SI units, Nobel prizewinners, and a new appendix on anatomical terms. With new diagrams and updated web links, this remains the market-leading dictionary for students of biology, both at sixth form college and university level.

Over 10,000 entries

This new edition fills the need to define the specialist language used within an evolving field by offering clear, concise definitions of even the most complex biomedical terms. It includes entries on all areas of biomedicine, focusing on areas that have developed since the first edition, such as genomics and biomedical science. Entries are authoritative and wide-ranging, covering terms from the related areas of anatomy, genetics, molecular bioscience, pathology, pharmacology, and clinical medicine.

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.

Over 7,700 entries

This new fourth edition has been completely revised and updated, covering all aspects in the field of plant sciences including biochemistry, plant physiology, cytology, ecology, genetics, evolution, biogeography, earth history, and earth sciences. Over 600 new entries, including Rosales, physical dormancy, menthol, and codeine, enhance the dictionary's coverage of botanical terms, key drugs and medicines derived from plants, and plant orders, families, and genera. It also explains many ecological terms, and expands beyond plants to describe fungi and bacteria and how they affect plants.

New timelines show important moments in plant evolution, and vernacular plant names have been transferred to a new appendix for ease of use, fully cross-referenced to the A to Z entries. The most up-to-date dictionary available on its subject, this is an essential resource for students of plant sciences and amateur botanists, as well as an entertaining and valuable guide for the plant enthusiast.

Over 6,000 entries

This best-selling dictionary covers all aspects of zoology, including terms from ecology, animal behaviour, evolution, earth history, zoogeography, genetics, and physiology. It provides taxonomic coverage of arthropods, other invertebrates, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals, all fully updated to include recent changes.

Detailed and authoritative, it has been fully updated for the fifth edition with over 700 entries covering taxonomic groups, prefixes, and widely used descriptive terms. All taxonomies have been checked to accommodate recent changes.

Recommended web links point to additional resources and appendices include an index of common names, a taxonomic classification, a classification of endangered animals, and a geologic timescale.

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.

The Oxford Companion to the Body is a fascinating and authoritative guide to every aspect of the body. It provides concise and readable accounts of the structure and function of all the major systems of the body and the causes of disorders that affect them. Interwoven with this coverage of the science of the body, are entertaining and informative articles on social and religious attitudes to the body, and its significance for artists, philosophers and writers.

‘the book is almost an encyclopedia. It is comprehensive, thorough, clear, and accurate’ - TIBS

The Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology provides a comprehensive survey of modern biochemistry and molecular biology. Fully revised and updated, this new edition includes definitions of terms from the fields of Bioinformatics, Biophysics, Cell Biology, Chemistry, Genetics, Immunology, Mathematics, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Systems Biology, and Toxicology. Entries are short and informative, covering details of biochemical substances and the processes in which they are involved, methods and concepts in molecular biology, and definitions of biochemical symbols and abbreviations. Each entry is accessibly written, pointing out the pitfalls where terms are often confused and providing recommended nomenclature and alternative names.

61 articles

The Oxford Encyclopedia of Sensory Systems brings together a comprehensive account of the diversity of mechanisms that organisms use to sense the natural world. Organized into topical sections, with chapters written by more than 100 leading experts in the field of sensory neuroscience, the Encyclopedia presents foundational and emerging topics, all with an eye toward suggesting directions for future research.