Ontogeny, Functional Ecology, and Evolution of Bats [Hardcover]

This book explores the importance of understanding developmental processes in analyses of bat ecology and evolution.Ontogeny, Functional Ecology and Evolution of Bats is a unique reference work by bat biologists who emphasize the importance of understanding development in analyses of evolution and ecology. Using developmental studies, the authors show how systematic relationships between bat species can be clarified, and show how development underpins the specialized morphology, physiology and behaviour of bats. This book is an essential reference work, not only for bat biologists, but for anyone working in the fields of ecology, developmental biology, evolution, behaviour and systematics.Ontogeny, Functional Ecology and Evolution of Bats is a unique reference work by bat biologists who emphasize the importance of understanding development in analyses of evolution and ecology. Using developmental studies, the authors show how systematic relationships between bat species can be clarified, and show how development underpins the specialized morphology, physiology and behaviour of bats. This book is an essential reference work, not only for bat biologists, but for anyone working in the fields of ecology, developmental biology, evolution, behaviour and systematics.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,lÃ