1st Edition
Evolutionary Ecology of Amphibians
Amphibians are the oldest tetrapod group and show an astonishing diversity in lifestyles, many of them being unique. However, globally, they are on a decline. Hence, their study is fundamental to understanding the evolution of diversity and conserving them. This book, authored by experts from around the world, summarizes the current knowledge on the evolutionary ecology of amphibians. The book treats biological concepts related to the evolution, ecology, physiology, immunology, behaviour, and morphology of amphibians in their different states. This book constitutes an actualized work indispensable for evolutionary ecologists and herpetologists.
Introduction to the Book
Gregorio Moreno-Rueda and Mar Comas
Origin, Evolution and Diversification of Extant Amphibians
Diego San Mauro, Ainhoa Agorreta and Joan Garcia-Porta
Amphibian Ecophysiology
Pablo Burraco and Caitlin Gabor
Eco-Immunology of Amphibians
Mar Comas and Gregorio Moreno-Rueda
Amphibian Crisis and the Impact of Emerging Pathogens
Barbora Thumsová, Jaime Bosch and Gonçalo M. Rosa
Thermoregulation and Hydric Balance in Amphibians
Zaida Ortega, Carolina Cunha Ganci and Marga L. Rivas
The Biogeography of Body Size in Amphibians
Miguel Á. Olalla-Tárraga
Evolution and Ecology of Locomotion in Amphibians
Francisco Javier Zamora-Camacho
Diversity of Reproductive Strategies in the Amphibia
Balázs Vági and Tamás Székely
Chemical Communication and Deterrence in Amphibians
Maider Iglesias-Carrasco and Bob B.M. Wong
Acoustic Communication in Anurans
Sandra Goutte
Amphibian Coloration: Proximate Mechanisms, Function, and Evolution
Bibiana Rojas, J.P. Lawrence and Roberto Márquez
Biography
Dr. Gregorio Moreno-Rueda (University of Granada, Spain) is an evolutionary ecologist with more than one hundred publications dealing with vertebrate ecology. He mainly studies the evolution of trade-offs determining life history traits, in particular how the immune system trades off with other physiological traits.
Dr. Mar Comas (Dartmouth College, USA) is a herpetologist specialising in amphibian evolutionary ecology. Mar Comas works mainly on how amphibians deal with parasites and the trade-offs of these antiparasitic strategies with other physiological traits.