Crustacea and Arthropod Relationships (Crustacean Issues, 16) - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0849334985 ISBN 13: 9780849334986

Publisher: CRC Press, 2005

Synopsis

Compared to other arthropods, crustaceans are characterized by an unparalleled disparity of body plans. Traditionally, the specialization of arthropod segments and appendages into distinct body regions has served as a convenient basis for higher classification; however, many relationships within the phylum Arthropoda still remain controversial.

Can Crustacea even be considered a monophyletic group?
If so, then which are their closest relatives within the Arthropoda?

The answers to questions such as these will play a key role in understanding patterns and processes in arthropod evolution, including the disappearance of certain body plans from the fossil record, as well as incidences of transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments.

Crustacea and Arthropod Relationships, written by a team of internationally recognized experts, presents a wide variety of viewpoints, while offering an up-to-date summary of recent progress across several disciplines. With rich detail and vibrancy, it addresses the evolution and phylogenetic relationships of the Arthropoda based upon molecular, developmental, morphological, and paleontological evidence.

Volume 16 is the first in the series to not be exclusively dedicated to discussions specific to crustaceans. While it is still crustaceo-centric, the focus of this volume has been extended to include other groups of arthropods along with the Crustacea. This wider focus offers challenging opportunities to evaluate higher-level relationships within the Arthropoda from a carcinologic perspective.

This volume is dedicated to the career of Frederick R. Schram, the founding editor of CrustaceanIssues in 1983, in recognition of his many stimulating and wide-ranging contributions to the evolutionary biology of arthropods in general, and of crustaceans in particular.

About this title

About the Author:

Stefan Koenemann, Ronald A. Jenner

Review:

Reassuringly, perhaps, like any other multiauthored volume dealing with aspects of arthropod phylogeny, this one includes plenty that is controversial. ...This book...will serve as a marker in the development of ideas of crustacean and arthropod relationships.
-Derek E.G. Briggs, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, The Palaeontology Newsletter, Vol. 61

The main theme of the volume is the evaluation of higher-level relationships within the Arthropoda, still controversial, discussing novel approaches and new techniques to tackle this issue, as well as a critical reappraisal of existing ideas. The evolutionary and phylogenetic relationships of arthropods are outlined on the basis of molecular structure, development, morphology and the fossil record. ...It is a highly appropriate collection of thought-provoking and innovative papers...which should do Fred Schram proud. ...for anyone who is interested in current views on arthropods and/or crustacean relationships, and who does not shy away from interpretations that deviate strongly from the general views, this is a must-have volume.
- John W.M. Jagt, Contributions to Zoology

...contributes important new insights into the rapidly changing field of evolutionary relationship within the arthropods, revealing a process in which the traditional view of phylogenetic relationships is being reevaluated and revolutionized. ...Overall, this is a compilation of very interesting and diverse research articles, representing the current status of the discussion on arthropod relationships. ...The bottome-line message of this book is thus more conclusive information is still needed to accurately place the Arthopoda within the phylogeny of the Metazoa, and also to understand early divisions in the evolution of the Arthropoda that would allow an unequivocal classification into monophyletic subunits. ...this book will doubtless still be considered a benchmark in the field, regardless of debate and controversy that will certainly follow. ...Fred Schram, as well as the many researchers honouring him with this volume, have markedly advanced our present understanding of arthropod phylogeny, while also providing atemplate for testing of arthropod relationships as the field advances in years to come.
-Christoph D. Schubart, Universität Regensburg and Carsten H. G. Müller, Institut für Biowissenschaften, Universität Rostock, Germany, Systematic Biology, Vol. 55

About this edition

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0849334985
• ISBN 13: 9780849334986
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 440
• Editor: Koenemann Stefan, Jenner Ronald