Speciation and Biogeography of Birds - Hardcover

Newton, Ian

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 012517375X ISBN 13: 9780125173759

Publisher: Academic Press, 2003

Synopsis

This book should be of value to anyone interested in bird evolution and taxonomy, biogeography, distributional history, dispersal and migration patterns. It provides an up-to-date synthesis of current knowledge on species formation, and the factors influencing current distribution patterns. It draws heavily on new information on Earth history, including past glacial and other climatic changes, on new developments in molecular biology and palaeontology, and on recent studies of bird distribution and migration patterns, to produce a coherent account of the factors that have influenced bird species diversity and distribution patterns worldwide.

Received the Best Bird Book of the Year award for 2004 from British Birds magazine.

* Winner of the British Birds/British Trust for Ornithology, Bird Book of the Year 2004!
* The first book to deal comprehensively with bird speciation and biogeography
* Up-to-date synthesis of new information
* Clearly written
* No previous book covers the same ground
* Many maps and diagrams
* Makes difficult and widely scattered information accessible and easily understood
* A sound base for future research
* Takes full account of recent developments in molecular biology

About this title

Book Description:

This book provides a fresh synthesis on the knowledge of species formation in birds and the factors that influence their geographical distributions.

From the Back Cover:

This book provides a fresh synthesis of out knowledge of species formation in birds and of the factors that influence their geographical distributions. It draws on information from the earth sciences and palaeo-climatology, as well as from studies on the evolution, ecology, distribution and migration patterns of birds. Full account is taken of the recent findings in molecular (DNA) biology, as they bear upon questions of avian evolution and distributional history. No other book currently available covers this range of subject matter or attempts to combine it into a coherent whole.

It is intended primarily for students and young researchers in avian evolution, biogeography and ecology. However, it is written in simple language throughout, in the hope that it will be easily understood by newcomers to these fields and by interested bird-watchers and other lay readers.

The text describes how bird species are formed, and how they are defined and classified by taxonomists. It describes how the numbers and types of bird species vary from region to region across the world, and how their current patterns of distribution have been influenced by earth history: by the movements of the continents and by the formation and loss of oceanic islands, by glacial and other climatic cycles, and by the influence of human activities. It also describes the role of contemporary ecological factors, such as climate, habitat and food-supplies, in influencing the current geographical ranges and migration patterns of birds worldwide.

The author is well known for his research in various aspects of avian ecology and migration. He has written more than 250 research papers and five books (including Population ecology of raptors (1979) and Population limitation in birds (1998)). He has served as President of the British Ecological Society, and of the British Ornithologists' Union, and is an Honorary Member of the American Ornithologists' Union.

About this edition

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 012517375X
• ISBN 13: 9780125173759
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 656