Showing all 5 results
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The Art of Naming
Artist/Author: Ohl, Michael (Author) Elisabeth Lauffer (Translated by)$40.00 Add to cartTyrannosaurus rex; Homo sapiens; Heteropoda davidbowie: behind each act of scientific naming is a story. In this entertaining and illuminating book, Michael Ohl considers scientific naming as a joyful and creative act. There are about 1.8 million discovered and named plant and animal species, and millions more still to be discovered. Naming is the necessary next step after discovery; it is through the naming of species that we perceive and understand nature. Ohl explains the process, with examples, anecdotes, and a wildly varied cast of characters. There are rules for scientific naming; the vernacular isn’t adequate. These rules – in standard binomial nomenclature, the generic name followed by specific name – go back to Linnaeus; but they are open to idiosyncrasy and individual expression. A lizard is designated Barbaturex morrisoni (in honor of the Doors’ Jim Morrison, the Lizard King); a member of the horsefly family Scaptia beyonceae. Ohl, a specialist in “winged things that sting”, confesses that among the many wasp species he has named is Ampulex dementor, after the dementors in the Harry Potter novels. Scientific names have also been deployed by scientists to insult other scientists, to make political statements, and as expressions of romantic love: “I shall name this beetle after my beloved wife”.
The Art of Naming takes us on a surprising and fascinating journey, in the footsteps of the discoverers of species and the authors of names, into the nooks and crannies and drawers and cabinets of museums, and through the natural world of named and not-yet-named species.
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Birds of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East: An Annotated Checklist
Artist/Author: Mitchell, Dominic$66.00 Add to cartThis is the most up-to-date checklist of bird species and subspecies recorded in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, including Iran and the Arabian Peninsula – the ‘greater’ Western Palearctic. Species are presented in systematic order, and each species entry includes scientific and English names, taxonomic notes, distribution and range/vagrancy occurrences within the region. In addition to the main list of almost 1,150 species, appendices detail regionally endemic and extinct birds, those no longer considered to have occurred, and the national lists of all regional countries. The first major update for Europe, North Africa and the Middle East since the Birds of the Western Palearctic series came to an end two decades ago, this long-awaited checklist is essential reading for all those with an interest in the ‘WP’ and its avifauna.
“[…] There are no plates – this is a reference book and should be valued as such. It is, of course, out of date already (this sort of rolling information is what the internet was invented for), but it represents a convenient and robust baseline list for Western Palearctic birders and many will find it useful.”
– Martin Collinson, British Birds Volume 110(10), October 2017 -
Australian Bryozoa Volume II: Taxonomy of Australian Families
Artist/Author: Cook, Patricia, Philip Bock, Dennis Gordon, Haylee Weaver (Editors)$240.00 Add to cartThe second of two volumes describing Australia’s 1200 known species of bryozoans.
Bryozoans are aquatic animals that form colonies of connected individuals. They take a variety of forms: some are bushy and moss-like, some are flat and encrusting and others resemble lace. Bryozoans are mostly marine, with species found in all oceans from sublittoral to abyssal depths, but freshwater species also exist. Some bryozoans are of concern as marine-fouling organisms and invasive species, while others show promise as sources of anticancer, antiviral and antifouling substances.
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Descriptive Taxonomy: The Foundation of Biodiversity Research
Artist/Author: Watson, Mark F. et al.$122.00 Add to cartIn an age when biodiversity is being lost at an unprecedented rate, it is vital that floristic and faunistic information is up to date, reliable and easily accessible for the formulation of effective conservation strategies. Electronic data management and communication are transforming descriptive taxonomy radically, enhancing both the collection and dissemination of crucial data on biodiversity. This volume is written by scientists at the forefront of current developments of floras and faunas, along with specialists from applied user groups. The chapters review novel methods of research, development and dissemination, which aim to maximise the relevance and impact of data. Regional case studies are used to illustrate the outputs and impacts of taxonomic research. Integrated approaches are presented which have the capacity to accelerate the production of floras and faunas and to better serve the needs of a widening audience.
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A murmuration of starlings: the collective nouns of animals and birds.
Artist/Author: Palin, Steve.$20.00 Add to cartThe collective nouns of animals and birds have long inspired and intrigued. Many have their roots in medieval times, in particular applied to those creatures hunted by man, and subject to the etiquette of their proper group names. Palin has beautifully illustrated and given the background to over forty different animals and birds with interesting collective nouns, and listed 420 of them in his glossary. This elegant little book will appeal to all those with a fascination for the English language, those who want the answers for quizzes and crossword puzzles, and those with an interest in animals and birds.
