Overview

Featuring in-depth contributions from an international team of experts, the Biology of Turtles provides the first comprehensive review of the Testudinata. The book starts with the premise that the structure of turtles is particularly interesting and best understood within the context of their development, novelty, functional diversity, and evolution. It provides a robust discussion of the development and diversity of the shell. The book also explores the turtle body plan, its physiological and ecological consequences, evolutionary novelties, and their importance. The 200 illustrations found throughout the text enhance the chapters combine with color illustrations of the development of the shell, aspects of bone structural diversity, growth, and skeletochronology, to make this book an unparalleled resource. The volume concludes with a thoughtful discussion of the more than century long debate on the origins of turtles and the reasons why our understanding of the phylogenic origins and evolution of turtles remains tentative. Currently available books on this subject are woefully out of date and no overall review of Testudinata has been undertaken until now. Each chapter represents a milestone in synthesizing a wide range of available information on specific subjects. The book s challenge: look both inside and outside the shell to build a clearer understanding of the diversity and evolution of turtles.

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9781322623986

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Reviews

Given the excitement engendered by the flurry of genome projects, coupled with the deep concern for their conservation and survival, there couldn t be a better time for a comprehensive survey of the biology of turtles. When considering the entire volume, I found that the organization and layout of the book worked well. Most of the images were of reasonable quality, and the all-important anatomical photographs were usually clear and easy to use. I found this to be a great volume that I love having on my bookshelf. Certainly for specialists, it is an important reference guide, and one that I find myself using a lot. H. Bradley Shaffer, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology & La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, University of California, Los Angeles, Copeia, December 2012 The volume covers a remarkable range of topics at very different levels the chapters are well written and well illustrated this is an excellent addition to our knowledge of evolutionary, developmental, and functional aspects of turtle morphology It seems likely that chapters in this volume will become standard references for current and future generations of turtle biologists. Peter A. Meylan, Collegium of Natural Sciences, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida, in Phyllomedusa, Volume 7, September 2008 Notable strengths'! A laudable layout change after 2 previous turtle-content books by CRC Press (Lutz et a!. 2003) is that The Biology of Turtles has all chapters stand independent with a reference list, yet included the helpful index of subjects and authors cross-referenced in the text, regardless of chapter. The improvement in accessibility creates a more user-friendly reference for the target audience. The images and figures are frequent, clear, and well-juxtaposed with the text . Turtle and Tortoise Newsletter, Issue 13 This book, a multiauthored, comprehensive study of turtle anatomy, physiology, evolution, and behavior, provid

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