Bats : from evolution to conservation /

This new edition (1st ed., Bats: Biology and Behavior, CH, May'97, 34-5087) offers readers a wealth of information about the natural history of bats, including aspects of physiology, systematics, evolution, ecology, and conservation. Altringham (Univ. of Leeds, UK) places most discussion in an ecological or evolutionary context, highlighting the adaptive strategies by which bats survive in an ever-changing landscape (including ongoing threats to their survival associated with human activities). The book illustrates a diverse array of general biological concepts using bats as examples. In this regard, the text goes far beyond a study of bats alone. For example, Altringham considers the potential role of bats as general models for studying community ecology. In doing so, he presents the tremendous diversity of bats on a global scale. Most topics are covered in considerable detail, the depth of which varies greatly. While some material is quite accessible to general readers, one needs a background in the biological sciences to fully appreciate many of the more complex discussions (the book provides only a limited amount of introductory material or sometimes none at all). A valuable resource for advanced students interested in bat biology, zoology, evolutionary biology, ecology, or conservation. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers/faculty. D. A. Brass independent scholar