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Vision Facts: Questions about the Human Eye
Par Jason Yang, Pidgeon Charles. 2018
Vision Facts is a question and answer guide to the wonders of the human eye, its complex structures and the…
process of visual perception. It traces the journey of vision from a ray of light entering the eye to the processing done by the brain, to the development and aging of the human visual system and common disorders associated with both processes. Organized in an intuitive question-and-answer format and accompanied by clear diagrams, Vision Facts provides answers regarding your vision in a manner accessible to all who are interested. Each topic includes references to external resources such as lecture notes and research papers for those who wish to delve deeper. It is a perfect handbook for anyone who is interested in visual science, sensory processing, neuroscience, or physiology; and is an excellent reference for anyone considering a career in ophthalmology or optometry.°Some examples of the questions include the following. What is the resolution of the eye? Why do astronomers often cover flashlights with a red filter while stargazing? What is color-blindness and how does it occur? What role does vision play in the circadian rhythm? What chemical signals cause the eye to develop into its mature form? How does alcohol during pregnancy affect eye development? How well can a newborn baby see? How does being born prematurely affect vision? What is 20/20 vision? How does aging affect vision? These are all questions that are addressed in Vision Facts, along with countless more.Pilauco: Osorno, Northwestern Patagonia and Chile (The Latin American Studies Book Series)
Par Mario Pino, Giselle A. Astorga. 2020
This volume combines 10 years of accomplished research at the Pilauco site. The studies are focused on a variety of…
scientific areas including geological, sedimentological, geomorphological and paleobotanical topics, as well as paleontology of vertebrata and invertebrata, micropaleontology, archaeology, biochemistry, taxonomy, taphonomy, astrophysics and the development of some particular touristic aspects. In 18 chapters a variety of authors describe the excavation and investigation of this unique location. The book presents Pilauco as an example for the natural laboratory which can be found in South America, a testing ground for many of the hypotheses regarding migrations of animals and humans. In this context the study of topics, such as the paleozoography, the role of megafauna species for the architecture of the forests, the animal extinctions or the early human settlements, is extremely important on a global scale. The Pilauco site features paleontological and archaeological evidences and is contemporaneous with the Monte Verde site (~ 15,000 cal. yr AP). It is located 100 km north from Monte Verde and lies within the Intermediate Depression in northwestern Chilean Patagonia. It was discovered by chance in 1986 and has been excavated and investigated since 2007.Old Questions and Young Approaches to Animal Evolution (Fascinating Life Sciences)
Par José M. Martín-Durán, Bruno C. Vellutini. 2019
Animal evolution has always been at the core of Biology, but even today many fundamental questions remain open. The field…
of animal ‘evo-devo’ is leveraging recent technical and conceptual advances in development, paleontology, genomics and transcriptomics to propose radically different answers to traditional evolutionary controversies. This book is divided into four parts, each of which approaches animal evolution from a different perspective. The first part (chapters 2 and 3) investigates how new sources of evidence have changed conventional views of animal origins, while the second (chapters 4–8) addresses the connection between embryogenesis and evolution, and the genesis of cellular, tissue and morphological diversity. The third part (chapters 9 and 10) investigates how big data in molecular biology is transforming our understanding of the mechanisms governing morphological change in animals. In closing, the fourth part (chapters 11–13) explores new theoretical and conceptual approaches to animal evolution. ‘Old questions and young approaches to animal evolution’ offers a comprehensive and updated view of animal evolutionary biology that will serve both as a first step into this fascinating field for students and university educators, and as a review of complementary approaches for researchers.Dinosaurs Rediscovered: The Scientific Revolution In Paleontology
Par Michael J. Benton. 1990
In this fascinating and accessible overview, renowned paleontologist Michael J. Benton reveals how our understanding of dinosaurs is being transformed…
by recent fossil finds and new technology. Over the past twenty years, the study of dinosaurs has transformed into a true scientific discipline. New technologies have revealed secrets locked in prehistoric bones that no one could have previously predicted. We can now work out the color of dinosaurs, the force of their bite, their top speeds, and even how they cared for their young. Remarkable new fossil discoveries—giant sauropod dinosaur skeletons in Patagonia, dinosaurs with feathers in China, and a tiny dinosaur tail in Burmese amber—remain the lifeblood of modern paleobiology. Thanks to advances in technologies and methods, however, there has been a recent revolution in the scope of new information gleaned from such fossil finds. In Dinosaurs Rediscovered, leading paleontologist Michael J. Benton gathers together all the latest paleontological evidence, tracing the transformation of dinosaur study from its roots in antiquated natural history to an indisputably scientific field. Among other things, the book explores how dinosaur remains are found and excavated, and especially how paleontologists read the details of dinosaurs’ lives from their fossils—their colors, their growth, and even whether we will ever be able to bring them back to life. Benton’s account shows that, though extinct, dinosaurs are still very much a part of our world.Actualistic Taphonomy in South America (Topics in Geobiology #48)
Par Sergio Martínez, Alejandra Rojas, Fernanda Cabrera. 2020
Highlighting the latest research on Actualistic Taphonomy (AT), this book presents the outcomes of a meeting that took place in…
Montevideo, Uruguay, in October 2017. Its respective chapters offer valuable insights into South American archaeology, invertebrate and vertebrate fauna, and flora. In recent years, there has been a surge of new research on AT, as evidenced by numerous papers, talks, theses, etc. However, there are still very few AT books or even dedicated journal articles. Reflecting the discipline’s newfound maturity, this book, written by South American authors, offers a unique resource for academics and students of Paleontology, Geology, and Biology around the world.Fire in the Sky: Cosmic Collisions, Killer Asteroids, and the Race to Defend Earth
Par Gordon L. Dillow. 2019
Combining history, pop science, and in-depth reporting, a fascinating account of asteroids that hit Earth long ago, and those streaming…
toward us now, as well as how we are preparing against asteroid-caused catastrophe.One of these days, warns Gordon Dillow, the Earth will be hit by a comet or asteroid of potentially catastrophic size. The only question is when. In the meantime, we need to get much better at finding objects hurtling our way, and if they’re large enough to penetrate the atmosphere without burning up, figure out what to do about them. We owe many of science’s most important discoveries to the famed Meteor Crater, a mile-wide dimple on the Colorado Plateau created by an asteroid hit 50,000 years ago. In his masterfully researched Fire in the Sky, Dillow unpacks what the Crater has to tell us. Prior to the early 1900s, the world believed that all craters—on the Earth and Moon—were formed by volcanic activity. Not so. The revelation that Meteor Crater and others like it were formed by impacts with space objects has led to a now accepted theory about what killed off the dinosaurs, and it has opened up a new field of asteroid observation, which has recently brimmed with urgency. Dillow looks at great asteroid hits of the past and spends time with modern-day asteroid hunters and defense planning experts, including America’s first Planetary Defense Officer. Satellite sensors confirm that a Hiroshima-scale blast occurs in the atmosphere every year, and a smaller, one-kiloton blast every month. While Dillow makes clear that the objects above can be deadly, he consistently inspires awe with his descriptions of their size, makeup, and origins. At once a riveting work of popular science and a warning to not take for granted the space objects hurtling overhead, Fire in the Sky is, above all, a testament to our universe’s celestial wonders.The Geology of Iberia: Volume 3: The Alpine Cycle (Regional Geology Reviews)
Par Cecilio Quesada, José Tomás Oliveira. 2019
Taking a new global approach, this unique book provides an updated review of the geology of Iberia and its continental…
margins from a geodynamic perspective. Owing to its location close to successive plate margins, Iberia has played a pivotal role in the geodynamic evolution of the Gondwanan, Rheic, Pangea, Tethys s.l. and Eurasian plates over the last 600 Ma of Earth's history. The geological record starts with the amalgamation of Gondwana in the Neoproterozoic succeeded by the rifting and spreading of the Rheic ocean; its demise, which led to the amalgamation of Pangea in the late Paleozoic; the rifting and spreading of several arms of the Neotethys ocean in the Mesozoic Era and their ongoing closure, which was responsible for the Alpine orogeny. The significant advances in the last 20 years have attracted international research interest in the geology of the Iberian Peninsula. This volume presents the most comprehensive, and updated description of the Alpine cycle in Iberia. This volume focuses in the different geological events during the Alpine orogeny as well as the lithological succession . This book is of interest not only for scientists of Portugal and Spain but also for geoscientists searching for analogies for oil and gas as well as tourists visiting the main mountain ridges of Iberia such as the Pyrenees.Research-led, research-oriented, and research-based teaching incorporate research into teaching to different degrees. Research-led teaching focuses on content and informs students…
about current research findings, while research-oriented teaching focuses on techniques and often occurs in research methods courses. In research-based teaching, students participate in research. Through this involvement, they benefit from improved content knowledge, research skills, and life skills, as well as enhanced personal development. Research-embedded courses can make such benefits available to a wide range of students. Best practices in experiential learning and the incorporation of research in teaching include intentionality, planning, authenticity, reflection, training, monitoring, assessment, and acknowledgment. In this book, these principles of best practice are illustrated by courses with embedded student research. Guidelines are presented for how to plan and execute a semester-long course-embedded research project, as well as alternative and shorter-term approaches. Research-based teaching provides challenges for students and faculty, but the benefits for all stakeholders are strong.Utilizing the Paleobiology Database to Provide Educational Opportunities for Undergraduates (Elements of Paleontology)
Par Mark D. Uhen, Phoebe A. Cohen, Rowan Lockwood, Katherine Ryker. 2018
Integration of research experiences into the undergraduate classroom can result in increased recruitment, retention, and motivation of science students. 'Big…
data' science initiatives, such as the Paleobiology Database (PBDB), can provide inexpensive and accessible research opportunities. This book provides an introduction to what the PBDB is, how to use it, how it can be deployed in introductory and advanced courses, and examples of how it has been used in undergraduate research. The PBDB aims to provide information on all fossil organisms, across the tree of life, around the world, and through all of geologic time. The PBDB Resource Page contains a range of PBDB tutorials and activities for use in physical geology, historical geology, paleontology, sedimentology, and stratigraphy courses. As two-year colleges, universities, and distance-based learning initiatives seek research-based alternatives to traditional lab exercises, the PBDB can provide opportunities for hands-on science activities.Assembling the Dinosaur: Fossil Hunters, Tycoons, and the Making of a Spectacle
Par Lukas Rieppel. 2019
Lukas Rieppel shows how dinosaurs gripped the popular imagination and became emblems of America’s industrial power and economic prosperity during…
the Gilded Age. Spectacular fossils were displayed in museums financed by North America’s wealthiest tycoons, to cement their reputation as both benefactors of science and fierce capitalists.Lagoa Santa Karst: Brazil's Iconic Karst Region (Cave and Karst Systems of the World)
Par Augusto S. Auler, Paulo Pessoa. 2020
This book discusses the Lagoa Santa Karst, which has been internationally known since the pioneering studies of the Danish naturalist…
Peter Lund in the early 1800s. It covers the speleogenesis, geology, vegetation, fauna, hydrogeology, geomorphology, and anthropogenic use of the Lagoa Santa Karst and is the first English-language book on this major karst area. The area, which has been at the heart of the debate on the origin and age of human colonization in the Americas, is characterized by a classical and scenic karst landscape with limestone cliffs, karst lakes and karst plains, in addition to numerous solution dolines. More than 1,000 caves have been documented in the area, many with significant archeological and paleontological value. Despite its great importance, the Lagoa Santa Karst faces severe environmental threats due to limestone mining and the expansion of the metropolis of Belo Horizonte and its surrounding towns. The growing recognition of the area’s remarkable significance has led to increasing concern, and a number of protected areas have now been established, improving the conservation status of this landmark karst area.STRATI 2013: First International Congress on Stratigraphy At the Cutting Edge of Stratigraphy (Springer Geology)
Par João Pais, Rogério Rocha, José Carlos Kullberg, Stanley Finney. 2014
The 1st International Congress on Stratigraphy (STRATI 2013), hold in Lisbon, 1–7 July 2013, follows the decision to internationalize the…
conferences previously organized by the French Committee of Stratigraphy (STRATI), the last one of which was held in Paris in 2010. Thus, the congress possesses both the momentum gained from an established conference event and the excitement of being the first International Congress on Stratigraphy. It is held under the auspices of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (IUGS) and it is envisaged that this first congress will lead to others being held in the future.This book includes all papers accepted for oral or poster presentation at the 1st International Congress on Stratigraphy. Papers include a short abstract, main text, figures, tables and references. Each paper has been reviewed by two internationally renowned scientists.Regional Geological Survey of Hanggai, Xianxia and Chuancun, Zhejiang Province in China: 1:50,000 Geological Maps (The China Geological Survey Series)
Par Jianfang Zhang, Chaohui Zhu, Longwu Wang, Xiaoliang Cai, Ruijun Gong, Xiaoyou Chen, Jianguo Wang, Mingguang Gu, Zongyao Zhou, Yuandong Liu. 2020
This Open Access book introduces readers to the regional geology of Hanggai, Xianxia and Chuancun, the area between China's northern…
Zhejiang Province and southern Anhui Province and explores the strata, magmatic rocks and tectonic structures in 1:50,000 scale geological maps. Based on studies of multiple stratigraphic divisions, the standard stratigraphic section of the upper Ordovician Hirnantian in the lower Yangtze region is established, revealing for the first time numerous “Burgess Shale-type” sponge fossils in Hirnantian strata and identifying 10 grapholite fossil belts and various fossil categories, including chitin, trilobites, gastropods, brachiopods, and cephalopods. Moreover, the book identifies for the first time Late Ordovician volcanic events in northern Zhejiang province. The work represents a major contribution to research on Paleozoic strata in the Lower Yangtze region, and sheds new light on understanding the Hirnantian glacial event and biological extinction event in South China by providing a high-precision time scale. In addition, the book opens an important avenue for future research on sponge evolution after the Cambrian life explosion. As such, it offers a unique and valuable asset for researchers and graduate students alike.Bigger and Better, Updated and Expanded We live in a golden age of paleontological discovery—on average, we find one new…
dinosaur species per week. The most fascinating among them take their place in this updated edition of Dinosaurs—The Grand Tour; from Aardonyx, a lumbering beast that formed a link between two- and four-legged dinosaurs, to Zuniceratops, who boasted a deadly pair of horns. Here, you&’ll find everything worth knowing about every dinosaur worth knowing—more than 300 in all, including: Amphibious Halszkaraptor looks like no other dinosaur we&’ve found—with a head and body the size of a duck&’s, sharp claws . . . and a swanlike neck.Longer than a blue whale and three times taller than a giraffe, Patagotitan is a newly discovered contender for &“biggest dinosaur ever.&”The speedy little feathered predator Stenonychosaurus was an anatomical marvel, with retractable claws, asymmetrical ears for advanced hearing, incredible night vision, and a huge brain.Oviraptor—whose name means &“egg thief &“—doesn&’t deserve its bad rap. This specimen from 1923 is now proven to have been sitting by its own eggs—not stealing another&’s.Sinornithosaurus prove that dinosaurs shed their skin the same way that humans do, rather than sloughing it off all at once like a snake. At-a-glance sidebars put each dinosaur&’s diet, size, and location at your fingertips. Stories of harrowing expeditions conjure the thrills of history&’s most famous dinosaur hunters. Highlights from recent research reveal what&’s new in paleontology today, including scientists&’ evolving idea of what dinosaurs actually looked like. (Hint: They were more colorful—and feathery!—than we ever thought before.) And illustrations on virtually every page bring these prehistoric creatures to life in all their glory.Geological Tour of Devonian and Ordovician Magmatism of Kuznetsk Alatau and Minusinsk Basin: Altay-Sayan Region, Siberia (GeoGuide)
Par Richard Ernst, Vassily V. Vrublevskii, Platon Tishin. 2020
This volume provides an overview and tour (with many interesting stops along the way) of Devonian and Ordovician intraplate magmatism and…
associated sedimentary rocks and tectonics in the regions of Kuznetsk Alatau, Minusinsk Basin and Khakassia in western Siberia. All chapters were written by experts, many of which have been studying these regions for decades. The first book to present and review this information in English for an international audience, it includes both overviews of the magmatic and associated sedimentary history, and selected key field sites, which are described in detail.This book summarizes the taxonomic details of selected fossil angiosperm pollen genera and species along with their affinity and occurrences…
in space and time. It provides information about the historical background of palynology from Palaeogene and Neogene sediments in India, general pollen morphology along with the terms commonly used in describing fossil angiosperm pollen and an overview of the Indian Tertiary sediments. A complete list of genera described in this book is given. It also includes a key for identification of Indian angiosperm genera as well as a description of selected fossil angiosperm pollen from India along with their Indian records, illustrations, locality, age and horizon from where these have been reported. In all 130 genera and 402 species have been dealt with. The names of genera and species are arranged alphabetically. The Discussion part includes a summarized account of palynofloras, their biostratigraphic application in various regions of India and their palaeogeographical and palaeoclimatic implications.The Evolution of Feathers: From Their Origin to the Present (Fascinating Life Sciences)
Par Christian Foth, Oliver W. M. Rauhut. 2020
Feathers are one of the most unique characteristics of modern birds and represent the most complex and colourful type of…
skin derivate within vertebrates, while also fulfilling various biological roles, including flight, thermal insulation, display, and sensory function. For years it was generally assumed that the origin of flight was the main driving force for the evolution of feathers. However, various discoveries of dinosaur species with filamentous body coverings, made over the past 20 years, have fundamentally challenged this idea and produced new evolutionary scenarios for the origin of feathers. This book is devoted to the origin and evolution of feathers, and highlights the impact of palaeontology on this research field by reviewing a number of spectacular fossil discoveries that document the increasing morphological complexity along the evolutionary path to modern birds. Also featuring chapters on fossil feather colours, feather development and its genetic control, the book offers a timely and comprehensive overview of this popular research topic.Mud Volcanoes of the Black Sea Region and their Environmental Significance
Par Evgeny Shnyukov, Valentina Yanko-Hombach. 2020
This exceptionally well-illustrated book at a high scientific level describes mud volcanism as a complex, multidimensional phenomenon requiring multidisciplinary study. Mud…
volcanoes can be used as “cheap windows” to search for gas-hydrates and other mineral resources in the Black Sea region. Nothing similar has been published before, and as one of its unique features the book includes a vast amount of new data unavailable so far to the western reader. The book includes new data on driving forces, mechanisms, origin, geological and geomorphological features of mud volcanoes as well as new data on composition of solid, gaseous, and liquid components of erupted material. It covers a wide geographic region, and its subjects range from geological to environmental to industrial applications.Baas Becking's Geobiology: Or Introduction to Environmental Science
Par Don E. Canfield. 2015
Laurens Baas Becking was a pioneer in the field of microbial ecology and the father of Geobiology. This is the…
first English translation of Baas Becking’s Geobiologie: of Inleiding tot de Millieukunde published in Dutch in 1934. This book provides a fascinating view of how organisms have both adapted to and shaped their environment, from all types of settings ranging from lakes to the oceans, to acidic peats and salt ponds, drawing heavily on Baas Becking’s own keen observations. Although written 80 years ago, Baas Becking’s insights feel surprisingly modern and provide a unique insight into the fields of evolution of microbial ecology and geobiology. This book should appeal to anyone interested in microbial ecology, geobiology, biogeochemistry and the history of science. The translated text is accompanied by extensive footnotes and by an Editor’s summary at the end of each chapter placing Baas Becking’s writing in the context of modern developments in the field.Do the Paralympic Games empower the disability sport community? Like many other contemporary sporting institutions, the Paralympic Games have made…
the transition from pastime to spectacle, and the profile of athletes with disabilities has been increased as a result. This book reviews the current status of the Paralympics and challenges the mainstream assumption that the Games are a vehicle for empowerment of the disabled community. Using ethnographic methods unique in this area of study, P. David Howe has undertaken an innovative and critical examination of the social, political and economic processes shaping the Paralympic Movement. In The Cultural Politics of the Paralympic Movement he presents his findings and offers a new insight into the relationship between sport, the body and the culture of disability. In doing so he has produced the most comprehensive and radical text about high performance sport for the disabled yet published. P. David Howe is Lecturer in the Sociology of Sport at Loughborough University. He is also a four-time Paralympian and former Athlete’s Representative to the International Paralympic Committee.