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Full Description
This book represents the first attempt to quantify environmental factors and life history traits that accelerate or decelerate species diversity in animals. About 15%, 8% and 77% of species are distributed in marine (70% of earth's surface), freshwater ( 96%), spermatozoan (81%) rather than spermatophore mechanism of sperm transfer, promiscuity and polygamy over monogamy, iteroparity (99.6%) over semelparity and internal fertilization (84%) are preferred, as they accelerate diversity. Body size and egg size determine fecundity. Indirect life cycle (82%) and incorporation of feeding larval stages accelerate diversity. Brooding and viviparity (6.4%) decelerate it. Parasitism extends life span and liberates fecundity from eutelism.
Evolution is an ongoing process, and speciation and extinction are its unavoidable by-products. The in-built conservation mechanism of reviving life after a sleeping duration has been reduced from a few million years in microbial spores to a few thousand years in plant seeds and a few hundred years in dormant eggs in animals. Hence, animal conservation requires priority. The existence of temperature-resistant/insensitive individuals, strains and species shall flourish during the ongoing global warming and earth shall continue with such burgeoning species, hopefully inclusive of man.
Contents
General Introduction. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. Spatial Distribution. Coevolution and Diversity. Food and Feeding Modes. LIFE HISTORY TRAITS: B1: SEXUALITY. Gonochorism and Males. Hermaphroditism and Selfing. Parthenogenesis and Unisexualism. Clonals and Stem Cells. B2: GAMETOGENESIS AND FERTILIZATION. Mitosis and Meiosis. Oogenesis and Vitellogenesis. Spermatogenesis and Spermatophores. Female- vs Male-Heterogamety. Eutelism and Parasitism. Monogamy vs Polygamy. Semelparity vs Iteroparity. Spawning and Oviposition. Fertilization Success. Fecundity. B3: EMBRYOGENESIS AND DEVELOPMENT. Direct and Indirect Life Cycle. Brooding and Viviparity. Feeding and Non-feeding Larvae. Parasites and Hosts. Sex Determination and Differentiation. Metamorphosis and Recruitment. PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. Message From Fossils. Conservation. Climate Change.
