Lizards: Windows to the Evolution of Diversity (Organisms And Environments, Band 5) - Softcover

Eric R. Pianka is Denton A. Cooley Centennial Professor of Zoology at the University of Texas, Austin. His books include Evolutionary Ecology (sixth edition, 2000), The Lizard Man Speaks (1994), and Ecology and Natural History of Desert Lizards (1986). Laurie J. Vitt is a George Lynn Cross Research Professor (Zoology Department) at the University of Oklahoma and Associate Director of Collections and Research at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. He is coauthor of several books, including Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (second edition, 2000). Pianka and Vitt are also coeditors of Lizard Ecology: Historical and Experimental Perspectives (1994).

"This book is the first to provide a comprehensive introduction to the diversity of lizards and their major adaptive features. The scope and mastery of the material are truly impressive. The authors discuss the latest research findings in readily accessible terms and provide sweeping new hypotheses about lizard diversity that will generate much discussion and research among lizard specialists, community ecologists, and evolutionary biologists. This book should reach a wide audience and will undoubtedly stimulate the interest of future biologists. I wish I had had it when I was a teenager!"William E. Cooper, Indiana UniversityPurdue University

"It was a treat to read this book. Together Pianka and Vitt form an unbeatable team of lizard experts. Vitt has extensive experience in South America and tropical forests, as well as southwestern U.S. deserts, whereas Pianka has specialized in deserts of Australia, southern Africa, and North America. They have spent a lot of time in the field studying lizards, and this is apparent in the text. I especially enjoyed the personal vignettes, which add to the liveliness of the book. This is a wonderful synthesis and a great addition to the herpetological literature."David B. Wake, University of California, Berkeley

"No one knows lizards better than Pianka and Vitt. These master naturalists and master ecologists have combined forces to provide a scholarlyyet accessible and personaloverview on the biology of a fascinating group of organisms. If you like lizards, you must read this book. If you dont like lizards but still have an open mind, you really should read this book. If youre not sure whether you like lizards, you definitely should read this book."Raymond B. Huey, University of Washington

"This book provides an excellent overview of the staggering diversity of lizards, highlighting not only the intrinsically fascinating traits of these reptiles but also their appropriateness as models for evolutionary and ecological studies. The authors thorough treatment of lizard biology is engagingly presented and is enhanced by personal insights derived from decades of fieldwork in the deserts and rain forests of the world."Aaron M. Bauer, Villanova University