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Zusatztext a wonderful monograph on a fascinating group of frogs, where every chapter manages to amaze the reader with a (thus far mostly unknown) remarkable aspect of Xenopus biology ... The editors have done an excellent job to bring this wealth of information together, in such a structured way that it reads as a single-authored monograph, and a gripping one at that. This book will become a bible for all scientists involved with one aspect or other of research on Xenopus. But I suggest that it should be compulsory literature for every zoologist, as the book tells a convincing story of an animal which has gone its own way and has become most successful in the process. Klappentext Xenopus, the African clawed frog, is one of the three most widely cited vertebrate animals in the biological literature, yet almost all knowledge is based on laboratory experience of a single species, Xenopus laevis from South Africa. Despite the occurrence of these frogs in habitats ranging from rainforest to semi-desert and from lowland swamps to alpine lakes in sub-Saharan Africa, the rest of the genus was until recently considered relatively uniform and uninteresting. During the past twenty years, field research has transformed our knowledge of these animals in their natural environment, and currently seventeen species are recognized. This book is the first attempt to describe their biology and natural history. The first five chapters cover systematics, ecology, distribution, and species interactions. The second section covers behaviour, sensory perception, and development. The next section focuses on infections and defence, followed by a final group of chapters on evolutionary and phylogenetic aspects. The aim of this volume is to provide a reference work for researchers working with Xenopus in the lab and to highlight for them and others the potential of Xenopus for future work in evolutionary biology, genetics, behaviour, immunology, parasitology, and ecology. Zusammenfassung Xenopus, the African clawed frog, is one of the three most widely cited vertebrate animals in the biological literature, yet almost all knowledge is based on laboratory experience of a single species, Xenopus laevis from South Africa. Despite the occurrence of these frogs in habitats ranging from rainforest to semi-desert and from lowland swamps to alpine lakes in sub-Saharan Africa, the rest of the genus was until recently considered relatively uniform and uninteresting.During the past twenty years, field research has transformed our knowledge of these animals in their natural environment, and currently seventeen species are recognized. This book is the first attempt to describe their biology and natural history. The first five chapters cover systematics, ecology, distribution, and species interactions. The second section covers behaviour, sensory perception, and development. The next section focuses on infections and defence, followed by a final group of chapters on evolutionary and phylogenetic aspects. The aim of this volume is to provide a reference work for researchers working with Xenopus in the lab and to highlight for them and others the potential of Xenopus for future work in evolutionary biology, genetics, behaviour, immunology, parasitology, and ecology. Inhaltsverzeichnis Introduction Xenopus species and ecology (5 chapters) Behaviour, sensory perception, and development (6 chapters) Infections and defence (4 chapters) Phylogeny and speciation (6 chapters) Index ...
