Marine Mammal Biology: An Evolutionary Approach

This is a very well illustrated text dealing with a fascinatinggroups of animals. Although it is an advanced text (the'introductory' nature alluded to being best for those with somebiological training) there is much to gained for the beginner.There is a wealth of detail which could be used in many educationalcontexts making this book more of a reference aid than straighttextbook. It provides information on mammal biology helpful indiscussions about broader ecological aspects which cannot easily befound elsewhere. TEGNews

In 14 chapters, some 27 specialists have captured the essenceof all asepcts of life forms - behavioural characteristics, ecologyand conservation needs - of 121 species of marine mammals occupyingthree taxonomic orders... A must for college and universities thathave storng biology, ecology, or marine biology programs, as wellas for larger public libraries. CHOICE

This book, intended for students of marine biology, ecology, orevolution, presents a broad spectrum of topics in remarkabledetail. Northeastern Naturalist

This book successfully surveys the whole of marine mammalbiology. Previous attempts are dated or less sweeping and so Irecommend that all marine mammalogists own or at least have accessto this book. Trends in Ecology and Evolution

I think Hoelzel has timed this quite nicely as there isdefinitely a demand for such a book, and there have been a numberof scientific breakthroughs in the last 10-15 years that haverevolutionised our understanding of this subject. Dr RobHarcourt, Macquarie University, Australia

This is an exciting proposal, describing a book that is longoverdue. Hoelzel is an innovative and productive scientist with aflare for writing, and he is as well placed as any to steer avolume of this scope and complexity to a successful conclusion. Dr Tony Martin, British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge

Rus Hoelzel is a molecular ecologist who has studies marine mammal populations for over 20 years, including work in the field with various species in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and the South Atlantic. Currently at the University of Durham, he has also worked at Cambridge University, Imperial College and the US National Cancer Institute. He has edited four other books and is editor-in-chief of the journal Conservation Genetics. His research interests include conservation and population genetics, evolution, behavioural ecology and feeding ecology. His work with marine mammals has included studies on vocal behaviour, feeding ecology, reproductive strategy, population genetic structure and the impact of population bottlenecks on genetic diversity.