Books on the topic 'Revised taxonomy'

The third edition of EU Administrative Law provides comprehensive coverage of the administrative system in the EU and the principles of judicial review that apply in this area. This revised edition provides important updates on each area covered, including new case law; institutional developments; and EU legislation. These changes are located within the framework of broader developments in the EU. The chapters in the first half of the book deal with all the principal variants of the EU administrative regime. Thus there are chapters dealing with the history and taxonomy of the EU administrative regime; direct administration; shared administration; comitology; agencies; social partners; and the open method of coordination. The coverage throughout focuses on the legal regime that governs the particular form of administration and broader issues of accountability, drawing on literature from political science as well as law. The focus in the second part of the book shifts to judicial review. There are detailed chapters covering all principles of judicial review and the discussion of the law throughout is analytical and contextual. It begins with the principles that have informed the development of EU judicial review. This is followed by a chapter dealing with the judicial system and the way in which reform could impact on the subject matter of the book. There are then chapters dealing with competence; access; transparency; process; law, fact and discretion; rights; equality; legitimate expectations; two chapters on proportionality; the precautionary principle; two chapters on remedies; and the Ombudsman.

Understanding the history and philosophy of biological systematics (phylogenetics, taxonomy and classification of living things) is key to successful practice of the discipline. In this thoroughly revised third edition, the authors provide an updated account of cladistic principles and techniques, emphasizing their empirical and epistemological clarity. The book covers the history and philosophy of systematics; the mechanics and methods of character analysis, phylogenetic inference, and evaluation of results; the practical application of systematic results to biological classification, adaptation and coevolution, biodiversity, and conservation; along with new chapters on species and molecular clocks. The book is both a textbook for students studying systematic biology and a desk reference for practicing systematists. Part explication of concepts and methods, part exploration of the underlying epistemology of systematics, the edition addresses why some methods are more empirically sound than others.

This second edition of Australian Bird Names is a completely updated checklist of Australian birds and the meanings behind their common and scientific names, which may be useful, useless or downright misleading! For each species, the authors examine the many-and-varied common names and full scientific name, with derivation, translation and a guide to pronunciation. Stories behind the name are included, as well as relevant aspects of biology, conservation and history. Original descriptions, translated by the authors, have been sourced for many species. As well as being a book about names, this is a book about the history of the ever-developing understanding of birds, about the people who contributed to this understanding and, most of all, about the birds themselves. This second edition has been revised to follow current taxonomy and understanding of the relationships between families, genera and species. It contains new taxa, updated text and new vagrants and will be interesting reading for anyone with a love of birds, words or the history of Australian biology and bird-watching.

Owls in Australia are difficult to find and study, so comparatively little is known about their biology. Even less is known about the status, taxonomy, and biology of those species and sub-species living in tropical and subtropical environments and on islands. Many island species and subspecies are at risk, some have already been lost. Ecology and Conservation of Owls includes sections on population ecology, distribution, habitat and diet, conservation and management, and voice structure and taxonomy. It contains a number of review chapters that bring together findings from a wide range of previous research, including recent developments in owl taxonomy and systematics, and studies of population limitation in northern hemisphere owls. The chapters in this book derive from papers presented at the Owls 2000 conference held in Canberra, Australia, which was third in a series of international meetings on owls.

Chapter 3 begins with a partial taxonomy of the theoretical responses to the puzzling patterns of knowledge ascriptions. This includes a characterization of pragmatic encroachment that captures a wide variety of views. Moreover, the main lines of argument from the various effects on knowledge ascriptions to unorthodox theories of knowledge are sketched. The chapter concludes with a discussion of methodology. Some critical points are set forth against DeRose’s methodology of the straightforward. On a positive note, some principles of an alternative equilibristic methodology are articulated. According to this methodology, it is sometimes reasonable to revise our intuitive judgments in the light of theoretical considerations.

This book brings together exciting accounts of life history strategies of a range of species, as well as background information on general butterfly behaviour, taxonomy and evolutionary aspects. Each chapter is written by one of Australia’s professional lepidopterists and provides a comprehensive literature review as a reference for further research for professional, amateur and student alike. Illustrated with figures, tables and colour plates, this book provides a rich source of information that will fascinate and challenge the reader to further our knowledge of the Australian butterfly fauna.

Este libro es producto de los resultados obtenidos en la primera fase terminada del proyecto y línea de investigación denominada: “Análisis y Desarrollo de Indicadores para Medir el Crimen Económico y Responsabilidad Social Empresarial”, el cual ha sido financiado en su tercer periodo de desarrollo por la Corporación Universitaria Americana durante el periodo enero de 2016 y diciembre de 2018. El trabajo investigativo presentado aquí se basa en la experiencia de aproximadamente 6 años de investigaciones documentales y participaciones de los autores como ponentes en varios congresos internacionales en Latinoamérica, específicamente en: Brasil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, México y Venezuela. Esto ha permitido intercambiar interesantes puntos de vista con colegas expertos que se relacionan con el tema del crimen económico y la responsabilidad social empresarial, gubernamental y civil. Los antecedentes reflexivos que contiene este libro, se inician en el periodo 2009-2011 con cuatro trabajos presentados por Ibarra Alberto en trabajo conjunto con Echeverri Camilo: 1. Artículo del 2009: “Retrospectiva de la Responsabilidad Social Empresarial a través del Desarrollo del Pensamiento Económico”, Revista Universo Contabil de la Fundación Universitaria de Blumenau, Brasil; 2. La ponencia del 2009: “Correlación entre Información Empresarial y Objetivos Corporativos con base a la Responsabilidad Social Empresarial”, XIV Congreso Internacional de Contaduría, Administración e Informática en la UNAM, México; 3. La ponencia del 2010: “Algunos Fundamentos sobre la Responsabilidad Social en la Empresa Privada considerando el Desarrollo del Pensamiento Económico” , V Reunión Internacional de Gestión y Desarrollo sobre Responsabilidad Social y Emprendimiento, Universidad de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brasil; 4. El artículo del 2011: “Índices para Medir Empresas Sostenibles con base a la Responsabilidad Social Empresarial vs Crimen Económico desde un Enfoque de la Teoría Behaviorista”, Revista Civilizar de Empresa y Economía de Universidad Sergio Arboleda, Bogotá, Colombia. El segundo periodo del desarrollo conceptual del trabajo de investigación comprende el periodo 2012-2014 con cuatro ponencias en congresos internacionales: 5. “La RSE como Estrategia de Crecimiento Económico”, XXV Congreso Latinoamericano de Estrategia, Universidad Metropolitana Castro Carazo, Costa Rica 2012. 6. “Análisis del Observatorio de la Globalización sobre Crimen Económico y Crisis de Cultura de Legalidad a Nivel Mundial (Soborno, Extorción, Corrupción y Fraude Empresarial)”, II Congreso The Global Compact de las Naciones Unidas 2012, Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá. 7. “Análisis Comparativo de los Indicadores e Informes de Crimen Financiero y Económico en el Mundo y Latinoamérica vs RSE.” XII International Finance Conference 2012, de American Academy of Financial Management, Universidad EAFIT Medellín, Colombia. 8. “Análisis del Crimen Financiero en Entornos de Crisis Financiera”. International Finance Conference 2014”, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. El tercer periodo comprende los años 2015-2016, y los autores trabajaron y presentaron 9 ponencias y un artículo de reflexión, donde gran parte de estos trabajos se llevaron a cabo en compañía de otros investigadores con excelente capacidad analítica sobre el tema. Entre estos académicos está la colaboración de Andrés Tibaquira y Alexander Castrillo. Los trabajos son: 9. “Estructuras Conceptuales del Crimen Económico y la RSE para desarrollar un Análisis Integral de Empresas Socialmente Responsables”, XXVIII Congreso Latinoamericano de Estrategia SLADE 2015, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín, Colombia. 10. “Desarrollo Sostenible con RSE versus Corrupción y Fraude Corporativo: Sus Indicadores e Índices de Medición”. Conferencia Magistral ante la Contraloría General de Medellín Colombia y Red de Transparencia”. 11. “Tres Intangibles Correlacionados con el Entorno Organizacional para Alcanzar Empresas Sostenibles y Éticas: Capital Social, Capital Intelectual y Responsabilidad Social”. XX Congreso Internacional de Contaduría, Administración e Informática 2015. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 12. “Crimen Económico y Responsabilidad Social Empresarial”. Instituto Tecnológico Nacional de México, Conferencia Magistral ante el Consejo de Investigación. 13. “Análisis Internacional sobre el Crimen Económico por países”. Conferencista Magistral y Organizador Técnico del I Congreso Internacional de Crimen Económico y Fraude Financiero y Contable. Corporación Universitaria Remington, Medellín, Colombia. En el 2016, se presentaron las siguientes ponencias: 14. “Hacia Una Nueva Taxonomía del Delito y Crimen Económico”, II Congreso Internacional de Economía, Contabilidad y Administración”, Universidad de la Habana, Cuba.; 15. Ibarra Alberto y Tibaquira Andrés: “Hacia una Nueva Taxonomía del Delito y Crimen Económico para incrementar la RSE”. International Finance Conference 2016 Chile, Universidad de Valparaíso Chile y Universidad de Santiago de Chile. 16. Ibarra Mares Alberto y Tibaquira Cuervo Andrés: “Objetivos Empresariales Informales y su Influencia en Fraudes dentro del Sistema de Información Contable”, V Encuentro Internacional de Investigación y Espíritu Empresarial. Universidad Francisco de Paula Santander, Ocaña Santander Colombia. 17. Ibarra Alberto, Echeverri Camilo y Ramírez Carlos: “Antecedentes y Actualidad del Desarrollo del Gobierno Corporativo en Latinoamérica”, II Congreso Internacional de Crimen Económico y Fraude Financiero y Contable. Conferencista Magistral, Corporación Universitaria Remington, Medellín Colombia. 18. Ibarra Alberto, Pérez Luis Alfonso y Garzón Manuel (2015): “Código de ética empresarial para las Pymes: Marco de Referencia para la Sostenibilidad y Responsabilidad Social Empresarial (RSE)”. Revista Espacios. Venezuela. A partir de la experiencia adquirida, el objetivo de los autores en este trabajo fue sintetizar una serie de conceptos técnicos fundamentales sobre el crimen económico y sus principales componentes, con el fin de conformar una sólida taxonomía y metodología para medir las percepciones sobre los diferentes tipos de crimen económico en diferentes países de Latinoamérica, iniciando por Colombia, ello permitirá adaptar y mejorar algunos indicadores que se han estandarizado en el ámbito mundial para medir cualitativa y cuantitativamente las variables del crimen económico entre países, instituciones, sectores y personas. En el capítulo 1 y 2 se inicia con un análisis documental sobre cuáles son las principales variables que se toman en cuenta en la literatura especializada sobre este fenómeno económico negativo que registran las empresas, instituciones y países. Para ello, se partió de una taxonomía de 17 variables que proporcionaron información acerca de Transparencia Internacional (TI) y sobre el lenguaje del crimen económico para determinar ocho categorías o tipologías de crimen económico, a las cuales se les denominó taxonomía. En el capítulo 3 se da a conocer una muestra representativa de algunas de las principales organizaciones que se dedican al estudio y combate de delitos económicos y fraudes. Las primeras instituciones que incluimos por su prestigio y seriedad sobre el tema, fueron: Transparencia Internacional (TI), La Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU), PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), Ernst and Young (EY), KPMG y Deloitte and Touche. Además, consideramos datos y reportes del Fondo Monetario Internacional (FMI) y el Banco Mundial (BM). En los capítulos cuarto, quinto y sexto, analizamos respectivamente el crimen económico desde sus tres perspectivas o niveles: 1.) Por país, 2.) Por empresas, y 3.) Por personas. Por último, en el capítulo séptimo damos unas conclusiones que consideramos nos dan una primera visión para un análisis metodológico y con mayor rigor científico sobre el crimen económico En el capítulo séptimo incluimos las conclusiones finales basadas en el marco teórico sobre la teoría marginalista y teoría behaviorista, que nos permite fundamentar nuestras reflexiones y conclusiones. También adicionamos las ideas de Francis Fukuyama con respecto al concepto de confianza y capital social, que son componentes importantes de la ética y responsabilidad social empresarial. Incluimos además unas ideas sobre la teoría institucionalista que determina en gran medida el comportamiento de un individuo dependiendo del tipo de institución en dónde se desarrolla.

This chapter describes various approaches to concurrency, or “parallel programming”. An overview of high performance computing is followed with a review of Flynn’s taxonomy of parallel computing. Three methods for implementing parallel code using the frameworks provided by MPI, openMP, and C++ threads are presented. The use of the C++ constructs mutex and future to resolve issues of synchronization are discussed. All methods are illustrated with an embarrassingly parallel application to a Monte Carlo integral and common pitfalls are presented. The chapter closes with a discussion and example of the utility of forking processes and the use of C++ sockets and their application in a client/server environment.

This chapter provides an updated overview of risk factors for eating disorders, on the basis of the risk factor taxonomy described by (Kraemer et al., 1997). It summarizes risk factors identified in longitudinal studies and markers and retrospective correlates from cross-sectional studies through April 2002 for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder, identifies new studies published between May 2002 and June 2015, and integrates them into the earlier review. The updated review confirms that longitudinal evidence on risk factors is strongest for nonspecific eating disorder diagnoses including subclinical forms and weakest for participants with diagnoses of anorexia nervosa. When strict criteria for caseness are applied, the majority of risk factors were not able to predict distinct diagnoses and only very few risk factors were confirmed in more than one sample. Case prediction, specificity, and replication therefore remain the biggest challenges in risk factor research for eating disorders.

Diagnostic radiology is a medical specialty that is primarily devoted to the diagnostic process, centered on the interpretation of medical images. This book reviews the high level of uncertainty inherent to radiological interpretation and the overlap that exists between the uncertainty of the process and what might be considered “error.” There is also a great deal of variability inherent in the physical and technological aspects of the imaging process itself. The information in diagnostic images is subtly encoded, with a broad range of “normal” that usually overlaps the even broader range of “abnormal.” Image interpretation thus blends technology, medical science, and human intuition. To develop their skillset, radiologists train intensively for years, and most develop a remarkable level of expertise. But radiology itself remains a fallible human endeavor, one involving complex neurophysiological and cognitive processes employed under a range of conditions and generally performed under time pressure. This book highlights the human experience of error. A taxonomy of error is presented, along with a theoretical classification of error types based on the underlying causes and an extensive discussion of potential error-reduction strategies. The relevant perceptual science, cognitive science, and imaging science are reviewed. A chapter addresses the issue of accountability for error, including peer review, regulatory oversight/accreditation, and malpractice litigation. The potential impact of artificial intelligence, including the use of machine learning and deep-learning algorithms, to reduce human error and improve radiologists’ efficiency is also explored.

This chapter provides a review of the evolutionary and taxonomic history of the Musteloidea, which is the most species-rich superfamily of the Carnivora, containing approximately 30% of the extant species in the order. An up-to-date summary of knowledge on the evolutionary and taxonomic history and phylogenetic relationships of the Mephitidae, Ailuridae, Procyonidae and Mustelidae is provided. Multilocus DNA sequences have made a large impact on the understanding of phylogenetic relationships among the Musteloidea. Molecular data have revealed distinct families (Ailuridae and Mephitidae) within the Musteloidea and have illuminated new relationships based on tempo and patterns of evolution within the Procyonidae. Morphological data in conjunction with molecular data have been used to elucidate species boundaries within certain musteloid genera and have led to the discovery of a new species. Research studies published during the last 30 years have enriched and transformed our understanding of the evolution of musteloid biodiversity.

Fish diversity is considered in terms of variety of their morphological, taxonomic, habitat and population attributes. Fish, with over 30, 000 current species, represent the largest group of vertebrates. The complexity of classification of a group of this size and antiquity, together with recognition of additional species, demands continuous ongoing revision. The impact of the recent fundamental changes in fish classification in 2016 is discussed. Life in water involves adaptations to widely different habitats which can result in physiological morphological and life-style variations which are reviewed.

This introduction is both a capsule history of major work in speech-act theory and an opinionated guide to its current state, organized around five major accounts of what speech acts fundamentally are. We first consider the two classical views, on which a speech act is the kind of act it is mainly due to convention (Austin), or to intention (Grice). We then spell out three other broad approaches, which conceive of speech acts primarily in terms of their function, or as the expression of mental states, or as constituted by norms. With these five families of views laid out, we relate them in turn to the apparatus of conversational score and discourse context; to the project of speech-act taxonomy; and to the theory of force. Last, we review applications of speech-act theory to matters legal and political, and to ethically significant phenomena like silencing, derogation, and coercion.

Larvae are intermediate life history stages between embryos and juvenile and/or reproductive stages, but this characteristic is about the only feature that unites the incredible diversity of larval forms. The majority of larval forms evolved in the sea and exhibit tremendous morphological, physiological, and molecular variation, many of which are potential adaptations to match form and function in the context of the aquatic environment. The three chapters in this section review how larvae from different taxonomic groups sort through and ingest exogenous nutrients and how environmental variation elicits morphological variation....

This book presents a unified approach to evolutionary psychopathology, and advances an integrative framework for the analysis and classification of mental disorders based on the concepts of life history theory. The framework does not aim to replace existing evolutionary models of specific disorders—which are reviewed and critically discussed in the book—but to connect them in a broader perspective and explain the large-scale patterns of risk and comorbidity that characterize psychopathology. The life history framework permits a seamless integration of mental disorders with normative individual differences in personality and cognition, and offers new conceptual tools for the analysis of developmental, genetic, and neurobiological data. The concepts synthesized in the book are used to derive a new taxonomy of mental disorders, the fast-slow-defense (FSD) model. The FSD model is the first classification system explicitly based on evolutionary concepts, a biologically grounded alternative to transdiagnostic models based on empirical correlations between symptoms. The book reviews a wide range of common mental disorders, discusses their classification in the FSD model, and identifies functional subtypes within existing diagnostic categories.

The Invertebrate World of Australia’s Subtropical Rainforests is a comprehensive review of Australia’s Gondwanan rainforest invertebrate fauna, covering its taxonomy, distribution, biogeography, fossil history, plant community and insect–plant relationships. This is the first work to document the invertebrate diversity of this biologically important region, as well as explain the uniqueness and importance of the organisms. This book examines invertebrates within the context of the plant world that they are dependent on and offers an understanding of Australia’s outstanding (but still largely unknown) subtropical rainforests. All major, and many minor, invertebrate taxa are described and the book includes a section of colour photos of distinctive species. There is also a strong emphasis on plant and habitat associations and fragmentation impacts, as well as a focus on the regionally inclusive Gondwana Rainforests (Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves of Australia) World Heritage Area. The Invertebrate World of Australia’s Subtropical Rainforests will be of value to professional biologists and ecologists, as well as amateur entomologists and naturalists in Australia and abroad.

Abstract An understanding of biodiversity is an important requirement of a wide range of programs of study including biology, zoology, wildlife conservation and environmental science. This book is a study and revision guide for students following such programs in which biodiversity is an important component. It contains 600 multiple-choice questions (and answers) set at three levels namley foundation, intermediate and advanced, and grouped into 10 major topic area: principles of classification and taxonomy; comparative anatomy and physiology; protoctists, monerans, fungi, lichens and acellular organisms; lower plants and pteridophytes; seed-bearing plants; sponges, cnidarians, nematodes and minor animal phyla; platyhelminths, annelids and molluscs; arthropods and echinoderms; fishes, amphibians and reptiles; and b0. Birds and mammals. The book has been produced in a convenient format so that it can be used at any time in any place. It allows the reader to learn and revise the meaning of terms used in animal and plant classification, the principles of comparative physiology, and the characteristics of, and diversity in, the major animal and plant taxa. The structure of the book allows the study of one topic area or group of taxa at a time, progressing through simple questions to those that are more demanding. Many of the questions require students to use their knowledge to identify organisms and biological structures from drawings or photographs.

This chapter deals with the semantic structure of functional collective superordinates, concentrating on three formally distinguishable classes. These can be termed ‘singular only’ (mass), e.g. furniture, cutlery; ‘plural mostly’, e.g. vegetables, cosmetics; and ‘countable’, e.g. weapons, vehicles. The chapter begins with a semantic overview, then moves to a selective review of the psycholinguistic and other cognitive science literature on superordinates. It is argued that much of this literature is flawed by the ‘All Superordinates are Taxonomic’ Fallacy. The study then presents semantic templates and explications for a sample of words from the three different formal classes just mentioned, in the process differentiating a number of semantic subclasses. A novel proposal is that the semantic structure of functional collective superordinates includes one or more hyponymic exemplars. This proposal and other semantic issues are reprised and discussed before some concluding remarks are offered.

Disruptive camouflage involves using coloration to hinder detection or recognition of an object’s outline, or other conspicuous features of its body. This involves using coloration to create ‘false’ edges that make the ‘true’ interior and exterior edges used by visual predators to find and recognize prey less apparent. Disruptive camouflage can therefore be thought of as a manipulation of the signal-to-noise ratio that depends on features of the perceptual processing of receivers. This chapter discusses the multiple mechanisms via which disruptive camouflage is thought to influence visual processing, from edge detection, through perceptual grouping, and then on to object recognition processing. This receiver-centred approach—rather than a prey-phenotype-centred approach—aims to integrate disruption within the sensory ecology of predator–prey interactions. We then discuss the taxonomic, ecological, and behavioural correlates of disruptive camouflage strategies, work on the relationship between disruption and other forms of protective coloration, and review the development of approaches to quantifying disruption in animals.

The review is devoted to the analysis of literature data on the history research of dengue fever, the discovery of the etiological infectious agent of this disease-dengue virus and its serotypes. A taxonomic overview of the }lavivirus family, genome organization, structure and function of viral proteins, mosquito species-viral vectors and virus transmission cycles, theories of its origin are presented. As well as the evolution, characteristics and epidemiology of viral serotypes, cellular receptors for dengue virus penetration, pathogenicity for human and factors for the development of severe disease, induced immunity, applied methods and markers for diagnosis, principles of disease treatment and drug development (more information about monoclonal antibodies-potential therapeutic drugs), vaccine options and their effectiveness are considered. The book is intended for students, graduate students, employees of research institutions and universities, as well as doctors involved in the study of }laviviruses and the problem of differential diagnosis of flavivirus infections.

The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2010 is the third in a series of action plans that have been produced at the start of each decade. The book analyses the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) status of all the species and subspecies of Australia's birds, including those of the offshore territories. For each bird the size and trend in their population and distribution has been analysed using the latest iteration of IUCN Red List Criteria to determine their risk of extinction. The book also provides an account of all those species and subspecies that are or are likely to be extinct. The result is the most authoritative account yet of the status of Australia's birds. In this completely revised edition each account covers not only the 2010 status but provides a retrospective assessment of the status in 1990 and 2000 based on current knowledge, taxonomic revisions and changes to the IUCN criteria, and then reasons why the status of some taxa has changed over the last two decades. Maps have been created specifically for the Action Plan based on vetted data drawn from the records of Birds Australia, its members and its partners in many government departments. This is not a book of lost causes. It is a call for action to keep the extraordinary biodiversity we have inherited and pass the legacy to our children. 2012 Whitley Award Commendation for Zoological Resource.

The editors of this book have used their combined 90 years of experience working on the behaviour and ecology of wild carnivores to draw together a unique network of the world’s experts on musteloid biology and conservation. The musteloids are the most speciose and diverse super-family among carnivores, ranging from little known, exotic, and highly-endangered species to the popular and familiar, and include a large number of introduced invasives. They feature terrestrial, fossorial, arboreal, and aquatic members, ranging from tenacious predators to frugivorous omnivores, span weights from a 100g weasel to 30kg giant otters, and express a range of social behaviours from the highly gregarious to the fiercely solitary. Their diversity and extensive biogeography inform a wide spectrum of ecological theory and conservation practice. Beginning with a brief account of 93 musteloid species, there follow eight comprehensive review chapters covering topics most relevant to musteloid biology and conservation: evolution, form and function, population dynamics, communication, social organisation, exploitation and conflict with people, study tools and techniques, and disease. Twenty detailed case studies then delve into the very best species investigations worldwide, written by leading figures in the field, and providing a range of geographic and taxonomic coverage. The final chapter synthesises what has been discussed in the book, and reflects on the different and diverse conservation needs of musteloids and the wealth of conservation lessons they offer.

The Pleistocene epoch or Ice Age, an extended period of advancing and retreating ice sheets, is characterized by striking climatic oscillations and sea level fluctuations. This age saw the rise and spread of humans and a great extinction of large mammals by the end of the epoch; in fact, the world today is essentially the product of dramatic changes that took place in the Pleistocene. This book, a companion to the author's Pleistocene Amphibians and Reptiles in North America, discusses the Pleistocene amphibians and reptiles in Britain and the European continent eastward through present-day Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Yugoslavian republics, and Greece. The book begins with a general discussion of the Pleistocene in Britain and Europe with an emphasis on regional terms used to define Pleistocene chronological events. Next, a look at the pre-Pleistocene herpetofauna of the study area sets the stage for a discussion of Pleistocene herpetofauna. A significant section of the book consists of a "bestiary," a series of annotated taxonomic accounts of Pleistocene herpetological taxa from the region. Following this is the interpretive section, beginning with a discussion of herpetological species as paleoenvironmental indicators and continuing with an analysis of herpetological population adjustments to Pleistocene events in Britain and Europe, and then with a discussion of extinction patterns in the region. Finally, the author compares Pleistocene herpetological events in Europe with those in North America. This volume and its companion together provide an up-to-date and comprehensive review of Pleistocene herpetofaunas across a significant portion of the Northern Hemisphere.