Mammalogy: Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology

Abstract

Feldhamer, G. A., L. C. Drickamer, S. H. Vessey, J. F. Merritt, and C. Krajewski. 2015. Mammalogy: Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology . 4th ed. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, xiv + 768 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-1588-8, price (hardcover), $110.00. This book is the 4th edition of this classic mammalogy textbook geared for an undergraduate class, and it continues to provide an impressive and engaging resource on mammalogy. As in any dynamic field, the current state of knowledge is frequently updated, and this edition thus also provides a much anticipated and needed update to the previous edition (Feldhamer et al. 2007), most notably adding an entirely new chapter on phylogeny in Part 1 and including taxonomic updates. Many recent references and updates have been added throughout the text, and chapter summaries are organized into bullet points instead of in paragraph form. Otherwise, the basic layout and organization of the book will be familiar to users of previous editions. The current book contains 30 chapters in 5 major sections, spanning diverse topics that should give students a sense of the major topics in the field and will also appeal broadly to the diversity of researchers who study mammals. The sections can be used as topical modules although not necessarily to be read sequentially; however, if you follow the book from start to finish, it is roughly organized into broad topics that apply across all mammals or involve trends in evolution, then group-focused chapters, and then a few special topics to tie all the ideas together. Part 1 introduces the field and provides some major conceptual frameworks, and Part 2 covers topics on structure and function across all mammals. Part 3 surveys groups of mammals and provides a wealth of information down through orders and families. Part 4 introduces behavior and ecology, and Part 5 spotlights 3 special topics (parasites and disease, domesticated animals, and conservation). Each chapter begins with a very brief introduction and ends with a summary, suggested readings, and discussion questions. I found the summaries and suggested readings particularly … Department of Biology, MSC 3AF, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88033, USA; e-mail: twey{at}nmsu.edu.