The Evolutionary History of Nematodes

As Revealed in Stone, Amber and Mummies
Erscheinungsjahr 2011
ISBN: 978-90-04-17521-1
Verlag: Brill

Buch, Englisch, Band 9, 430 Seiten, Format (B × H): 165 mm x 241 mm, Gewicht: 953 g

Reihe: Nematology Monographs and Perspectives

Nematodes are one of the most abundant groups of invertebrates on the face of the earth. Their numbers are estimated to range from 1000 per cm2 in the sand-covered hydrogen sulphide ‘black zone’ beneath the ocean floors to 1.2 billion in a single hectare of soil. Estimates for their species diversity range from 100 000 to 10 million. The past history of nematodes is a mystery, since very few fossils have been discovered. This book establishes a solid base in palaeonematology with descriptions of 66 new fossil species and accounts of all previous fossil and subfossil nematodes from sedimentary deposits, coprolites, amber and mummies. It shows how nematode fossils can be used to establish lineages at various locations and time periods in the earth’s history and when nematodes entered into symbiotic and parasitic associations with plants and animals.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Poinar Jr, George O

Fachgebiete

• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Tierkunde / Zoologie Wirbellose (Invertebrata)
• Geowissenschaften Geologie Paläontologie, Taphonomie
• Geowissenschaften Geologie Paläozoologie
• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Parasitologie

Über Autor(innen)

George O. Poinar Jr obtained his Ph.D. from Cornell University where he specialised in insect-parasitic nematodes. He then conducted postdoctoral investigations with nematologists in England, France and The Netherlands. During his 30 years at UC Berkeley, Dr Poinar conducted research on nematode parasites of invertebrates and began investigating amber fossils. He is currently continuing these studies at Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA. Dr Poinar has published extensively on nematodes as well as amber fossils and has authored or co-authored several books on the subjects. The present work is a fusion of his interest in nematodes and amber.