Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
This book is intended as a textbook for 3rd year undergraduate students, as well as postgraduate students. It comprises a review of the current opinion regarding the evolution and adaptation of terrestrial arthropods, beginning with the paleontological, embryological, morphological and physiological evidence. The implication of size is then considered in relation to life on land. A discussion of insect phylogeny and the origin of flight is followed by an account of evolutionary trends in reproduction. Further chapters cover adaptations to extreme environments, dispersal and migration, defensive mechanisms and, finally, present arguments for the success of the terrestrial arthropods in general.
Synopsis
Thisisnotintendedtobeacomprehensivetextbookofentomology andarachnology, butratheraconcisesynthesisofcertainbasic informationrequiredfor BSc(Hons)andMSc(Entomology) examinations. Theapproachisprimarilyfunctional: forinstance, theskeletalandwaterproofingpropertiesofthearthropodcuticle arediscussed, butnotitsbiochemistry;andIhaveincludedonly thosepointswithwhichIbelievealladvancedstudentsofthesub- jectoughttobefamiliar. Someaspectsaretodayregardedas outdated;othersdonotappearinanycurrenttexts, butIhave includedthembecauseIconsiderthemtobeimportant. Innoway, therefore, shouldthisberegardedasabookofreference. Tobe frank, itconsistsofamassofoversimplificationsandunqualified generalizationswhichareintendedtoclarifythecomplexprinciples underlyingthem. OncetheseprincipleshavebeenthorougWy grasped, thereaderwillhaveacquiredasufficientlybroadapproach tobeabletogetthebestvaluefrommoreadvancedtreatises. MythanksareduetoDrs. JohnDalingwater, AndrewMilner, andespeciallyPaulHillyardfortheiradviceonpalaeontological matters;toProfessorsEinarBursellforpermissiontouseFig. 8, takenfromhis An Introduction to Insect Physiology(Academic Press), NeilF. HadleyandtheEditorsof American Scientistto reproduceFigs. 52,53, andtoF. SchallerforFig. 42fromachap- terhewroteinGupta(ed. ) Arthropod Phylogeny(VanNostrand Reinhold). Finally, IwouldliketoexpressmygratitudetoRoy Abrahamsforredrawingthefiguresshowinginsectwingvenations andtoEileenBerghfortypingthemanuscript. Thebookwas completedduringtenureofaLeverhulmeEmeritusFellowship whichIampleasedtoacknowledge, whileProfessorN. A. Mitchison FRSkindlyprovidedmewithaccommodationinUniversityCol- lege, London. J. L. CWUDSLEY-THOMPSON Contents 1 PalaeontologyandPhylogeny. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1. 1 TheEarliestArthropodanFossils. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1. 2 TheFirstTerrestrialArthropods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1. 3 EvolutionintheArthropods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1. 3. 1 EmbryologicalConsiderations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1. 3. 2 ComparativeMorphology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1. 3. 3 MonophyleticorPolyphyleticOrigins. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 FurtherReading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2 ImplicationsofLiveonLand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2. 1 TheSignificanceofSize 10 2. 1. 1 Size, SkeletonsandAllometry 11 2. 1. 2 AllometricGrowth 12 2. 2 WaterRelations 12 2. 3 TheConquestoftheLand 14 2. 4 . TheIntegument 14 2. 4. 1 TheEndocuticle 15 2. 4. 2 TheExocuticle 15 2. 4. 3 TheEpicuticle 16 2. 5 GrowthandEcdysis 18 2. 6 Respiration: Lung-BooksandTracheae 19 2. 7 NutritionandExcretion 21 2. 7. 1 Nutrition 21 2. 7. 2 Excretion 22 2. 8 EcologicalConsiderationsofSize 23 FurtherReading 25 3 TheConquestoftheLandbyCrustacea. . . . . . . . . . . . 26 3. 1 TypesofAdaptation. . . . 26 3. 2 TransitionfromWatertoLandinAmphipoda 26 3. 3 TransitionfromWatertoLandinDecapoda 28 3. 4 TransitionfromWatertoLandinIsopoda 30 3. 4. 1 Morphology 30 3. 4. 2Physiology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 3. 4. 3 Behaviour 34 VIII Contents 3. 5 Conclusion 35 FurtherReading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 4 InsectPhylogenyandtheOriginofFlight. . . . 37 4. 1 AncestryofInsects 37 4. 2 TheOriginofWings 38 4. 2. 1 Apte10taandtheAncestryofSpiders 39 4. 3 Paranota1Theory 40 4. 4 TrachealGillTheory . 42 4. 5 SelectionforFlight 43 4. 6 PhylogenyoftheLowerInsectOrders . 44 4. 6. 1 FossilEvidence .