Chapter 39 Xenarthra Roberto F. Aguilar, Mariella Superina Biology The superorder Xenarthra consists of 31 extant species of armadillos (Cingulata—Dasypodidae), sloths (Pilosa—Folivora: Bradypodidae and Megalonychidae), and anteaters (Pilosa—Vermilingua: Myrmecophagidae and…

Chapter 14 Phoenicopteriformes Fabia S. Wyss, Christian J. Wenker Biology Flamingos are popular zoo birds because of their elegance and brilliant coloration. They are closely related to grebes (Podicipediformes)15 and…

Chapter 72 Minimally Invasive Surgery Techniques Romain Pizzi Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy and appendectomy are used routinely in human surgery in the developed world and…

Chapter 48 Mustelidae George V. Kollias, Jesus Fernandez-Moran Natural History, Anatomy, and Physiology Recent studies have revealed that the Musteloidea emerged approximately 32.4 to 30.9 million years ago in Asia….

Chapter 62 Tragulidae, Moschidae, and Cervidae Nicholas J. Masters, Edmund Flach Deer have been known to, and hunted by, human beings for millennia, and the annual cycle of antler growth…

Chapter 56 Tapiridae Dawn M. Zimmerman, Sonia Hernandez General Biology Tapiridae are a family in the order Perissodactyla that comprises odd-toed ungulates, including horses and rhinoceroses. Tapiridae were once a…

Chapter 1 Anurans Norin Chai Biology More than 6200 species of anurans have been currently recorded,1 and these live on all continents except Antarctica. Although the larvae are aquatic, anurans…

Chapter 51 Hyaenidae William Kirk Suedmeyer Bioecology The family Hyaenidae diverged from the family Viveridae 24 million years ago at the beginning of the Miocene period.5 The family comprises four…

Chapter 60 Camelidae P. Walter Bravo Biology Camelid evolution began in western North America, 40–50 million years ago. Old World camels (OWCs) crossed the Bering Strait land bridge during a…

Chapter 4 Chelonians (Turtles, Tortoises) Joseph P. Flanagan Biology Currently, 322 living species of tortoises and freshwater and marine turtles are in existence (Table 4-1). They are found in diverse…