Amphibians are ecological equivalents of the canary in the coal mine. Because they have little physiological control over their body temperatures or evaporative water loss, frogs and toads, salamanders and newts, and the tropical wormlike caecilians are closely tied to their environments, and various stages of their biphasic life cycle are susceptible to environmental contaminants. At a time when populations of many species of amphibians are declining from unknown causes, indicating the destruction of natural habitats, biologists and conservationists need to know the patterns of distribution of amphibians and where large numbers of species and endemics occur. Patterns of Distribution of Amphibians: A Global Perspective, edited by William E. Duellman, is the first synthesis of information on the worldwide distribution of amphibians. Chapters on each of nine global regions are written by internationally recognized experts, who have gathered the diverse data from the literature and from their own experience in the field. The regional treatments emphasize patterns of distribution and their interpretation with respect to geography, climate, vegetation, and evolutionary history, providing unique syntheses of these patterns. The contributors also address existing and recommended aspects of conservation. The extensive bibliography accompanying each chapter is an entrée into the literature on the amphibians of each region. Appendixes provide lists of species and their areas of distribution within each major region of the world. A wealth of maps, graphs, and tables is also included, making this volume an essential reference for herpetologists, biogeographers, and conservationists. Contributors: Leo J. Borkin, Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg Jonathan A. Campbell, University of Texas, Arlington William E. Duellman, University of Kansas, Lawrence S. Blair Hedges, Pennsylvania State University Robert F. Inger, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago J. C. Poynton, Natural History Museum, London Samuel S. Sweet, University of California, Santa Barbara Michael J. Tyler, University of Adelaide, Australia Zhao Er-Mi, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Peoples Republic of China Praise for Biology of Amphibians, by William E. Duellman and Linda Trueb (also available from Johns Hopkins): ''Duellman and Trueb truly review the biology of amphibians, covering most conceivable topics from cytogenetics and development to biogeography and phylogeny . . . There is no recent textbook on amphibian biology that is worthy of comparison.''Science ''An impressive review of current knowledge concerning all aspects of amphibian biology. The authors have organized a tremendous number of facts, observations, and theories around the complementary themes of structure and evolution . . . A major undertaking.''Bioscience ''The text is clear and concise and richly illustrated . . . This book goes some way towards being all one could wish for and is likely to be an important source of reference.''Nature
