Kirjahaku

This book describes the environment and behaviour patterns of the Weddell seal. Based on his numerous expeditions to the Antarctic, Dr Kooyman has analysed the seal's diving physiology and acoustical biology. The seal's remarkable adaptation to its environment is evidenced in its ability to dive to 600 meters and return without ill effect and to remain submerged for more than one hour, even though it is an air-breathing animal. The seal holds a unique niche in the world's ecology; it occupies the most southern latitude of any mammal on a permanent basis. The study of this seal has provided important insights into methods of animal navigation, respiration and metabolism. Dr Kooyman is well known as an authority on the Weddell seal. During his fifteen trips to the Antarctic since 1961, he has studied the seal extensively. This book should appeal to marine biologists, animal physiologists and to all those with a serious interest in natural history and life in the Antarctic.

This book describes the environment and behaviour patterns of the Weddell seal. Based on his numerous expeditions to the Antarctic, Dr Kooyman has analysed the seal's diving physiology and acoustical biology. The seal's remarkable adaptation to its environment is evidenced in its ability to dive to 600 meters and return without ill effect and to remain submerged for more than one hour, even though it is an air-breathing animal. The seal holds a unique niche in the world's ecology; it occupies the most southern latitude of any mammal on a permanent basis. The study of this seal has provided important insights into methods of animal navigation, respiration and metabolism. Dr Kooyman is well known as an authority on the Weddell seal. During his fifteen trips to the Antarctic since 1961, he has studied the seal extensively. This book should appeal to marine biologists, animal physiologists and to all those with a serious interest in natural history and life in the Antarctic.

This book is not a conventional review of diving physiology. The coverage of the literature has been selective rather than en­ compassing, the emphasis has been on field studies rather than laboratory investigations, and the dive responses described are often discussed from the perspective of some of the flaws or weaknesses in the conclusions. Some of these points are of more historical interest to note how our concepts have evolved as we learn more about behavior and responses to natural diving in contrast to forced submersions in the laboratory. As a result there is a degree of evaluation of some experiments on my part that may seem obvious or controversial to the specialist. I have followed this planat times in order to aid the reader, who I hope is often an untergraduate or graduate stu­ dent, the nonspecialist, and the layman, in appreciating to some degree the level of dissatisfaction or skepticism about certain areas of research in diving physiology. In view of historical boundaries in vertebrate biology, the subject is of broad enough importance to catch the interest of a wide audience of readers if I have done my job well. For ex­ ample, of the major epochal transitions or events there have been in vertebrate history, three come immediately to mind: (1) The transition from aquatic to aerial respiration which ultimately led to a broad occupation of terrestrial habitats. (2) The development of endothermy.