Advances in Spermatozoal Phylogeny and Taxonomy

This volume is divided into three sections: Invertebrate and General, Vertebrates, and Proteins. It is essential reading for those interested in spermatozoal ultrastructure and its use in taxonomy and phylogeny of invertebrates and vertebrates, the practical application of computerized cladistic procedures, the nature, evolution and molecular biology, including sequencing and transcription, of sperm nuclear proteins and their gene expression, calmodulin-mediated events in sperm of slime-moulds and Metazoa, the fine structure of sperm components, including patterns of subunits in axonemal microtubules, molecular structure of dynein arms, demonstration of cytoskeletal elements using immunofluorescence and silver staining, recording and interpreting patterns of sperm motility in terms of fertilization biology and other themes representing major recent advances in comparative spermatology. The text includes 41 contributions from 73 authors and should, indeed, prove useful to all students of reproductive biology and phylogeny of groups such as the Platyhelminthes, Gastrotricha, Nematoda, Mollusca, Annelida, Chelicerata, Crustacea. Insecta. Pisces, Amphibia, Reptilia, Mammalia, and Aves.

Barrie G. M. Jamieson is a Professor of Zoology in the University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia). In addition to his work as an oligochaete taxonomist, he has published many papers on spermatozoal ultrastructure and phylogeny of several invertebrate and vertebrate groups, and two books on Insect and Fish sperm. Juan Ausio is Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Victoria (Canada) and was previously a member of the Spanish Research Council (C.S.I.C.) in Barcelona (Spain). He is one of the world specialists of sperm nuclear proteins and chromatin structure. Jean-Lou Justine is Professor at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris, France), and was previously at the University of Dakar (Senegal). He has worked on spermatozoal ultrastructure and phylogeny mainly on two groups of parasitic worms : the Platyhelminthes and the Nematoda.