A Basic Glossary of Invertebrate Zoology - Paperback

by Ron Clouse (Author)

Those who study invertebrate animals are expected to learn hundreds of scientific words and names and apply them correctly to a diverse array of taxa and their internal organs, appendages, and larvae. This glossary was written to help students with this task, and it guides the reader through over 900 of the most common terms in the field. Each word is thoughtfully defined and cross-referenced, and each is given its proper taxonomic context based on the latest scientific studies. At the beginning there is a guide to Latin and Greek plurals and root words, with examples from invertebrates, and there are easily understood pronunciation guides for unfamiliar words. At the end there is a summary of synonyms and near-synonyms, as well as references for further reading.

Ron Clouse received his doctorate in biology from Harvard University and his master's degree in zoology from the University of Florida. He has published scientific articles on the behavior, ecology, systematics, biogeography, and genetics of various invertebrate animals, including wasps, ants, flies, sea cucumbers, and harvestmen, as well as studies on malaria and certain gene families in plants. He has traveled on expeditions to Micronesia, New Guinea, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and various areas in the United States, including the Pacific Northwest, the Florida Everglades, and the Southern Appalachians.

Kirkus Reviews:

It would be difficult to imagine an easier or more handsome reference guide for a novice.

Invertebrate zoology is a vast field, containing numerous strange and wondrous subjects from insects to worms to jellyfish. Its great diversity, however, has given rise to a specialized vocabulary that can seem impenetrable to those who may be looking to enter the field. Clouse's book is "intended to be a companion that beginners can take to lectures, laboratories, and study sessions to help them navigate the maze of terminology which underlies a course in invertebrate zoology." He begins with a quick 10-page primer on the Latin and Greek roots that form the building blocks of zoological terminology to help readers suss out the meanings of unfamiliar words: echin means "spiny"; gnath means "jaw"; stoma means "mouth." He then moves into the glossary proper, taking readers alphabetically through the most essential terms of invertebrate zoology, from "book lungs" ("The respiratory structures of some arachnids") to "Gordian worms" ("Common name for nematomorphs, also called 'hairworms' or 'horsehair worms' ") to "slime glands" ("The large glands in velvet worms that open on either side of the mouth and shoot out sticky secretions for defense and prey capture"). Terms that aren't common English words feature pronunciations in addition to definitions, and every term lists the taxonomic groups to which it refers. Clouse's prose possesses the crispness and precision that befits a scientific reference text. The book's layout is highly accessible and pleasing to the eye, with occasional black-and-white illustrations of creatures at the bottoms of pages. Reading one definition will likely lead readers to a number of other terms; italicized words in each entry are defined elsewhere in the text, allowing one to move through the book by pursuing one's interests. Even spending half an hour with this text will make readers more knowledgeable about invertebrate zoology than they were prior to picking it up, and it would be difficult to imagine an easier or more handsome reference guide for a novice.

A slim but comprehensive zoological guide.