Physiological Mammalogy

Abstract

The first volume consists of two comprehensive articles dealing with the physiology of populations. Calhoun's "The Social Use of Space" presents many interesting new ideas on the behavior of animals in populations and the effects of grouping of individuals upon the physiology of the organism. Where many workers have thought of the experimental animal only as an individual apparently divorced from his environment and other members of the species, Calhoun points out the fallacy of this view in providing experimental data that demonstrate the effects of numbers of individuals on the behavior of each individual. Christian's article on population growth treats the problem largely from an ecological viewpoint in dealing with limiting factors of natural populations and population interrelationships. Volume II will consist of three contributions dealing with natural populations and their adaptations to stressful environments. Dr. Charles Kayser treats the mammalian phenomenon of hibernation as a mechanism for avoiding periods of unfavorable environment, and Dr. Robert Chew deals with water balance in desert rodents. Inasmuch as reproduction is considerably affected by the environment, it too can be considered a process modified by environmental stresses, and is discussed in the second volume. Subsequent volumes will include articles on such topics as temperature and metabolism, physiological genetics, photoperiod, and orientation by echolocation. The Editors will conclude the series with a summary article on the phylogeny of physiology. The Editors feel particularly fortunate in that they have received fine cooperation from outstanding authorities in the specific subject matter topics covered. It is the caliber of the individual author on which these volumes base their contribution to science; and while the Editors assume any responsibility for defects of organization or inadvertent errors, the credit for the success of the volumes, as a whole, rests on the indi^'idual contributors.