Molluscan biology and evolution - a summary of what we know
This blog is about these two books which were published in late 2019 (vol. 1) and early 2020 (vol. 2) which summarise much of the information about molluscs up late 2019, including their morphology, anatomy, physiology, biology, ecology, systematics and fossil history. The Appendix in Volume 2 provides a classification for all molluscs (living and extinct) up to the family level. Both books have a comprehensive bibliography and index and are richly illustrated in colour.
Publication details:
Title: The biology and evolution of the Mollusca. Volumes 1 & 2.
Authors: Winston F. Ponder, David R. Lindberg and Juliet M. Ponder.
Publisher: Taylor & Francis by CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Number of pages Vol. 1 (xxiii + 900), vol. 2 (xx + 868)
Availability
Can be purchased from most major booksellers, including the publisher (https://www.routledge.com/Biology-and-Evolution-of-the-Mollusca/Ponder-Lindberg-Ponder/p/book/9780367862107).
Some background
These books took more than a decade to produce. The initial inspiration occurred while Winston ran (with Andy Davis) a course on Mollusca at the University of Wollongong (NSW, Australia) for several years, during which the need for an up to date comprehensive text on molluscs was clearly apparent. The original concept was to produce a book perhaps a little larger than J. E. Morton's book on molluscs first published in 1958. It grew way beyond that, culminating in two volumes. Julie Ponder spent many years fashioning the hundreds of illustrations used in the books using Adobe IllustratorTM.
Two wonderful volunteers, Doris Shearman and Rosemary Coucouvinis assisted with many tasks involving the bibliography, copy editing etc.
Please give us some feedback by posting your comments below.
Publication details:
Title: The biology and evolution of the Mollusca. Volumes 1 & 2.
Authors: Winston F. Ponder, David R. Lindberg and Juliet M. Ponder.
Publisher: Taylor & Francis by CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Number of pages Vol. 1 (xxiii + 900), vol. 2 (xx + 868)
Availability
Can be purchased from most major booksellers, including the publisher (https://www.routledge.com/Biology-and-Evolution-of-the-Mollusca/Ponder-Lindberg-Ponder/p/book/9780367862107).
Some background
These books took more than a decade to produce. The initial inspiration occurred while Winston ran (with Andy Davis) a course on Mollusca at the University of Wollongong (NSW, Australia) for several years, during which the need for an up to date comprehensive text on molluscs was clearly apparent. The original concept was to produce a book perhaps a little larger than J. E. Morton's book on molluscs first published in 1958. It grew way beyond that, culminating in two volumes. Julie Ponder spent many years fashioning the hundreds of illustrations used in the books using Adobe IllustratorTM.
Two wonderful volunteers, Doris Shearman and Rosemary Coucouvinis assisted with many tasks involving the bibliography, copy editing etc.
Please give us some feedback by posting your comments below.
