Ecology and Evolution of Dung Beetles [Hardcover]

This book describes the evolutionary and ecological consequences of reproductive competition for scarabaeine dung beetles.? As well as giving us insight into the private lives of these fascinating creatures, this book shows how dung beetles can be used as model systems for improving our general understanding of broad evolutionary and ecological processes, and how they generate biological diversity. Over the last few decades we have begun to see further than ever before, with our research efforts yielding new information at all levels of analysis, from whole organism biology to genomics. This book brings together leading researchers who contribute chapters that integrate our current knowledge of phylogenetics and evolution, developmental biology, comparative morphology, physiology, behaviour, and population and community ecology. Dung beetle research is shedding light on the ultimate question of how best to document and conserve the world's biodiversity. The book will be of interest to established researchers, university teachers, research students, conservation biologists, and those wanting to know more about the dung beetle taxon.

Preface xiii

Acknowledgements xv

Contributing authors xvii

1 Reproductive competition and its impact on the evolution and ecology of dung beetles 1
Leigh W. Simmons and T. James Ridsdill-Smith

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Competition for mates and the evolution of morphological diversity 2

1.3 Competition for resources and the evolution of breeding strategies 9

1.4 Ecological consequences of intraspecific and interspecific competition 14

1.4.1 Niche expansion 15

1.4.2 Regional distribution and seasonal activity 17

1.4.3 Community dynamics 18

1.5 Conservation 19

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