Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

1. A brief history of cave biology: -- 1.1. Conceptual issues -- 1.2. Pre-Darwinism thought (before 1859) -- 1.3. Darwinism and American neo-Lamarckism (1859-1919) -- 1.4. European selectionism and the death of the controversies (1880-1921) -- 1.5. Biospeleological ideas in France and elsewhere in continental Europe (1809-1950) -- 1.6. The impact of the modern sunthesis (1936-47) -- 1.7. The roots of current intellectual inertia -- 2. Cave biodiversity: -- 2.1. Bacteria (Archaeobacteria and Eubacteria) -- 2.2. Algae (including Cyanobacteria) -- 2.3 Fungi -- 2.4 Lichens -- 2.5. Plants (liverworts, mosses, ferns, and seed plants) -- 2.6. Protozoans -- 2.7. Porifera (sponges) -- 2.8. Cnidarians (anemones, jellyfish) -- 2.9. Platyhelminthes (flatworms) -- 2.10. Nemertina (ribbon worms) -- 2.11. Gastrotricha (gastrotrichs) -- 2.12. Kinorhyncha (kinorhynchs) -- 2.13. Nematoda (roundworms) -- 2.14. Annelida (segmented worms) -- 2.15. Mollusca (mollusks) -- 2.16. Brachiopoda (lamp shells) -- 2.17. Bryozoa (moss animals) -- 2.18. Crustacea (crustaceans) -- 2,19. Chelicerata (arachnids and their relatives) -- 2.20. Onychophora (velvet worms) -- 2.21. Tardigrada (water bears) 2.22. Myriapoda (millipedes and centipedes) -- 2.23. Insecta (insects) -- 2.24. Pisces (fishes) -- 2.25. Amphibians (salamanders, frogs, toads) -- 2.26. Reptilia (reptiles) -- 2.27. Aves (birds) -- 2.28. Mammalia (mammals) -- 2.29. Conclusions -- 3. The evolutionary biology of cave organisms: -- 3.1. What is a hypogean/cave organism? -- 3.2. Character concept in biospeleology -- 3.3. Hypogean colonization -- 3.4. The myth of preadaptation -- 3.5. A case for phenotypic plasticity -- 3.6. Conclusions -- 4. The ecology of cave organisms: -- 4.1. Introduction -- 4.2. Diversity and distribution -- 4.3. Cave ecosystem structure -- 4.4. Spatial organization -- 4.5. Trophic structure -- 4.6. Is there succession in caves? -- 4.7. Interactions of cave habitats with the epigean environment -- 4.8. Caves as record keepers of climate change -- 5. Cave conservation and management: -- 5.1. Introduction -- 5.2. Effects on geomorphology -- 5.3. Effects on the atmosphere of caves -- 5.4. Hydrology -- 5.5. Effects on the biota -- 5.6. Cultural heritage -- 5.7. Climate change -- 5.8. Legal protection -- 5.9. Conclusions -- 6. Epilogue: -- 6.1. The role played by behavior in the evolution of cave organisms -- 6.2. Integrative molecular genetics -- 6.3. Trophic structure of caves -- 6.4. Other biological questions -- 6.5. Concluding questions for historians, philosophers, and sociologists of science -- Appendix 1. Glossary of terms frequently used in biospeleology.

Biospeleology, the study of organisms that live in caves, has a tremendous potential to inform many aspects of modern biology; yet this area of knowledge remains largely anchored in neo-Lamarckian views of the natural world in both its approaches and jargon. Written for graduate students and academic researchers, this book provides a critical examination of current knowledge and ideas on cave biology, with emphasis on evolution, ecology, and conservation. Aldemaro Romero provides a historical analysis of ideas that have influenced biospeleology, discusses evolutionary phenomena in caves, from cave colonization to phenotypic and genotypic changes, and integrates concepts and knowledge from diverse biological viewpoints. He challenges the conventional wisdom regarding the biology of caves, and highlights urgent questions that should be addressed in order to get a better and more complete understanding of caves as ecosystems.