BASTERIA, 65:138,2001 Bookreview M.AMLER,R.FISCHER&N. ROGALLA,2000. Muscheln. Haeckel-Bücherei Band5.x + 214pp., 87 textfigs.,6pls. Enke imGeorgThiemeVerlag.ISBN3-13-118391-8,ISSN 0936-8515. DM 69.80(c.34Euro). This German bookgivesagood,modernoverview ofthe history ofthe classBivalvia,suchas theirsyste- maticsandevolution,aswellaspalaeoecological,biogeographicaland stratigraphicalaspects.Aimedatpala- eontologists,ithas muchto offernotonly tothe studentofpalaeontology andbiology,but alsotothe inte- restedlaymanandthegeneralscientist (e.g. geologist)whowantsakeyto someaspects ofbivalve palaeon- tology.The book deals primarily withthe fossil bivalvesbut,ofcourse, usesbiological information tointer- pretthe fossil evidence. Abundant recent references giveanopportunitytocatch upwith the literatureon specificsubjects. Itbecomesobviousfromthe text thatthe authorsareactively engagedinresearch and fullyawareofthe latestviewson (forexample)the earliest developmentsoftheclass and its tieswithothermollusc classes, such astheRostroconchia,thesystematics ofthegroupanditsevolution,givingtheirown,well-founded opi- nion. Thatthis book is notinthe firstplacefortheaverage amateurisalready evidentfrom thephotographon thecover:mostpeople- probablyevenmanybiologists -wouldsuppose it torepresent acoralrather than a specialised fossil bivalve,arudist (order Hippuritoida).However, enoughbasic information isprovidedto makethe bookvery usefulforan interested laymantogetan overview oftheevolutionaryhistory oftheclass andthe systematic subdivision down to familylevel. The firstpartofthe book givesathoroughintroduction tothe classical biologicalaspectsofthebivalves, such asfunctional morphology, describingand illustrating the soft parts ofthe animals and the traces they leaveinthe shells, thus connectingthem with thepalaeontologicalresults, the fossils. Togetheritformsa firmbase fora systematic classification atthesuperfamilylevel (as clearly stated by the authors: the old ending-aceais still used forthesuperfamilies, althoughthenewCode ofZoologicalNomenclature (1999) nowprescribestheending-oidea),whichis discussedinthelightofotherinformationsuch ascladistics and genetics,afteranoverview ofthepresentideasontheevolutionofthemajormollusc groups.Adetailedclas- sification atthe familylevel,with gooddrawingsofrepresentativesofeach familyisgivennext. Itisfollowedbyachapterthat dealswith the differentaspects ofecology andpalaeoecology,notablyaut- ecologyand synecology.Animportantfactorinpalaeoautecologyis form and function,which enables one forexampleto decidewhether certainbivalves mayhavelivedonthe sea-(orlake-)bottom,orburried in it. Theuseofsuccessive faunasinstratigraphyisshortlydiscussed,as isthepalaeobiogeography,for whichthe present-daysituation is used asanexample.Bivalve trace fossils and fossilisation processes conclude this chapter. Thenext,rathershortchapterdealswith theuseoffossil bivalvesasatool indatingsediments.Onemight havewishedittobemoreelaborate,comparingtheresultswiththosefrom othergroups, but because ofthe limitedusage ofbivalvesinstratigraphyitisprobablyfittingthatthe authors restrictedthemselves tosome generalexamples,includingbivalves asrawmaterialfor isotopestudies. Thebook ends withan"Ausblick", akind ofepiloguethatdeals with theproblemsthat are stillunsolved, givingsomehintsaboutinterestingresearch subjects. Aglossary,anindex,references, and amodern geolo- gicaltimetable concludethebook. The figuresarecarefully drawnand givealotofdetailedinformation,thussupportingthe clear,concise text. Ifound onlyone slightmistake,ofnoconsequence atall,intext-fig. 8.1:Inoceramusschondorfi should havebeen correctedtoInoceramus schoendorfi. Theplates(1-3)showingphotographsoflarvalshells(pro- toconchs) andshellmicrostructures areofhighqualityand functional,whilst thephotographsofrudists(pi. 4)arenice butgivenoadditional information (therearealso gooddrawings).Inmyopinionitwould have been moreappropriatetoinclude the drawingsofrudistreefs(pis5-6)astext-figuresinthe chapteronpala- eoecology(with text-fig.7.13),the moresosincetheyaredrawingsand notphotographs.Theseare,ofcour- se,onlyminorpointsthatdonotimpingeontheusefulnessofthebook,whichisvery goodvalue formoney. All inall,onegetsalotofinterestinginformation withniceanduseful illustrations for abargain. Cor+F.Winkler+Prins