Mammal species of the world. A taxonomic and geographic reference

A checklist of species is an invaluable tool for both researchers and the
interested public. A well-constructed list provides an authoritative reference to
the scientific name of a species and may also be a starting point for rewarding
research efforts. In recent years, checklist preparation has been viewed as a
byproduct of research activity and therefore has not received adequate professional
or financial support. Now, when research in the biological sciences is
attracting considerable attention in areas ranging from environmental and
species conservation to genetic engineering, a reference as basic as a checklist
should be an essential element in fostering accurate communications.
Taxonomic checklists are ordinarily prepared by a small number of specialists;
the present volume is unique in that 189 professional mammalogists from
23 countries (especially members of the American Society of Mammalogists)
have cooperated over the past three years in its production with the Association
of Systematics Collections and Allen Press, Inc., both of Lawrence, Kansas,
U.S.A.

The authors are editors.

Produced in collaboration with the American Society of Mammalogists, CITES, und SSC-IUCN