Encyclopedia of MammalogyBook Review
Author: Mammal Society of Japan (Ed.), Publication Date: November 30, 2025, Publisher: Maruzen Publishing, Price: 22,000 yen (excluding tax)
The Encyclopedia of Mammalogy was planned with the aim of promoting a broader understanding of mammalogy. It is a comprehensive overview consisting of 11 chapters and 214 entries, covering evolution and phylogeny, diversity, distribution, morphology, genetics, senses and physiology, ecology, society, conservation management, research methods, and even the current status and challenges of Japanese mammals. Based on the facts that mammals have adapted to diverse living spaces—land, sea, rivers, and air—and have evolved their morphology, genetics, physiology, ecology, society, and life histories, while also facing habitat changes and conflicts caused by human activities, one can discern an editorial policy that seeks to bind together both basic biology and conservation management with cutting-edge knowledge.
As a writer, I am engaged in fertilization research using Xenopus laevis oocytes and am not an expert in mammalogy. However, fertilization research is a field that has been strongly driven by mammalian models, with mice at the forefront. For researchers in such adjacent fields, the value of this book lies in having "the necessary entry points right where they are needed." For example, in the chapter on evolution and phylogenetics, topics ranging from what a mammal is, evolution from reptiles, species concepts, and speciation to cryptic species are neatly laid out, while the genetics chapter provides a comprehensive view of the vocabulary supporting modern research infrastructure, including genome sequencing, molecular phylogenetics, population genetics, and ancient DNA. Herein lies a foothold to re-examine "mammals as model animals" not as isolated points, but as a broad surface.
At the same time, this book also responds to socio-scientific interests. Topics such as human casualties and damage management involving bears, wildlife and traffic accidents, zoonotic diseases, and resource utilization are systematically arranged in the chapter on "Conservation and Management." Furthermore, the chapter on "Human Society" connects the discussion to mating systems, parenting, cooperation, communication, culture, learning, and finally to "human society." Considering how mammals become entangled with diplomacy, local economies, and media representation—as seen in the recent return of pandas—the book demonstrates through its table of contents alone that mammalogy cannot be completed through "biology" alone.
Moreover, the fact that this book was born from the Mammalogical Society of Japan, compiled with the involvement of numerous researchers to mark its centenary milestone, and designed to convey a sense of biodiversity through photographic columns and other features, underpins its persuasiveness as an encyclopedia tailored for an academic journal. For someone outside the field like myself, this book serves as an indexical device that reframes mammals through a dual focus as both "research models" and "neighbors in society," while swiftly bringing to light the discussion points that should be read next. As a volume that broadens the scope of mammalogy and establishes a common language with researchers from different fields, it is well worth having in both laboratories and libraries.
Kenichi Sato (Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University)
