'...the content is excellent, with the editors contributing the bulk of the material...there is much original and useful material for most ecologist, and I can thoroughly recommend it.' Journal of Animal Ecology

• One: Rarity and Rare—Common Differences.- 1 Introduction: on the causes and consequences of rare—common differences.- 2 Rare—common differences: an overview.- 3 What is rarity?.- 4 Who is rare? Artefacts and complexities of rarity determination.- Two: Mechanisms Creating Rare—Common Differences.- 5 Who gets the short bits of the broken stick?.- 6 Speciation and rarity: separating cause from consequence.- 7 How do rare species avoid extinction? A paleontological view.- 8 Extinction risk and rarity on an ecological timescale.- 9 Population biology and rarity: on the complexity of density dependence in insect—plant interactions.- 10 Genetic consequences of different patterns of distribution and abundance.- 11 Evolved consequences of rarity.- 12 Rarity and evolution: some theoretical considerations.- Three: Future Directions.- 13 Predicting and understanding rarity: the comparative approach.- 14 Concluding comments.

'...the content is excellent, with the editors contributing the bulk of the material...there is much original and useful material for most ecologist, and I can thoroughly recommend it.' Journal of Animal Ecology

• One: Rarity and Rare—Common Differences.- 1 Introduction: on the causes and consequences of rare—common differences.- 2 Rare—common differences: an overview.- 3 What is rarity?.- 4 Who is rare? Artefacts and complexities of rarity determination.- Two: Mechanisms Creating Rare—Common Differences.- 5 Who gets the short bits of the broken stick?.- 6 Speciation and rarity: separating cause from consequence.- 7 How do rare species avoid extinction? A paleontological view.- 8 Extinction risk and rarity on an ecological timescale.- 9 Population biology and rarity: on the complexity of density dependence in insect—plant interactions.- 10 Genetic consequences of different patterns of distribution and abundance.- 11 Evolved consequences of rarity.- 12 Rarity and evolution: some theoretical considerations.- Three: Future Directions.- 13 Predicting and understanding rarity: the comparative approach.- 14 Concluding comments.