Dr. Frederic (Ric) Martini received his Ph.D. from Cornell University in comparative and functional anatomy. His publications include journal articles, technical reports, magazine articles, and a book for naturalists about the biology and geology of tropical islands. He is the co-author of six other undergraduate texts on anatomy or anatomy & physiology. He is currently on the faculty of the University of Hawaii and remains affiliated with the Shoals Marine Laboratory, a joint venture between Cornell University and the University of New Hampshire. Dr. Martini is a member of the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society, the American Physiological Society, and the American Association of Anatomists. He is also a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Association of Biology Teachers, the Society for College Science Teachers, the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, the Western Society of Naturalists, and the International Society of Vertebrate Morphologists.