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Every animal relies on a weapon of some kind -- cats have claws, eagles have talons, and even the dogs we keep as pets have a respectable set of teeth. But the overwhelming majority of these weapons stay small, proportional to the rest of the animals' bodies. In rare cases, however, we find species whose weapons have become stunningly outsized, some with tusks or horns so massive that the animals who wield them look like they should tip over or collapse under their bulk and weight. Weapons just as extreme have cropped up in walruses and narwhals, crabs, beetles, bugs and flies. What is it about these species? Why are their weapons so big? When does bigger become too big? Biology professor Douglas Emlen pulls readers into the worlds of these remarkable beasts, trekking through rainforests and mountain passes to unravel the mysteries of their weapons. Humans are animals, too, and no book on extreme weapons would be complete without an examination of our own arsenals. The parallels between animal weapons and manufactured weapons run deep, and the same critical conditions trigger arms races in animals and in humans, analogous factors sculpt their evolution, and similar circumstances ultimately bring about collapse -- the sudden, and often dramatic, end of the race. A story that begins with biology becomes the story of all weapons, as readers glide between beetles and battleships, crabs and the Cold War. Ultimately, Emlen seeks to determine where this parallel leaves us today, in a post-Cold War world filled with the deadliest weapons of all time -- nuclear, biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction.… (meer)
I received this book for free from the GoodReads first reads program in exchange for an honest review.
[b: Animal Weapons: The Evolution of Battle|20696035|Animal Weapons The Evolution of Battle|Douglas J. Emlen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1396821719s/20696035.jpg|40015556] by [a: Douglas J. Emlen|7811274|Douglas J. Emlen|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1409067528p2/7811274.jpg] is a delightful enlightening read. [a: Douglas J. Emlen|7811274|Douglas J. Emlen|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1409067528p2/7811274.jpg] focuses on many unusual animals, rather than focusing upon the typical big cats, wild dogs, and dinosaurs. The main thrust of his book is the insects - beetles, flies, and other such forgotten creatures litter the pages with their bizarre adaptations and startlingly complex behavior. The times when the author is writing about these are the best part of the book - he thrives in descriptions of the unusual, and the pages fly by.
The book never became boring, but the transitions were largely bizarre to me, which in turn affected some of my enjoyment. While I agree that there are rather clear parallels between human weapon development and animal evolution - and that the case presented was a good one - I think it was clumsily written. Transitions could have been handled better, but overall that wasn't so jarring as to heavily impact my rating of the book.
In spite of the small gripe in terms of transitions, the book was wonderful. The contents were fascinating, the arguments presented well thought out, and the illustrations provided by [a: David J. Tuss] truly stunning. The illustrations, two of which adorn the cover, are fantastic and playfully done without sacrificing detail or scientific accuracy.
An interesting book that looks at the development of weapons from a biological perspective. Sites parallels using examples from the animal kingdom compared with human military history. Not something I had considered previously. I liked the book. ( )
Postulates and defends three criteria for arms races to escalate towards (proportionately) massive/extreme weapons: 1) Competition: for breeding rights - the longer it takes a female, or a male in rare cases, to incubate and raise the next generation then recoup - the more badass one has to be to prevail; 2) Economic Defensibility: if prime food and nesting materials exist in a limited area as opposed to being spread out over a large territory, it is advantageous to be able to first take and then protect a portion of this ideal terrain since the females are sure to come flocking; 3) Duels: if defensibility of this ideal terrain lends itself to one-on-one competition (i.e. a tunnel) then massive weapons are baller mainly because of their strong deterrence abilities (can't breed if you're dead) and of course their advantages during fights. Parallels are drawn bw examples throughout the animal kingdom and human military history. Also discusses the termination of an arms race: eventually the immense resources demanded by weaponry can't be supported and/or massive weaponry no longer ensures the advantage. My favorite example being the "sneaky male dung beetle" who burrows into the dominate male's tunnel via a side entrance whilst he's busy defending it from traditionally competitive males and goes to town. Delightful sketches throughout the book and a gloomy prophecy for humanity (weapons of mass destruction change the game, to no one's long term benefit). ( )
I received this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers. Overall, I thought this book was excellent. Emlen had well thought-out points and was able to support all of the factors that precede and enable an arms race in the animal kingdom. It went a lot deeper into natural selection in regards to animal weapon development than I had considered before. It was fascinating to learn about some long extinct animals (hello saber-tooth tiger on the cover). I think some of the ties were a little stretched in the human section, however. I think Emlen would have been better served having a case study and making his points within the case study. While he does write about The Cold War, it's within the last 5-10 pages of the book. It does end in a rather depressing fashion about how humanity isn't likely to survive another arms race because of how The Cold War made biological weapons and weapons of mass destruction inexpensive and easy to obtain for smaller nations. Sadly, I believe his hypothesis is likely to be true. ( )
What’s a product of Quaker heritage to do when he finds himself fascinated by the structural oddities that animals develop for defense and attack? Also arrowheads. This one had a biologist grandfather and a biologist father and a childhood of field expeditions to the tropics, so he took up the profession with a specialty in animal weapons as seen in dung beetles. I requested this ER because of the evolution aspect; I’m not exactly enthusiastic about weapons. This though is a nicely arranged and amply illustrated book, and its relatively narrow focus allows the author to stray into entertaining anecdotes without losing sight of the primary agenda. He begins with camouflage, passes through teeth and claws, then expounds on his topic of enthusiasm: the arms race of exotic protrusions ranging from subtle to ridiculous. The dung beetles are of interest because the bazillion (well, tens of thousands) species, some with disproportionate weapons and some without, can be studied with attention on the environmental and behavioral conditions that set body plan evolution along one path or another. Various other creatures make appearances too. Each chapter ends with a comparison to military weapons used for similar purposes, and the book ends with a section on fortresses, ships and airplanes, guns and bombs... I doubt that I would’ve stuck with a history of the AK-47 in any other context. Engaging and informative.
Informatie afkomstig uit de Engelse Algemene Kennis.Bewerk om naar jouw taal over te brengen.
I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones. —Albert Einstein
Opdracht
Eerste woorden
Informatie afkomstig uit de Engelse Algemene Kennis.Bewerk om naar jouw taal over te brengen.
Preface For as long as I can remember I've been obsessed with big weapons, which is rather surprising given that I descend from a long line of Quakers. On field trips to the natural history museum it wasn't birds or zebras that caught my eye; it was mastodons with curling tusks, or triceratops with five-foot-long horns. In every room, it seemed, loomed another species with a craxy protrusion jutting from its head, or from between the shoulder blades, or from the end of its tail. Gallic moose wielded twelve-foot-wide antlers, and arsinotheres had horns six feet long and a foot wide at the base. I couldn't peel my eyes from these creatures. Why were their weapons so big?
Extremes It was a cold, clear mountain night. The Milky Way streaked across the sky; jagged peaks loomed black against the starlight. A college buddy of mine and I were camping in Rocky Mountain National Park. It was early fall—peak of the rut for elk. I'd insisted we take the most remote campsite possible, and we'd pitched our tent as far away from the rest as we thought we could get away with. I wanted to be surrounded by aspen and cottonwood, not other people.
Citaten
Laatste woorden
Informatie afkomstig uit de Engelse Algemene Kennis.Bewerk om naar jouw taal over te brengen.
Writing this book has pulled me a long way from rainforests and beetles, mud, rain, and elk. I started this venture with stories to tell of the most magnificient animals in the world. Along the way I ventured deeper and deeper into human history, enthralled and at times appalled, by what I learned about our past. I stand awed and shaken—thrilled by the parallels and, at the same time, terrified by the prospects. For me, the final message is clear. Weapons of mass destruction change the stakes, and the logic, of battle. We're not likely to survive another arms race.
Every animal relies on a weapon of some kind -- cats have claws, eagles have talons, and even the dogs we keep as pets have a respectable set of teeth. But the overwhelming majority of these weapons stay small, proportional to the rest of the animals' bodies. In rare cases, however, we find species whose weapons have become stunningly outsized, some with tusks or horns so massive that the animals who wield them look like they should tip over or collapse under their bulk and weight. Weapons just as extreme have cropped up in walruses and narwhals, crabs, beetles, bugs and flies. What is it about these species? Why are their weapons so big? When does bigger become too big? Biology professor Douglas Emlen pulls readers into the worlds of these remarkable beasts, trekking through rainforests and mountain passes to unravel the mysteries of their weapons. Humans are animals, too, and no book on extreme weapons would be complete without an examination of our own arsenals. The parallels between animal weapons and manufactured weapons run deep, and the same critical conditions trigger arms races in animals and in humans, analogous factors sculpt their evolution, and similar circumstances ultimately bring about collapse -- the sudden, and often dramatic, end of the race. A story that begins with biology becomes the story of all weapons, as readers glide between beetles and battleships, crabs and the Cold War. Ultimately, Emlen seeks to determine where this parallel leaves us today, in a post-Cold War world filled with the deadliest weapons of all time -- nuclear, biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction.
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[b: Animal Weapons: The Evolution of Battle|20696035|Animal Weapons The Evolution of Battle|Douglas J. Emlen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1396821719s/20696035.jpg|40015556] by [a: Douglas J. Emlen|7811274|Douglas J. Emlen|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1409067528p2/7811274.jpg] is a delightful enlightening read. [a: Douglas J. Emlen|7811274|Douglas J. Emlen|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1409067528p2/7811274.jpg] focuses on many unusual animals, rather than focusing upon the typical big cats, wild dogs, and dinosaurs. The main thrust of his book is the insects - beetles, flies, and other such forgotten creatures litter the pages with their bizarre adaptations and startlingly complex behavior. The times when the author is writing about these are the best part of the book - he thrives in descriptions of the unusual, and the pages fly by.
The book never became boring, but the transitions were largely bizarre to me, which in turn affected some of my enjoyment. While I agree that there are rather clear parallels between human weapon development and animal evolution - and that the case presented was a good one - I think it was clumsily written. Transitions could have been handled better, but overall that wasn't so jarring as to heavily impact my rating of the book.
In spite of the small gripe in terms of transitions, the book was wonderful. The contents were fascinating, the arguments presented well thought out, and the illustrations provided by [a: David J. Tuss] truly stunning. The illustrations, two of which adorn the cover, are fantastic and playfully done without sacrificing detail or scientific accuracy.
A good pop-sci read on an unusual topic. (