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Bezig met laden... Monarchs of the Sea: The Extraordinary 500-Million-Year History of Cephalopods (2020)door Danna Staaf
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Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. A delightfully nerdy expression of the author’s love of cephalopods both ancient and modern, but mostly ancient. With funny asides referencing Douglas Adams, Monty Python and other geeky humor, she not only gives an overview of each age of the cephalopod, but also current views and how science is changing the picture of creatures that hardly leave any evidence behind. Good illustrations and photos throughout. From ammonoids (named for an ancient god) to nautiloids, squids, cuttlefish & octopuses (and she corrects the correction of our plural form right off the bat), the history and near extinctions of cephalopods is interesting and a triumph of evolution. And speaking of evolution, I love the idea that squid lost their shells as a possible reaction to whales’ developing sonar. Because squid mostly dwell deep in open oceans and early whale hunting was dependent on eyesight, whales just flat couldn’t see their prey. Just how echolocation came to be isn’t greatly explored, but it’s a neat idea that because it could easily detect hard surfaces like cephalopod shells, losing those shells as quickly as possible was pretty important. Why else lose such an effective defense mechanism? geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
Before mammals, there were dinosaurs. And before dinosaurs, there were cephalopods. Publisher's Note: Monarchs of the Sea was previously published in hardcover as Squid Empire. Cephalopods, Earth's first truly substantial animals, are still among us: Their fascinating family tree features squid, octopuses, nautiluses, and more. The inventors of swimming, cephs presided over the sea for millions of years. But when fish evolved jaws, cephs had to step up their game (or end up on the menu). Some evolved defensive spines. Others abandoned their shells entirely, opening the floodgates for a tidal wave of innovation: masterful camouflage, fin-supplemented jet propulsion, and intelligence we've yet to fully measure. In Monarchs of the Sea, marine biologist Danna Staaf unspools how these otherworldly creatures once ruled the deep--and why they still captivate us today. Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)594.5Natural sciences and mathematics Zoology Mollusks CephalopodsLC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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This is an excellent popular science book written by a marine biologist with an evident passion for her subject. I was attracted to the subject matter due to my enthusiasm for marine creatures, but I knew little about cephalapods. Staaf provides a wealth of information and plenty of revelations, spanning a vast fossil record as well as current science about the cephalapods of today. While she clearly has strong academic credentials, she discusses her subject matter at a level that lay people can understand, and this is assisted by a series of excellent illustrations. ( )