Cart
Free Shipping in Australia
Proud to be B-Corp

Here be Dragons Dennis Mccarthy

Here be Dragons By Dennis Mccarthy

Here be Dragons by Dennis Mccarthy


$41.99
Condition - Very Good
Only 3 left

Summary

Denis McCarthy's highly engaging account of biogeography shows how two great theories - evolution and plate tectonics - explained the pattern of life on Earth. It is a story of elephant birds and pygmy mammoths, and the gradual acceptance of radical new ideas demonstrating that life and powerful physical forces constantly reshape our planet.

Here be Dragons Summary

Here be Dragons: How the Study of Animal and Plant Distributions Revolutionized Our Views of Life and Earth by Dennis Mccarthy

Why do we find polar bears only in the Arctic and penguins only in the Antarctic? Why do oceanic islands often have many types of birds but no large native mammals? As Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace travelled across distant lands studying the wildlife they both noticed that the distribution of plants and animals formed striking patterns - patterns that held strong clues to the past of the planet. The study of the spatial distribution of living things is known as biogeography. It is a field that could be said to have begun with Darwin and Wallace. In this lively book, Denis McCarthy tells the story of biogeography, from the 19th century to its growth into a major field of interdisciplinary research in the present day. It is a story that encompasses two great, insightful theories that were to provide the explanations to the strange patterns of life across the world - evolution, and plate tectonics. We find animals and plants where we do because, over time, the continents have moved, separating and coalescing in a long, slow dance; because sea levels have risen, cutting off one bit of land from another, and fallen, creating land bridges; because new and barren volcanic islands have risen up from the sea; and because animals and plants vary greatly in their ability to travel, and separation has caused the formation of new species. The story of biogeography is the story of how life has responded and has in turn altered the ever changing Earth. It is a narrative that includes many fascinating tales - of pygmy mammoths and elephant birds; of changing landscapes; of radical ideas by bold young scientists first dismissed and later, with vastly growing evidence, widely accepted. The story is not yet done: there are still questions to be answered and biogeography is a lively area of research and debate. But our view of the planet has been changed profoundly by biogeography and its related fields: the emerging understanding is of a deeply interconnected system in which life and physical forces interact dynamically in space and time.

Here be Dragons Reviews

McCarthy writes engagingly...'Here Be Dragons' offers an entertaining airplane read. Devorah Bennu, Science, Vol. 328 It provides a quick but enthusiastic summary of the fascinating field of biogeography, and it leaves us wanting more. Devorah Bennu, Science, Vol. 328 The book delivers in its promise that we will never look at the world in the same way again. Devorah Bennu, Science Vol. 328 Dennis McCarthy reveals fascinating facts. Adrian Barnett, New Scientist. I would advise anyone to read this informative, silkily written book. Jonathan Wright, Geographical Excellent book...McCarthy makes biography into a story that is both intelligible and compelling. Mark Cocker, BBC Wildlife McCarthy's instinct to blend areas of scientific study traditionally divided by academic specialization is as refreshing as it is insightful. Christopher Lloyd, Times Literary Supplement

About Dennis Mccarthy

Dr Dennis McCarthy is a researcher at the Museum of Natural History in Buffalo.

Table of Contents

PREFACE: THAT GRAND SUBJECT ; 1. Galapagan Epiphany ; 2. The Mesosarus Problem ; 3. Pygmy Mammoths and Mysterious Islands ; 4. The Volcanic Ring That Changed the World ; 5. The Bloody Fall of South America and the Last of the Jurassic Beak-Headed Reptiles ; 6. Enchanted Waters ; 7. The Battle Over Eden ; 8. The Mysteries That Remain ; 9. The Grand Coalescence of Life and Earth

Additional information

GOR003580621
9780199542468
0199542465
Here be Dragons: How the Study of Animal and Plant Distributions Revolutionized Our Views of Life and Earth by Dennis Mccarthy
Used - Very Good
Hardback
Oxford University Press
20091022
240
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Here be Dragons