Black & white print. Concepts of Biology is designed for the typical introductory biology course for nonmajors, covering standard scope and sequence requirements. The text includes interesting applications and conveys the major themes of biology, with content that is meaningful and easy to understand. The book is designed to demonstrate biology concepts and to promote scientific literacy.
The animal world is immensely diverse, and our understanding of it has been greatly enhanced by analysis of DNA and the study of evolution and development ('evo-devo'). In this Very Short Introduction Peter Holland presents a modern tour of the animal kingdom. Beginning with the definition of animals (not obvious in biological terms), he takes the reader through the high-level groupings of animals (phyla) and new views on their evolutionary relationships based on molecular data, together with an overview of the biology of each group of animals. The phylogenetic view is central to zoology today and the volume will be of great value to all students of the life sciences, as well as providing a concise summary for the interested general reader. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
All types of creatures, including insects, mammals, and fish, are covered in this engaging book on the animal kingdom. Young readers will learn all the basics of kingdoms, orders, classes, and species.
Jungle Genesis. Disney's Animal Kingdom "hatched" in 1998, the fourth Walt Disney World theme park, with its DNA an ambitious helix of conservation, animal appreciation, and thrill rides. Journalist Chuck Schmidt explores the genome of this "one-day park" that continues to expand and evolve.
An amazing adventure of animal discovery Thirteen extraordinary habitats to explore. Thirteen unforgettable stories. Go on a journey that spans every corner of our planet. What do freezing mountain peaks, vast deserts, lush forests, and the deepest, darkest oceans have in common? They're all places that incredible animals call home. Through the Animal Kingdom invites you on a journey through these habitats to discover the secret lives of the animals that live there. Track a bald eagle as it soars majestically over the Rocky Mountains, follow migrating wildebeests across the Serengeti as they attempt a dangerous river crossing under the watchful eyes of hungry predators, or trace the tracks of the solitary amur leopard - the rarest cat on Earth - as it silently stalks its prey through the icy forests of the Siberian wilderness. Through the Animal Kingdom is the first installment in a new series aiming to reinvent early reference for a new generation of reader, and is perfect for adventurous animal lovers anywhere.
The most important aspect of evolution, from a philosophical viewpoint, is the rise of complex, advanced creatures from simple, primitive ones. This "vertical" dimension of evolution has been downplayed in both the specialist and popular literature on evolution, in large part because it was in the past associated with unsavory political views. The avoidance of evolution's vertical dimension has, however, left evolutionary biology open to the perception, from outside, that it deals merely with the diversification of rather similar creatures, all at the same level of "advancedness" from a common ancestor—for example, the classic case studies of finches with different beaks or moths of different colors. The latest incarnation of creationism, dubbed intelligent design (or ID), has taken advantage of this situation. It portrays an evolutionary process that is constantly guided—especially in its upward direction—by the hand of an unseen Creator, who is able to ensure that it ends up producing humans. Creatures of Accident attacks the antiscience ID worldview, mainly by building a persuasive picture of how "unaided" evolution produces advanced creatures from simple ones by an essentially accidental process. Having built this picture, in the final chapter the book reflects on its religious implications.
