From “one of the master naturalists of our time” (American Scientist), a fascinating exploration of what seashells reveal about biology, evolution, and the history of life
Geerat Vermeij wrote this celebration of shells to share his enthusiasm for these supremely elegant creations and what they can teach us about nature. Most popular books on shells emphasize the identification of species, but Vermeij uses shells as a way to explore major ideas in biology. How are shells built? How do they work? And how did they evolve? With lucidity and charm, the MacArthur-winning evolutionary biologist reveals how shells give us insights into the lives of animals today and in the distant geological past.
Price: $17.95
Pages: 236
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Series: Princeton Science Library
Publication Date:
28 September 2021
ISBN: 9780691229249
Format: Paperback
BISACs:
NATURE / Seashells, The Earth: natural history: general interest, SCIENCE / Natural History
"Vermeij provides an elegantly written and beautifully illustrated account of shell construction, function and evolution, while showing how these molluscan houses give us insights into ecology and the history of life. A book that will be treasured by scientists and lay readers alike."
Geerat J. Vermeij is Distinguished Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Davis. He is the author of The Evolutionary World: How Adaptation Explains Everything from Seashells to Civilization; Privileged Hands: A Scientific Life; Nature: An Economic History (Princeton); and Evolution and Escalation: An Ecological History of Life (Princeton).
