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Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Life sciences: general issues > Evolution
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Shaking the Tree - Readings from Nature in the History of Life (Paperback, 2nd ed.)
Loot Price: R1,098
Discovery Miles 10 980
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Shaking the Tree - Readings from Nature in the History of Life (Paperback, 2nd ed.)
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This book presents a series of reprinted articles from the journal
Nature. The journal is not aimed at the mass market, it is a
serious reference for scientists and students of science. This
book's stated intention is to provide material for students. 'To
provide added spice to nourishing-but-bland textbooks, for the
student who likes to look a little farther, and aim a little
higher'. Each of the 19 reviews looks at a different aspect of
palaeontology or evolution. The texts are drawn from issues of
Nature published throughout the 1990s, so the material is not new.
Each essay is serious, thorough, and aims to set out a timeless
comment on our understanding of the the world around us. The book
is arranged in five parts. It starts with general issues, then
looks progressively at molecular embryology, early stages of the
evolution of life, the radiation of major groups of multicellular
organisms from a cladistic perspective, finally focusing on the
development of primates. The length, style and complexity of the
contributions varies, though all end with an extensive list of
references. All of the authors are acknowledged experts and some
are widely known (for example, Stephen Jay Gould), while others are
known only within their field of work or research. This is not an
entirely easy read by any means, but for students, and others with
a more formal interest in the science represented here, it is an
invaluable collection, its authority underwritten by the undoubted
powerful reputation of the journal Nature. (Kirkus UK)
"Nature" has published news about the history of life ever since
its first issue in 1869, in which T. H. Huxley ("Darwin's bulldog")
wrote about Triassic dinosaurs. In recent years, the field has
enjoyed a tremendous flowering due to new investigative techniques
drawn from cladistics (a revolutionary method for charting
evolutionary relationships) and molecular biology.
"Shaking the Tree" brings together nineteen review articles written
for "Nature" over the past decade by many of the major figures in
paleontology and evolution, from Stephen Jay Gould to Simon Conway
Morris. Each article is brief, accessible, and opinionated,
providing "shoot from the hip" accounts of the latest news and
debates. Topics covered include major extinction events, homeotic
genes and body plans, the origin and evolution of the primates, and
reconstructions of phylogenetic trees for a wide variety of groups.
The editor, Henry Gee, gives new commentary and updated references.
"Shaking the Tree" is a one-stop resource for engaging overviews of
the latest research in the history of life on Earth.
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