The ghosts of evolution : nonsensical fruit, missing partners, and other ecological anachronisms / Connie Barlow.
Ecological science is changing because of a recent discovery: Every field, forest, and park is full of living organisms adapted for relationships with creatures that have long been extinct. In this book, the author shows how this idea of "missing partners" in nature evolved from isolated,...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York :
Basic Books,
[2000]
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| Edition: | First edition. |
| Subjects: |
| Summary: | Ecological science is changing because of a recent discovery: Every field, forest, and park is full of living organisms adapted for relationships with creatures that have long been extinct. In this book, the author shows how this idea of "missing partners" in nature evolved from isolated, curious examples into an idea that is transforming how ecologists understand the entire flora and fauna of the Americas. Barlow's report on a scientific program in its infancy puts the cutting edge of evolutionary thought within the grasp of any amateur naturalist. This book connects modern parks, supermarket produce sections, and even shopping-mall parking lots with remnants of the elephants, camels, giant sloths, rhinos, and lions that once roamed North America. |
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| Physical Description: | xi, 291 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 267-283) and index. |
| ISBN: | 0465005519 9780465005512 |