{"product_id":"9781770854819","title":"Evolution","description":"\u003cp\u003e  \u003ci\u003eEvolution: The Whole Story\u003c\/i\u003e provides an in-depth and up-to-the- minute account of evolution, one of the ultimate keystone theories in modern science. Ten esteemed experts thoroughly survey how each of Earth's major groups of living things diversified and evolved through time and using visual features that make the story comprehensible, the book gives readers, even those with no previous knowledge of the topic, a clear understanding of evolution and how it brought us to the present day.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  Each of seven chapters takes one of Earth's major living groups and describes the evolution of its subgroups and how they diversified and evolved. The stories are fascinating. In some cases, a subgroup fell off the evolutionary chain, like the dinosaurs that were part of the Early Reptiles group, and which became extinct by the second extinction event. In other cases, a living subgroup may contain a life form virtually the same as its evolutionary ancestors, such as the horseshoe crab from the Invertebrates group, which is a \"living fossil\" closely related to prehistoric sea scorpions.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  Along with profiles of the most important scientists that have influenced evolutionary theory, the book reveals how these advances have  added to and often changed the story. For example, the now-extinct Pederpes, formerly thought to be a fish, was restudied and reclassified in 2002 and is now known to be the first four-limbed vertebrate to evolve to a life on land.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003ci\u003eEvolution: The Whole Story\u003c\/i\u003e makes the story of evolution comprehensible, straightforward and stimulating. The introduction provides an important overview. It includes:  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Modern evolutionary theory\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Terms such as convergent evolution and speciation; time charts and their eras, periods and epochs\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Explanations of graphic devices such as phylogenies and cladograms that depict evolutionary relationships\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e How we know or surmise about long-gone animals, plants, habitats, and ecosystems\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Factors and pressures that drove evolution\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e How fossils formed and are studied. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e  \u003cp\u003e  Having laid the base for readers, the story begins. Important features include:  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Thematic essays that provide a complete account of all the major life groups, explaining in detail their comparative anatomy and evolutionary legacies. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Photographic features that investigate the characteristics of individual organisms, including living species, fossils and skeletons, and how they are direct ancestors or relatives to members of modern life groups. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e 160 Key Focus features that investigate topics of particular interest. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Stimulating lifelike reconstructions of past habitats and ecosystems. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Historical timelines highlighting key evolutionary events and discoveries. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e In-depth coverage of 20 eminent scientists that have made major contributions to our understanding of evolution. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Coverage of Mass Extinctions in their chronological position on the evolutionary timescale. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e  \u003cp\u003e  The 160 Key Focus features investigate topics that add color while they reveal important developments in evolution and its study. Examples are:  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Hallucigenia, a wormlike creature so odd that a scientist thought he was hallucinating. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Flowers, insects and co-evolution -- how organisms can progress \"hand-in-hand\"\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Peripatus, today's walking worm with stumpy legs, which may show how arthropods evolved\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Eurypterus, at almost 5 feet long it was a real monster for its time. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Arthropleura, a giant millipede-like arthropod the size of a sports car. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Othniel Charles Marsh, Edward Drinker Cope and the Bone Wars, as rivals competed to find the biggest, best dinosaur fossils. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Hobbits, an amazing discovery in 2003 of 3-feet-tall fossil humans -- are they a distinct species? \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Reversing evolution and de-extinction -- will we be able to \"de-extinct\" long-gone species? \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Gigantopithecus, a 10-feet-tall close cousin of humans living in Asia up to 100,000 years ago. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Today's sea eagle -- what modern eagles tell us about the evolution of their group. \u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003e Are new species evolving? \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e  \u003cp\u003e  Evolutionary theorists, paleontologists, paleoecologists, molecular biologists, geneticists, climatologists, the occasional amateur fossil-hunter, and many more people, have contributed to our understanding of evolution. Their passion and work will continue to unravel the complex and challenging story, but in the meantime, \u003ci\u003eEvolution: The Whole Story\u003c\/i\u003e reveals the compelling evidence we have today.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  This book is ideal for all general readers and anyone working in or interested in fields related to the study of evolution. It is an essential selection.  \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"River Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Firefly Books |  Hardback | Laminated cover |  2015-08-07","offer_id":46011338457343,"sku":"9781770854819","price":39.95,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0329\/9075\/7001\/files\/BNCImageAPI_48e4bfaf-a64b-48ba-87b2-b59256dc458a.jpg?v=1723050668","url":"https:\/\/riverbookshop.com\/products\/9781770854819","provider":"River Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}