Animal Earth: The Amazing Diversity of Living Creatures - Hardcover

Piper, Ross

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0500516960 ISBN 13: 9780500516966

Publisher: Thames & Hudson, 2013

Synopsis

The animal kingdom in all its variety, featuring an astounding number of animal species that are overlooked in traditional surveys

What most think of as the animal kingdom―from elephants to amphibians―in fact accounts for only a tiny portion of the tens of millions of species which scientists speculate inhabit planet Earth.Animal Earth is an unbiased tour of this still largely undiscovered world, illuminating the bizarre appearances and hidden lives of the creatures who share our planet.

What is perhaps more surprising is that this bewildering range of animal species are all offshoots from a relatively small number of lineages, sharing a common body plan and evolutionary history. Animal Earth not only provides an even-handed summary of each, but reflects the latest research on the evolutionary relationships between species. How they all fit on the “tree of life” is a topic that has been debated for decades, not least because new species are being discovered all the time; some lesser-known lineages, such as Chaetognatha (arrow worms) and Xenoturbellida (strange worms) continue to defy classification.

Humans are in a uniquely privileged position, given our technological achievements, to protect animal diversity. As Piper makes clear, each species is an integral component of the ecosystem we live in, and we protect animal diversity not only for its own sake, but to maintain the natural systems that keep us all alive. 540 illustrations in color and black and white

About this title

About the Author:

Ross Piper, PhD, is a zoologist and writer based in the United Kingdom.

Review:

“Dr. Piper sets out the astounding panoply of the world’s fauna.”
- The Wall Street Journal

“The book’s main draw is its striking images, capturing the iridescent eyes of mantis shrimps . . . a brilliantly multicolored Persian carpet flatworm, sea slugs . . . that look more like sculptures than living organisms, and sinister wasp close-ups that will both haunt readers and draw them back for more.”
- Publishers Weekly

“With vivid, prismatic photos, zoologist Piper offers encounters with dozens of improbable-looking but beautiful organisms you’ve never heard of―many of them microscopic or marine.”
- Entertainment Weekly

“Even among the species known to science, there are many that remain undiscovered by the public. Some of these species are very strange, some are truly incredible and lots of them are very small. . . . Animal Earth brings a few of these hidden lives to life.”
- Wired.com

“Can we all agree to show the ribbon worm some more love? It’s just one of the hundreds of amazing, bizarre, and often-overlooked animals in Ross Piper’s new book.”
- Slate

“We get a glimpse of those most hidden [species].”
- Woman Around Town

“Colorful, frilly, or grotesque forms abound.”
- Natural History

“Nothing short of fabulous.”
- Rangefinder

“The photographs here provide a fount of inspiration for both the creatively and scientifically inclined.”
- Fast Co.Design

“Of the 540 color illustrations in this biospecific tome, most could be confused for selections of modern art photography or graphic design, so visually arresting are the creatures here.”
- Art Desk

About this edition

• Publisher: Thames & Hudson
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0500516960
• ISBN 13: 9780500516966
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320