The Species Seekers: Heroes, Fools, and the Mad Pursuit of Life on Earth
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.82 (650 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0393068544 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 480 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2017-09-29 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Alongside their globe-spanning tales of adventure, he recounts some of the most dramatic shifts in the history of human thought. The story of bold adventurers who risked death to discover strange life forms in the farthest corners of planet Earth. Beginning with Linnaeus, a colorful band of explorers made it their mission to travel to the most perilous corners of the planet and bring back astonishing new life forms. But all that changed as the species seekers introduced us to the pantheon of life on Earthand our place within it. We weren't sure where vegetable ended and animal began, we couldn't classify species, and we didn't understand the causes of disease. Acclaimed science writer Richard Conniff brings these daredevil "species seekers" to vivid life. They attracted followers ranging from Thomas Jefferson, who laid out mastodon bones on the White House floor, to twentieth-century doctors who used their knowledge of new species to conquer epidemic diseases. 36 black-and-white illustrations. At the start, everyone accepted that the Earth had been created for our benefit
According to naturalist Conniff (Swimming with Piranhas at Feeding Time), it was likely at a meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science) where a member, following the model of "artist" and "atheist," coined a new term--"scientist" reflecting the transition of the nascent study of plants and animals from self-educated hobbyists to a new breed of professional. Conniff tells a fresh story that begins with Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus's creation of a species classification system in 1735, through Darwin's development of the theory of evolution--and of how, then as now, it was a challenge to religious orthodoxy--to the present as new species continue to be discovered, including in this decade a striped rabbit in the Mekong Delta. . The author blows the fusty dust of cent
David B Richman said A Good Treatment with a Few Minor Flaws. Up front I am a "species seeker" in that I have devoted part of my career to the collection of spiders, especially the Salticidae (jumping spiders), and have named and described 1A Good Treatment with a Few Minor Flaws Up front I am a "species seeker" in that I have devoted part of my career to the collection of spiders, especially the Salticidae (jumping spiders), and have named and described 13 species by myself and one with a co-author. I now suspect that one of these may be a synonym, but the others seem to be pretty solid. I have a strong dislike of both sub-species and "races," as I really can see no absolute empirical evidence for these, and I prefer what many diatomists use- namely varieties, usually abbreviated "var." There is so much natural variation within many species that on. species by myself and one with a co-author. I now suspect that one of these may be a synonym, but the others seem to be pretty solid. I have a strong dislike of both sub-species and "races," as I really can see no absolute empirical evidence for these, and I prefer what many diatomists use- namely varieties, usually abbreviated "var." There is so much natural variation within many species that on. Tintin said Interesting tales, nicely interwoven. What a cast in Richard Conniff's book The Species Seekers! Every chapter seems to introduces a crazier, more pivotal, more heroic, more influential, or more inspiring character than the last. These are, by and large, either explorer/naturalists or curators/collectors -- every one something of a scientist. From the Interesting tales, nicely interwoven Tintin What a cast in Richard Conniff's book The Species Seekers! Every chapter seems to introduces a crazier, more pivotal, more heroic, more influential, or more inspiring character than the last. These are, by and large, either explorer/naturalists or curators/collectors -- every one something of a scientist. From the 4,400 species listed by Linnaeas in 1758 to the more than 2m today, Conniff concentrates on the heydays of exploration in the early to mid 1800s and takes us quickly to the present in the last few chapters and epilogue. The subjects of his study are almost all mal. ,Interesting tales, nicely interwoven Tintin What a cast in Richard Conniff's book The Species Seekers! Every chapter seems to introduces a crazier, more pivotal, more heroic, more influential, or more inspiring character than the last. These are, by and large, either explorer/naturalists or curators/collectors -- every one something of a scientist. From the 4,400 species listed by Linnaeas in 1758 to the more than 2m today, Conniff concentrates on the heydays of exploration in the early to mid 1800s and takes us quickly to the present in the last few chapters and epilogue. The subjects of his study are almost all mal. 00 species listed by Linnaeas in 1758 to the more than "Interesting tales, nicely interwoven" according to Tintin. What a cast in Richard Conniff's book The Species Seekers! Every chapter seems to introduces a crazier, more pivotal, more heroic, more influential, or more inspiring character than the last. These are, by and large, either explorer/naturalists or curators/collectors -- every one something of a scientist. From the Interesting tales, nicely interwoven Tintin What a cast in Richard Conniff's book The Species Seekers! Every chapter seems to introduces a crazier, more pivotal, more heroic, more influential, or more inspiring character than the last. These are, by and large, either explorer/naturalists or curators/collectors -- every one something of a scientist. From the 4,400 species listed by Linnaeas in 1758 to the more than 2m today, Conniff concentrates on the heydays of exploration in the early to mid 1800s and takes us quickly to the present in the last few chapters and epilogue. The subjects of his study are almost all mal. ,Interesting tales, nicely interwoven Tintin What a cast in Richard Conniff's book The Species Seekers! Every chapter seems to introduces a crazier, more pivotal, more heroic, more influential, or more inspiring character than the last. These are, by and large, either explorer/naturalists or curators/collectors -- every one something of a scientist. From the 4,400 species listed by Linnaeas in 1758 to the more than 2m today, Conniff concentrates on the heydays of exploration in the early to mid 1800s and takes us quickly to the present in the last few chapters and epilogue. The subjects of his study are almost all mal. 00 species listed by Linnaeas in 1758 to the more than 2m today, Conniff concentrates on the heydays of exploration in the early to mid 1800s and takes us quickly to the present in the last few chapters and epilogue. The subjects of his study are almost all mal. m today, Conniff concentrates on the heydays of exploration in the early to mid 1800s and takes us quickly to the present in the last few chapters and epilogue. The subjects of his study are almost all mal. Wow Holly Conniff does a spectacular job wrangling the fascinating history of naturalist exploration. I was impressed with the care and detail he gives to his seekers, while also keeping their stories readable. This was a book I had a hard time putting down.