Understanding Body Shapes Of Animals

This book discusses how and why animals evolved into particular shapes. The book identifies the physical laws which decide over the evolutionary (selective) value of body shape and morphological characters. Comparing the mechanical necessities with morphological details, the author attempts to understand how evolution works, and which sorts of limitations are set by selection. The book explains morphological traits in more biomechanical detail without getting lost in physics, or in methods. Most emphasis is placed on the proximate question, namely the identification of the mechanical stresses which must be sustained by the respective body parts, when they move the body or its parts against resistance. In the first part of the book the focus is on ‘primitive’ animals and later on the emphasis shifts to highly specialized mammals. Readers will learn more about living and fossil animals. A section of the book is dedicated to human evolution but not to produce another evolutionary tree, nor to refine a former one, but to contribute to answering the question: “WHY early humans have developed their particular body shape".

This book discusses how and why animals evolved into particular shapes. The book identifies the physical laws which decide over the evolutionary (selective) value of body shape and morphological characters. Comparing the mechanical necessities with morphological details, the author attempts to understand how evolution works, and which sorts of limitations are set by selection. The book explains morphological traits in more biomechanical detail without getting lost in physics, or in methods. Most emphasis is placed on the proximate question, namely the identification of the mechanical stresses which must be sustained by the respective body parts, when they move the body or its parts against resistance. In the first part of the book the focus is on 'primitive' animals and later on the emphasis shifts to highly specialized mammals. Readers will learn more about living and fossil animals. A section of the book is dedicated to human evolution but not to produce another evolutionary tree, nor to refine a former one, but to contribute to answering the question: “WHY early humans have developed their particular body shape".

Animal body parts work together to help these living things move, eat, and stay safe. Readers discover different animal body parts and their jobs in this unique exploration of beginner biology. Through simple, clear text, young readers are introduced to many animals and the various body parts they use as they live and grow. Age-appropriate diagrams are also included to help early learners understand these basic science concepts. With vibrant, detailed photographs of animal body parts in action, young readers will be captivated by this unique look at familiar and exotic animals.

This volume explores the prehistoric beginnings of Chinese art and its development during the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties. It analyses the conditions of the emergence of Chinese art and its transformation of form, content and function throughout the Three Dynasties, a historical period marked by important changes in the social and cultural Chinese landscape. A General History of Chinese Art comprises six volumes with a total of nine parts spanning from the Prehistoric Era until the 3rd year of Xuantong during the Qing Dynasty (1911). The work provides a comprehensive compilation of in-depth studies of the development of art throughout the subsequent reign of Chinese dynasties and explores the emergence of a wide range of artistic categories such as but not limited to music, dance, acrobatics, singing, story telling, painting, calligraphy, sculpture, architecture, and crafts. Unlike previous reference books, A General History of Chinese Art offers a broader overview of the notion of Chinese art by asserting a more diverse and less material understanding of arts, as has often been the case in Western scholarship.

How did humanity evolve? And what does our evolutionary history tell us about what it means to be human? These questions are fundamental to our identity as individuals and as a species and to our relationship with the world. But there are almost as many answers to them as there are scientists who study these topics. This book brings together more than one hundred top experts, who share their insights on the study of human evolution and what it means for understanding our past, present, and future. Sergio Almécija asks leading figures across paleontology, primatology, archaeology, genetics, and many other disciplines about their lives, their work, and the philosophical significance of human evolution. They reflect on questions that are both fun and profound: What set you down your career path? Are humans special? Where and when would you travel in a time machine? Does human evolution offer lessons for society? Is evolution compatible with spirituality and religion? Humans features a remarkably accomplished cast of contributors, including Kay Behrensmeyer, Frans de Waal, Nina Jablonski, Richard Leakey, Robert Sapolsky, and Richard Wrangham. Together, they provide a refreshing, personable, engaging, cross-disciplinary, and thought-provoking exploration of different—even diametrically opposed—ideas about our nature and evolution, what makes humans unique, and what our future might hold. This book also offers practical suggestions for readers seeking to embark on a scientific career.

This unique story offers an introductory conversation to genetics, embryology and evolution, taking us on a historical journey of biology through the ages. Using a series of dialogues between the Greek philosopher Democritus and his disciple Alkimus, we travel through time visiting eminent scientists throughout the centuries, from Lazzaro Spallanzani and Theodor Boveri to Francis Crick, Max Perutz and Christiane Nüsslein–Volhard. We find ourselves at the intersection of competing theories in biology and witness the progression from the debunking the theory of spontaneous generation to the mapping of the genome. Attention is given not only to the great successes in the field but also to the equally important and exciting failures. Originally published in Hungarian, The Story of Genetics, Development and Evolution provides a historical background to the life sciences, with complex scientific concepts stripped down and explained carefully for academics and anyone interested in going back to the roots and philosophies of scientific progress. Translated from: Jékely G Master, are you awake? A fictitious dialogue on genetics, development and evolution. 2006, Bratislava: Kalligram Contents: PrefaceAt the HarbourAt the MarketPart One: The Mystery (and Sperm) of Life's OriginsDeux Ex MachinaThe World EggSpontaneous Generation and Meat Broth — Lazzaro SpallanzaniTypes and Rhythms of Embryos — Karl Ernst Von BaerCell From a CellThe Feats of the Sea UrchinPart Two: Chromosomes, Mendelian Factors and EvolutionRoasted CaponThe Immortal GermplasmReduction DivisionA London Pigeon Sale — Thomas Henry HuxleyThe Orchard of EvolutionPeas and Minotaur — William BatesonGalton and MendelTwo Sperm, One Ovum — Theodor BoveriPart Three: The Triumph of GenesTrickster Mendelians — Thomas Hunt MorganSex ChromosomesThe Telltale White EyeGenetic MappingPart Four: Forces and ReactionsThe Mathematics of Life — D'arcy Wentworth ThompsonThe Two-Headed NewtZeus's BeardEvolutionary SynthesisThe Casting Moulds of Genes — Hermann Joseph MullerFronts On the Wings of a Moth — Alfred KühnThe Birth of PatternsPart Five: The Atoms of LifeHormones in Larva BloodOne Gene, One Enzyme — George Wells BeadleThe Protein-GenesThe Principle of Transformation — Oswald Theodore AveryThe Triple Helix — Linus PaulingDNA with AmbrosiaPart Six: Codes and LinksThe Central Dogma — Francis CrickThe Diamond Code of ProteinsThe Genetic CodeA Molecular Lung — Max Ferdinand PerutzSugar-Consuming Bacteria — Jacques MonodPart Seven: Genes in the MortarEpigenesis and Genetics — Conrad Hal WaddingtonA Recipe for Making Mice — Sydney BrennerThe Wiring of a Worm's BrainRecombinant DNAStriped Embryos — Christiane Nüsslein-VolhardOur Worm Ancestors — Detlev ArendtThe Age of Genomics — Eugene KooninPart Eight: Beyond GenesPostcard to ThraceThe Cedar Forest of AbderaThe Philosophy of Biology — Ernst MayrThe Genetics of the BiosphereBiscuits Baked in AshOn the Island of Bensalem — Pál Nagy-Juhász

Created in association with the Smithsonian Institution, Knowledge Encyclopedia: Animal! is a groundbreaking visual approach to the animal kingdom and is packed with facts about mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and more! Follow the timeline of evolution and extinction of animals throughout history and see how different animals have adapted to their environments to survive. Covering all the major animal groups and how they fit into the tree of life, photorealistic computer-generated images, infographics, and cutaways that reveal the inner workings of the animals make sure that everything is easy to understand at a glance. Learn amazing animal facts and get up close to some of the most dangerous animals around, including the Komodo dragon with its deadly and poisonous bite, and the saltwater crocodile, which uses a "death roll" to drown its prey. Knowledge Encyclopedia: Animal! has amazing details about the smallest crustaceans to the largest mammals. Dive into the deep to see orcas, great white sharks, stingrays, and more. Get the bird's eye view to see how penguins, owls, hawks, eagles, and other birds live and fly in the wild. See different animal habitats and ecosystems that contribute to the world's biodiversity, learn about the different senses and life cycles of animals, and find out how animals communicate with each other. A perfect reference book for young readers, Knowledge Encyclopedia: Animal! takes a walk on the wild side to show you the animal kingdom like you've never seen it before.

Have you ever marveled at the speed of a cheetah, the fastest land animal on Earth? Or been awed at how a chameleon can change color? Solving such mysteries is part and parcel of animal physiology, the science that investigates how different animal bodies work. Learning how they do so increases our appreciation of the uniqueness and diversity of the vast animal kingdom, and adds to our understanding of how our own bodies work. How Bodies Work: Animal Physiology offers a glimpse inside ourselves and the amazing world around us.