A Natural History of Shells /

From "one of the master naturalists of our time" (American Scientist), a fascinating exploration of what seashells reveal about biology, evolution, and the history of lifeGeerat Vermeij wrote this "celebration of shells" to share his enthusiasm for these supremely elegant creatio...

Description complète

Détails bibliographiques
Auteur principal: Vermeij, Geerat J.
Format: Électronique eBook
Langue:Inglés
Publié: Princeton : Princeton University Press, 2021.
Collection:Book collections on Project MUSE.
Sujets:
Shells.
NATURE / Seashells
Electronic books.
Accès en ligne:Texto completo
Table des matières:
  • Cover
  • Contents
  • New Preface
  • Chapter 1: Shells and the Questions of Biology
  • Part I: The Rules of Shell Construction
  • Chapter 2: Themes and Variations: The Geometry of Shells
  • An Introduction to Molluscs
  • The Logarithmic Spiral and the Conservation of Shape
  • The Diversity of Shell Shapes
  • Handedness and the Notion of Constraint
  • Growth and Form: The Inadequacy of the Logarithmir Spiral
  • Episodir Growth
  • Internal Remodeling
  • Arthropods and Molluscs Compared
  • The Evolution of Geometric Diversity
  • Plates
  • Chapter 3: The Economics of Construction and Maintenance
  • Mineral Availability
  • Energetics and Calcification
  • Solutions to Dissolution
  • Structure and Strength
  • The Shell as a Burden
  • An Evolutionary Perspective on Cost
  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Part II: Life In A Dangerous World: How Shells Work
  • Chapter 4: The Mechanics of Shells
  • Rigors of the Upper Shore
  • Life in Waves and Currents
  • Life as a Swimmer or Floater
  • Life on Sandy and Muddy Bottoms
  • Burrowing
  • The Riddle of Specialization
  • Chapter 5: Predators and Their Methods
  • Predation and Selection: The Evolutionan Importance of Failure
  • Finding the Victim
  • Pursuit
  • Capture and Subjugation
  • The Geography of Death
  • A Geographic Perspective on Risk
  • Chapter 6: Coping with Enemies: The Shell as Protection
  • Detection and Recognition
  • Silent Movement and Rapid Escape
  • Interfering with Manipulation
  • Shell-Wall Thickening
  • Corrugations and Buttresses
  • Reducing the Effects of Damage
  • Guarding the Entrance
  • The Shell as an Offensive Weapon
  • Chemical Defense
  • Intimate Associations
  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Part III: The Dimension of Time
  • Chapter 7: A Historical Geography of Shells
  • The Geography of Tropical Marine Life
  • Historical Geography of the Tropics
  • Historical Perspective on Tropical Molluscs
  • The Temperate and Polar Regions
  • Extinction and Invasion
  • Chapter 8: Evolutionary Economics: The Rise and Fall of Adaptive Themes
  • A Chronology of the History of Life
  • The Evolution of Enemies
  • The Invasion of Sediments and Rocks
  • Molluscan Responses
  • The Economics of Specialization
  • The Evolutionary History of the Housing Market
  • Molluscan History and the World Economy
  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Index

Documents similaires