The Bare Bones
An Unconventional Evolutionary History of the Skeleton
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- $34.99
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- $34.99
Publisher Description
What can we learn about the evolution of jaws from a pair of scissors? How does the flight of a tennis ball help explain how fish overcome drag? What do a spacesuit and a chicken egg have in common? Highlighting the fascinating twists and turns of evolution across more than 540 million years, paleobiologist Matthew Bonnan uses everyday objects to explain the emergence and adaptation of the vertebrate skeleton. What can camera lenses tell us about the eyes of marine reptiles? How does understanding what prevents a coffee mug from spilling help us understand the posture of dinosaurs? The answers to these and other intriguing questions illustrate how scientists have pieced together the history of vertebrates from their bare bones. With its engaging and informative text, plus more than 200 illustrative diagrams created by the author, The Bare Bones is an unconventional and reader-friendly introduction to the skeleton as an evolving machine.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bonnan, professor of biology at Stockton University, combines wit and passion with the sensibilities of a talented instructor in this encyclopedic tour of the vertebrate skeleton. The voluminous details that Bonnan presents can be overwhelming, but his style makes them accessible even for those without a background in anatomy. He opens each chapter with an engrossing overview and brings the 540 million year evolution of vertebrates to life, using the extended metaphor of the development of automobile types. Bonnan describes the transitions between all major groups of vertebrates, in every case offering clear examples of the types of evidence that has accumulated over the years. Along the way he provides informative summaries of evolutionary processes, developmental biology, and physiology. Bonnan frames his arguments by offering falsifiable hypotheses and then comparing them with the data. For example, he begins his chapter on the tetrapod body plan by noting, "In the previous chapter, we have predicted what we should find in the earliest tetrapods. It is now time to put these predictions to the test." Over 200 illustrations clarify and advance his story. Bonnan conceived of his work as a comparative anatomy text for undergraduates, but it is suitable for a much wider audience. Illus.
