The Galapagos
A Natural History
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- $18.99
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
Charles Darwin called it "a little world within itself." Sailors referred to it as "Las Encantadas"- the enchanted islands. Lying in the eastern Pacific Ocean, straddling the equator off the west coast of South America, the Galágos is the most pristine archipelago to be found anywhere in the tropics. It is so remote, so untouched, that the act of wading ashore can make you feel like you are the first to do so.
Yet the Galágos is far more than a wild paradise on earth-it is one of the most important sites in the history of science. Home to over 4,000 species native to its shores, around 40 percent of them endemic, the islands have often been called a "laboratory of evolution." The finches collected on the Galágos inspired Darwin's revolutionary theory of natural selection.
In The Galágos, science writer Henry Nicholls offers a lively natural and human history of the archipelago, charting its course from deserted wilderness to biological testing ground and global ecotourism hot spot. Describing the island chain's fiery geological origins as well as our species' long history of interaction with the islands, he draws vivid portraits of the life forms found in the Galágos, capturing its awe-inspiring landscapes, understated flora, and stunning wildlife. Nicholls also reveals the immense challenges facing the islands, which must continually balance conservation and ever encroaching development.
Beautifully weaving together natural history, evolutionary theory, and his own experience on the islands, Nicholls shows that the story of the Galágos is not merely an isolated concern, but reflects the future of our species' relationship with nature-and the fate of our planet.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Those expecting a robust natural history of the Gal pagos Islands are likely to be disappointed by this abbreviated work. Nicholls (Lonesome George) covers too much ground in too little space, leading to superficial coverage of all aspects of the islands' unique ecosystem. While he points out that the Gal pagos are home to 4,000 species, of which approximately 1,600 are endemic to the islands, he mentions not more than a handful by name. Throughout, Nicholls attempts to strike a balance between competing demands: he presents a historical perspective, quoting extensively from Darwin and other early explorers; he brings in some basic ecological and geological principles to explain the patterns observed; and he provides fleeting reference to actual species currently extant in the ecosystem. His most successful and informative chapters if for no other reason than he spends the time to develop his ideas deal with the impact humans have had on the islands, though this portion of the work would be better described as cultural geography rather than natural history. The book features numerous attractive 19th- and early 20th-century illustrations, but as interesting as they are, had they been supplemented with some current pictures of flora, fauna, and habitat, the experience would have been far richer and more in keeping with the book's subtitle. Illus.
