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Walking Whales : From Land to Water in Eight Million Years by J. G. M. Hans Thewissen (2014, Hardcover)
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Hans Thewissen, a leading researcher in the field of whale paleontology and anatomy, gives a sweeping first-person account of the discoveries that brought to light the early fossil record of whales. In the books final chapter, Thewissen argues for approaching whale evolution with the most powerful tools we have and for combining all the fields of science in pursuit of knowledge.
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherUniversity of California Press
ISBN-100520277066
ISBN-139780520277069
eBay Product ID (ePID)201640434
Product Key Features
Book TitleWalking Whales : from Land to Water in Eight Million Years
Number of Pages256 Pages
LanguageEnglish
TopicAnimals / Marine Life, Life Sciences / Evolution, Life Sciences / Zoology / Mammals, Paleontology
Publication Year2014
IllustratorYes
GenreNature, Science
AuthorJ. G. M. Hans Thewissen
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height0.7 in
Item Weight22.4 Oz
Item Length9 in
Item Width6 in
Additional Product Features
LCCN2014-003531
ReviewsThere is an immediacy to Thewissen_s writing and an urgency to the excavations, and readers curious about paleontological fieldwork will appreciate the enthusiasm and specificity with which he approaches his subject matter. . . . The whale_s evolution and Thewissen_s contributions to its study are both extraordinary., Thewissen provides an excellent balance between the science and the narrative. . . . an excellent read., The Indiana Jones of biology is an engaging guide in this marine detective story. . . . The Walking Whales is part biological text, part detective story., There is an immediacy to Thewissen's writing and an urgency to the excavations, and readers curious about paleontological fieldwork will appreciate the enthusiasm and specificity with which he approaches his subject matter. . . . The whale's evolution and Thewissen's contributions to its study are both extraordinary., "Does a splendid job of showing what it is like to be a palaeontologist. Thewissen's vivid descriptions of fieldwork in Pakistan and India will give readers a clear sense of the joys and frustrations, and the tedium and excitement, that the work entails. . . . Thewissen's book is a perfect introduction to the field." , The book alternates between entertaining exploits in the field that reminded me of a gentler version of Indiana Jones and detailed discussions of whale anatomy and evolutionary descent. . . . The author is a good teacher, thorough and with a fine sense of humor., Mixes memoir, adventure, history, and popular science to tell one of the most fascinating stories to emerge from paleontology in the last quarter century. . . . This is an excellent, accessible summary of a fascinating and fruitful career and a treasure trove of information regarding the first 20 million years of cetacean history that will be used for years to come., Does a splendid job of showing what it is like to be a palaeontologist. Thewissen's vivid descriptions of fieldwork in Pakistan and India will give readers a clear sense of the joys and frustrations, and the tedium and excitement, that the work entails. . . . Thewissen's book is a perfect introduction to the field.
TitleLeadingThe
Dewey Edition23
Dewey Decimal569/.5
Table Of Content1. A Wasted Dig Fossils and War A Whale Ear 2. Fish, Mammal, or Dinosaur? The King Lizard of Cape Cod Basilosaurid Whales* Basilosaurids and Evolution 3. A Whale with Legs The Black and White Hills A Walking Whale 4. Learning to Swim Meeting the Killer Whale From Dog-Paddle to Torpedo Ambulocetid Whales* Ambulocetus and Evolution 5. When the Mountains Grew The High Himalayas Kidnapping in the Hills Indian Whales 6. Passage to India Stranded in Delhi Whales in the Desert A 150-Pound Skull 7. A Trip to the Beach The Outer Banks A Fossilized Coast 8. The Otter Whale The Whale with No Hands Remingtonocetid Whales* Building a Beast out of Bones 9. The Ocean Is a Desert Forensic Paleontology Drinking and Peeing Fossilized Drinking Behavior Walking with Ambulocetus 10. The Skeleton Puzzle If Looks Could Kill How Many Bones Make a Skeleton? Finding Whales' Sisters 11. The River Whales Hearing in Whales Pakicetid Whales* September 11, 2001 12. Whales Conquer the World A Molecular SINE The Black Whale Protocetid Whales* Protocetids and History 13. From Embryos to Evolution A Dolphin with Legs The Marine Park at Taiji Shedding Limbs Whaling in Taiji 14. Before Whales The Widow's Fossils The Ancestors of Whales Indohyus* A Trust for Fossils 15. The Way Forward The Big Question Tooth Development Baleen as Teeth Notes Index *These six headings summarize the biology of the six fossil groups that form the transition between whales and their terrestrial ancestors. Their relationships to each other and to the living families of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) are given in figure 66.
SynopsisHans Thewissen, a leading researcher in the field of whale paleontology and anatomy, gives a sweeping first-person account of the discoveries that brought to light the early fossil record of whales. As evidenced in the record, whales evolved from herbivorous forest-dwelling ancestors that resembled tiny deer to carnivorous monsters stalking lakes and rivers and to serpentlike denizens of the coast. Thewissen reports on his discoveries in the wilds of India and Pakistan, weaving a narrative that reveals the day-to-day adventures of fossil collection, enriching it with local flavors from South Asian culture and society. The reader senses the excitement of the digs as well as the rigors faced by scientific researchers, for whom each new insight gives rise to even more questions, and for whom at times the logistics of just staying alive may trump all science. In his search for an understanding of how modern whales live their lives, Thewissen also journeys to Japan and Alaska to study whales and wild dolphins. He finds answers to his questions about fossils by studying the anatomy of otters and porpoises and examining whale embryos under the microscope. In the book's final chapter, Thewissen argues for approaching whale evolution with the most powerful tools we have and for combining all the fields of science in pursuit of knowledge.
LC Classification NumberQE882.C5T484 2015
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- 17 Apr, 2024
A potentially good book, but abused and over priced!
This book had no dust jacket, had been written in, and had stains on both the front and the back!Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
