A Natural History of Shells

by Geerat Vermeij

Overview

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 life

Geerat Vermeij wrote this “celebration of shells” to share his enthusiasm for these supremely elegant creations and what they can teach us about nature. Most popular books on shells emphasize the identification of species, but Vermeij uses shells as a way to explore major ideas in biology. How are shells built? How do they work? And how did they evolve? With lucidity and charm, the MacArthur-winning evolutionary biologist reveals how shells give us insights into the lives of animals today and in the distant geological past.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691001678
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	04/23/1995
Series:	Princeton Science Library , #15
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Geerat J. Vermeij is Distinguished Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Davis. He is the author of The Evolutionary World: How Adaptation Explains Everything from Seashells to Civilization; Privileged Hands: A Scientific Life; Nature: An Economic History (Princeton); and Evolution and Escalation: An Ecological History of Life (Princeton).

Table of Contents

Preface

Ch. 1 Shells and the Questions of Biology

Pt. I The Rules of Shell Construction

Ch. 2 Themes and Variations: The Geometry of Shells

Ch. 3 The Economics of Construction and Maintenance

Pt. II Life in a Dangerous World: How Shells Work

Ch. 4 The Mechanics of Shells

Ch. 5 Predators and Their Methods

Ch. 6 Coping with Enemies: The Shell as Protection

Pt. III The Dimension of Time

Ch. 7 A Historical Geography of Shells

Ch. 8 Evolutionary Economics: The Rise and Fall of Adaptive Themes

Index

Editorial Reviews

"I was swept away by the world of molluscs and found myself fascinated and informed. . . . By the end of the book I was convinced that anyone with a passion for their subject would enjoy and be educated by Vermeij's obvious passion for his."

Biologist

"Vermeij provides an elegantly written and beautifully illustrated account of shell construction, function and evolution, while showing how these molluscan houses give us insights into ecology and the history of life. A book that will be treasured by scientists and lay readers alike."

Nature

A Natural History of Shells is a fascinating biological view of shells as the products of living organisms....We come to appreciate and understand the diverse wonders of economy, function, and construction that can be seen in shells.

New Scientist - Douglas Palmer

A Natural History of Shells is a fascinating biological view of shells as the products of living organisms....We come to appreciate and understand the diverse wonders of economy, function, and construction that can be seen in shells.
— Douglas Palmer

New Scientist

This is a pleasingly different book. Most other popular books on shells help one to identify them. In this book Vermeij uses shells to help understand the ecology, evolution, and history of snails, clams, and other Mollusca, the phylum of animals that construct 'shells.' . . . This book uses both contemporary and fossil shells to explore many ideas and processes in general biology. . . . I have been seeking this book for years.

The Quarterly Review of Biology

One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1994

Winner of the 1993 Award for Excellence, New Jersey Education Association (NJEA)

From the Publisher

"This is a pleasingly different book. Most other popular books on shells help one to identify them. In this book Vermeij uses shells to help understand the ecology, evolution, and history of snails, clams, and other Mollusca, the phylum of animals that construct 'shells.' . . . This book uses both contemporary and fossil shells to explore many ideas and processes in general biology. . . . I have been seeking this book for years."

Quarterly Review of Biology

"Vermeij provides an elegantly written and beautifully illustrated account of shell construction, function and evolution, while showing how these molluscan houses give us insights into ecology and the history of life. A book that will be treasured by scientists and lay readers alike."

Nature Lib