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Planet Of The Bugs: Evolution And The Rise Of InsectsStock informationGeneral Fields
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DescriptionDinosaurs, however toothy, did not rule the earth-and neither do humans. But what were and are the true potentates of our planet? Insects, says Scott Richard Shaw-millions and millions of insect species. Starting in the shallow oceans of ancient Earth and ending in the far reaches of outer space-where, Shaw proposes, insect-like aliens may have achieved similar preeminence-Planet of the Bugs spins a sweeping account of insects' evolution from humble arthropod ancestors into the bugs we know and love (or fear and hate) today. Leaving no stone unturned, Shaw explores how evolutionary innovations such as small body size, wings, metamorphosis, and parasitic behavior have enabled insects to disperse widely, occupy increasingly narrow niches, and survive global catastrophes in their rise to dominance. ReviewsSpeaking of creeping things that creepeth upon the earth, and whirring, buzzing things that zip about in the air, Shaw s "Planet of the Bugs "is another of the glories of 2014 . . . . The book offers a mixture of great learning, passion, wit, and arrested development. . . . I wish I could flick a switch now and then to see with Shaw s eyes. His book is the next best thing. --John Wilson "First Things "" Author descriptionScott Richard Shaw is professor of entomology and Insect Museum curator at the University of Wyoming, Laramie. He has discovered more than one hundred and fifty insect species, including a number of parasitic wasps named after cultural icons such as David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Ellen DeGeneres, and Shakira the last of which, Aleiodes shakirae, causes its host caterpillar to contort as if belly dancing. |