Remarkable Creatures

Remarkable Creatures

Two hundred years ago, most of our planet was unexplored wilderness, and our grasp of Earth’s past was nonexistent. In Remarkable Creatures, Sean Carroll tells the stories of some of the most dramatic adventures and important discoveries in two centuries of natural history—from the journeys of pioneering naturalists to the expeditions making headlines today. And he shows how they have inspired and expanded one of the greatest ideas in modern science: evolution.

Carroll’s gripping story begins with Alexander von Humboldt, the Prussian naturalist whose journeys through Central and South America (where he landed in 1799) uncovered magnificent flora, fauna and fossils. Humboldt’s journeys preceded three great voyages by three great British naturalists—Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace and Henry Walter Bates—whose expeditions are richly detailed here. Darwin and Russel independently derived the idea of evolution via natural selection; Bates’ observations of mimicry in butterflies revealed selection at work.

The book continues with spectacular finds in paleontology, including Eugène Dubois’ search for ancient humans and discovery of “Java Man” in Indonesia; Charles Walcott’s unearthing of myriad fossil species in the Burgess Shale and Roy Chapman Andrews’ discovery of the first dinosaur eggs.

Moving into more recent times, Carroll depicts Neil Shubin’s discovery of Tiktaalik, a fossil creature midway between fish and amphibians, as well as the many triumphs of the Leakey clan in unearthing human ancestors in Africa. We also see how genetics is helping clarify the line of human descent.

Enriched with insights from field notes, journals, expedition reports and other firsthand accounts, Remarkable Creatures celebrates the ongoing quest to unlock the true story of life in our planet.

2009 National Book Award Finalist

Hardcover: 352 pages

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ( February 10, 2009 )

Item #: 98-6955

ISBN: 9780151014859

Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 9.2 x 0.0 inches

Product Weight: 20.0 ounces