Natural History of Shells

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).

One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1994 Winner of the 1993 Award for Excellence, New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) "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. [It is a] book that will be treasured by scientists and lay readers alike."--Nature "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. [It is 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."--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 "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

• PrefaceCh. 1Shells and the Questions of Biology3Pt. IThe Rules of Shell ConstructionCh. 2Themes and Variations: The Geometry of Shells9Ch. 3The Economics of Construction and Maintenance39Pt. IILife in a Dangerous World: How Shells WorkCh. 4The Mechanics of Shells61Ch. 5Predators and Their Methods94Ch. 6Coping with Enemies: The Shell as Protection113Pt. IIIThe Dimension of TimeCh. 7A Historical Geography of Shells153Ch. 8Evolutionary Economics: The Rise and Fall of Adaptive Themes174Index203