I, Mammal

The Story of What Makes Us Mammals

Häftad, Engelska, 2019

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Beskrivning

Humans are mammals. Most of us appreciate that at some level. But what does it mean for us to have more in common with a horse and an elephant than we do with a parrot, snake or frog?After a misdirected football left new father Liam Drew clutching a uniquely mammalian part of his anatomy, he decided to find out more. Considering himself as a mammal first and a human second, Liam delves into ancient biological history to understand what it means to be mammalian.In his humorous and engaging style, Liam explores the different characteristics that distinguish mammals from other types of animals. He charts the evolution of milk, warm blood and burgeoning brains, and examines the emergence of sophisticated teeth, exquisite ears, and elaborate reproductive biology, plus a host of other mammalian innovations. Entwined are tales of zoological peculiarities and reflections on how being a mammal has shaped the author’s life. I, Mammal is a history of mammals and their ancestors and of how science came to grasp mammalian evolution. And in celebrating our mammalian-ness, Liam Drew binds us a little more tightly to the five and a half thousand other species of mammal on this planet and reveals the deep roots of many traits humans hold dear.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2019-05-30
Mått:128 x 196 x 26 mm
Vikt:269 g
Format:Häftad
Språk:Engelska
Antal sidor:352
Förlag:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN:9781472922915

Utforska kategorier

Populärvetenskap inom Naturvetenskap och teknik
Däggdjur inom Naturvetenskap och teknik
Däggdjur inom Djur och Natur

Mer om författaren

Liam Drew is a writer, former neurobiologist and mammal. He has a PhD in sensory biology from University College London, and spent twelve years researching the neural and genetic basis of schizophrenia, the biology of pain and the birth of new neurons in the adult mammalian brain at Columbia University, New York and at UCL. His writing has appeared in Nature, New Scientist, Slate and the Guardian. He is director of NeuWrite London, a London subsidiary of 'NeuWrite: a collaborative working group for scientists, writers, and those in between'. He lives in Kent with his wife and two daughters.@liamjdrew

Recensioner i media

A splendid evolutionary study ... Drew is a wry guide to wonders such as the evolution of the scrotum and the epic journey of marsupial newborns.

Innehållsförteckning

Introduction: My Family and Other MammalsChapter 1 : The Descent of Man(’s Gonads)Chapter 2 : Life on the Edge of MammaldomChapter 3 : Y, I’m MaleChapter 4 : The Mammalian Birds and BeesChapter 5 : The Next GenerationChapter 6 : Afterbirth Before BirthChapter 7 : The Milky WayChapter 8 : Kids, Behave!Chapter 9 : Bones, Teeth, Genes and TreesChapter 10 : It’s Getting Hot in Here, Put Your Coat OnChapter 11 : Scents and SensibilityChapter 12 : A Multilayered Brain TeaserChapter 13 : This Mammalian LifeAfterword: MammalsSelected ReadingAcknowledgementIndex