Books
Anthony J. Martin
The Evolution Underground
Burrows, Bunkers, and the Marvelous Subterranean World Beneath Our Feet
Summary:
What is the best way to survive when the going gets tough? Hiding underground. From penguins to dinosaurs, trilobites, and humans, Anthony J. Martin reveals the subterranean secret of survival.
Every day we walk on an earth filled with an underground wilderness teeming with life. Most of this life stays hidden, yet these animals and their subterranean homes are ubiquitous, ranging from the deep sea to mountains, from the equator to the poles. Burrows are a refuge from predators, a safe home for raising young, or a tool to ambush prey. Burrows also protect animals against all types of natural disasters: fires, droughts, storms, meteorites, global warmings―and coolings. On a grander scale, the first animal burrows transformed the chemistry of the planet itself many millions of years earlier, altering whole ecosystems. . Many animal lineages alive now―including our own―only survived a cataclysmic meteorite strike 65 million years ago because they went underground. Without burrowing, the planet would be very different today. In a book filled with spectacularly diverse fauna, acclaimed paleontologist and ichnologist Anthony Martin reveals this fascinating, hidden world that will continue to influence and transform life on this planet.
“Digs into the subterranean strategies of prehistoric and contemporary animals, from insects to giant sloths and, to a lesser extent, humans. Offers subtle clues that help shift the dramatic narrative of prehistoric life forward. Underground warrens enable lungfish to survive drought, iguanas to weather hurricanes, and alligators sit out wildfires.”
- The Economist
“Martin, known for having discovered an ancient burrowing dinosaur, examines the world underground and the evolutionary advantages attendant in knowing how to get around down there. A spry exercise in popular science. Can you dig it?”
- Kirkus Reviews
“Martin is an amiably erudite guide to burrowing fauna. Down the rabbit hole with Martin, Earth becomes one vast, ‘constantly evolving burrow system.’”
- Nature
“An unbelievably engaging book.”
- Choice
“A great introduction and history that will fascinate eco-minded conservationists and fossil hunters.”
- Library Journal
“Martin writes with obvious glee and a humor that at times digs for the dad-jokes, but as a scholar he knows his stuff―many of the natural discoveries he describes are his own. Martin delivers something the casual reader will not expect: a real education in paleontology. The Evolution Underground is a fun book of surprising depth.”
Shelf Awareness
“Packed with solid information, incredible anecdotes and many subterranean puns and pop-culture references, The Evolution Underground is a joy to read, and, judging by the irreverent glee shining through in Martin's style, must have been a joy to write. This is a great work of popular science that seems to have largely flown under people's radar.”
NHBS (Natural History Book Service)
“The Evolution Underground should find its way onto the reading tables and bookshelves of every naturalist, regardless of their specific areas of interest, for within its pages is both an encyclopedia of discrete facts as well as a collection of some of the best explanations of a number of core ecological concepts that I’ve found anywhere.”
Johannes E. Riutta, The Well Read Naturalist
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