30-Second Zoology: The 50 most fundamental categories and concepts from the study of animal life (30 Second)

Learn all you need to know about the ecosystems, animals and environments which make up life on Earth in this simple, handy, and informative guide! Endowed with abundant water, extraordinary ecoystems, varied climates and biomes, our planet is teeming with creatures, great and small. What produced this rich diversity ? How have so many species formed, evolved and adapted ? What effects are humans having on the rest of the animal kingdom and on the natural environment we share? 30-Second Zoology explains the diversification process of evolution, then introduces the main groups of invertebrates and vertebrates. Breathing, seeing, communicating and other key features of animal physiology and behaviour are explored, as are the ecological relationships between Earth's myriad species – the predators, the prey, the parasites, and the positively poisonous – before assessing the anthropogenic effects of pollution, over-harvesting, and a changing climate. Covering everything from the origins of life and the most basic of organisms, all the way through to the more complex creatures that we recognise today, 30-Second Zoology aims to showcase the most fantastic examples of life on our earth, all in 300 words and one stunning illustration per topic. If you like this, you might also be interested in 30-Second Literature, 30-Second Numbers or any of the other title sin the 30 Second series! Excerpt From: Fellowes, Mark;. “30-Second Zoology.”“Zoology, the study of animal life in all its forms and structures, is a subject that has captivated people for millennia. In part, this is for simple, practical reasons: animals are a source of food and materials, and some of those we have domesticated also provide us with their labour and companionship. Of course, other, wild, animals can also threaten us with physical harm and disease. But animals are much more than this; they are an innate part of our own species’ psyche. In parts of France you can see cave paintings executed over 15,000 years ago that depict species such as horses, bison and ibex in such detail that even today they can be readily identified. But this is not something unusual; everywhere across the world where we find ancient art we see representations of animals, and this desire to identify with other species remains a part of our culture.” 30-Second Zoology showcases 50 of the most fundamental categories and concepts from the study of Zoology, each explained in 300 words and one illustration.