Continuing our new weekly selection of the very best titles available through NHBS:
The Rise of Fishes: 500 Million Years of Evolution
Edited by John A Long
What?
A tour of the past 500 million years, seeing the evolution of fishes from “Glorified Swimming Worms”
to the diverse and complex groups we see today.
Why?
Fishes are the ancestors of all amphibians, leading to reptiles, birds and mammals – including ourselves – and they continue to dominate the world’s waters. This is a superbly illustrated guide to the process of their evolution and diversification. The images range from clearly photographed fossils and skeletal portions, through detailed anatomical diagrams, to colourful reconstructions of life in the ancient oceans and photographs of living species. The science is brought to life through stories from the author’s own experiences in the field. A brilliant exposition of a key drama in the evolution of life as we know it.
Who?
John A. Long is the vice president of Research and Collections at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. His numerous books include Prehistoric Mammals of Australia and New Guinea: One Hundred Million Years of Evolution and Palaeozoic Vertebrate Biostratigraphy and Biogeography, also published by Johns Hopkins.
