| The Art of Being a Parasite Contributor(s): Combes, Claude (Author), Simberloff, Daniel (Translator) |
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ISBN: 0226114295 ISBN-13: 9780226114293 Publisher: University of Chicago Press OUR PRICE: $99.99 Product Type: Hardcover Published: September 2005 Annotation: Parasites are a masterful work of evolutionary art. The tiny mite "Histiostoma laboratorium," a parasite of" Drosophila," launches itself, in an incredible display of evolutionary engineering, like a surface-to-air missile at a fruit fly far above its head. Gravid mussels such as "Lampsilis ventricosa "undulate excitedly as they release their parasitic larval offspring, conning greedy predators in search of a tasty meal into hosting the parasite. "The Art of Being a Parasite" is an extensive collection of these and other wonderful and weird stories that illuminate the ecology and evolution of interactions between species. Claude Combes illustrates what it means to be a parasite by considering every stage of its interactions, from invading to reproducing and leaving the host. An accessible and engaging follow-up to Combes's "Parasitism," this book will be of interest to both scholars and nonspecialists in the fields of biodiversity, natural history, ecology, public health, and evolution. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Science | Life Sciences - Ecology - Science | Life Sciences - Evolution |
| Dewey: 577.857 |
| LCCN: 2005000674 |
| Physical Information: 0.89" H x 6.12" W x 9.34" (1.23 lbs) 280 pages |
| Themes: - Topical - Ecology |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Parasites are a masterful work of evolutionary art. The tiny mite Histiostoma laboratorium, a parasite of Drosophila, launches itself, in an incredible display of evolutionary engineering, like a surface-to-air missile at a fruit fly far above its head. Gravid mussels such as Lampsilis ventricosa undulate excitedly as they release their parasitic larval offspring, conning greedy predators in search of a tasty meal into hosting the parasite. The Art of Being a Parasite is an extensive collection of these and other wonderful and weird stories that illuminate the ecology and evolution of interactions between species. Claude Combes illustrates what it means to be a parasite by considering every stage of its interactions, from invading to reproducing and leaving the host. An accessible and engaging follow-up to Combes's Parasitism, this book will be of interest to both scholars and nonspecialists in the fields of biodiversity, natural history, ecology, public health, and evolution. |