On the Backs of Tortoises: Darwin, the Galapagos, and the Fate of an Evolutionary Eden
| AUTHOR | Hennessy, Elizabeth |
| PUBLISHER | Yale University Press (10/29/2019) |
| PRODUCT TYPE | Hardcover (Hardcover) |
Description
An insightful exploration of the iconic Galpagos tortoises, and how their fate is inextricably linked to our own in a rapidly changing world The Galpagos archipelago is often viewed as a last foothold of pristine nature. For sixty years, conservationists have worked to restore this evolutionary Eden after centuries of exploitation at the hands of pirates, whalers, and island settlers. This book tells the story of the islands' namesakes--the giant tortoises--as coveted food sources, objects of natural history, and famous icons of conservation and tourism. By doing so, it brings into stark relief the paradoxical, and impossible, goal of conserving species by trying to restore a past state of prehistoric evolution. The tortoises, Elizabeth Hennessy demonstrates, are not prehistoric but rather microcosms whose stories show how deeply human and nonhuman life are entangled. In a world where evolution is thoroughly shaped by global history, Hennessy puts forward a vision for conservation based on reckoning with the past, rather than trying to erase it.
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Product Format
Product Details
ISBN-13:
9780300232745
ISBN-10:
0300232748
Binding:
Hardback or Cased Book (Sewn)
Content Language:
English
More Product Details
Page Count:
336
Carton Quantity:
24
Product Dimensions:
6.30 x 1.30 x 9.40 inches
Weight:
1.45 pound(s)
Feature Codes:
Bibliography,
Index,
Price on Product,
Maps,
Illustrated
Country of Origin:
US
Subject Information
BISAC Categories
Science | Life Sciences - Zoology - Ichthyology & Herpetology
Science | Endangered Species
Science | History
Dewey Decimal:
508.866
Library of Congress Control Number:
2019936401
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
publisher marketing
An insightful exploration of the iconic Galpagos tortoises, and how their fate is inextricably linked to our own in a rapidly changing world The Galpagos archipelago is often viewed as a last foothold of pristine nature. For sixty years, conservationists have worked to restore this evolutionary Eden after centuries of exploitation at the hands of pirates, whalers, and island settlers. This book tells the story of the islands' namesakes--the giant tortoises--as coveted food sources, objects of natural history, and famous icons of conservation and tourism. By doing so, it brings into stark relief the paradoxical, and impossible, goal of conserving species by trying to restore a past state of prehistoric evolution. The tortoises, Elizabeth Hennessy demonstrates, are not prehistoric but rather microcosms whose stories show how deeply human and nonhuman life are entangled. In a world where evolution is thoroughly shaped by global history, Hennessy puts forward a vision for conservation based on reckoning with the past, rather than trying to erase it.
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Your Price
$31.68