Foreword by Richard Strathmann -- Introduction : a world of the babies, by the babies, for the babies -- Part I : bundles of joy. Eggs : not just a bird thing ; Provisioning : from edible siblings to algal life-support ; Brooding eggs : carry them, sit on them, swallow them whole ; Pregnancy : not just a mammal thing -- Part II : salad days. Unaccompanied minors : where do the escargot? ; It's just a phase : why babies look like aliens ; Lessons from larvae : how evolution shaped development and vice versa ; Raising them right : conservation and sustainability -- Part III : coming of age. Metamorphosis : but happier than Kafka ; Juveniles : neither one thing nor another ; Emergence : a cicada case study -- Epilogue : our quiet dependence on babies.
Summary:
"Entire ecosystems rest on the shoulders (or tentacles, or jointed exoskeletons) of animal babies; its time we paid them more attention. In Nursery Earth, researcher Danna Staaf invites readers to explore these tiny, secret lives, revealing some of natures strangest and most ingenious workings. A salamander embryo breathes with the help of algae inside its cells. The young grub of a Goliath beetle dwarfs its parents. Fluffy flamingo chicks delay turning pink for years to let adults know theyre not mating rivals and to encourage friendly behavior."-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.