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Understanding Galapagos : what you'll see and what it means

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Although early visitors dismissed the Galapagos Islands as "useless," "hell," "so parch'd that [the islands] will not bear a man," and "the most dreary, barren, and desolate [place] I have ever beheld," today the islands are among the world's top destinations. Indeed, more than 170,000 tourists now visit Galapagos each year (Figure 1), despite the high cost of getting there and the archipelago's remote location, desolate landscapes, and occasional lack of amenities such as cell phone coverage, reliable Internet connections, hot showers, and fancy coffee shops. Long lists of tourism-related awards—not to mention ever-increasing numbers of tourists—testify to the appeal and lure of Gala¬pagos. How did islands once described as "worthless" and "one of the most discouraging spots in the world" become one of the most famous places in all of science and one of the world's top destina¬tions? Why is Galapagos—an archipelago barely visible on a world map—so popular?
People go to Galapagos for a variety of reasons. The islands are unique: cattle in the highlands eat avocados, strange lizards swim in the surf, penguins mingle with cacti and tropical birds, and several landscapes make visitors feel as if they are on the Moon. No place is more closely associated with biology and evolution than Galapagos, and many scientists visit the archipelago to retrace the footsteps of Charles Darwin and experience one of his inspirations for conceiving of evolution by natural selection. Other visitors are lured by the islands' volcanic landscapes, world-class scuba diving, and unsolved mysteries. But the main attractions that lure most people to Galapagos are the famously unafraid and curious animals that visitors can watch from a few meters away. Many of these animals are endemic, meaning that they are found nowhere else except in Galapagos—and in some instances, only on particular islands in Galapagos. As Darwin noted with understatement, "the natural history of this archipelago is very remarkable; it seems to be a little world within itself."
But why another book about Galapagos? Most of the current books about Galapagos are field guides that stress traditional natural history; a few others focus on specific issues such as conserva¬tion and history. We have used and enjoyed many of these books. Although these books provide basic information about the identities of islands and their organisms, Galapagos is famous for its association with evolution, and we have often wanted more information about evolution in Galapagos as we learned about the islands. All books about Galapagos mention "Darwin's finches," despite the fact that it was mockingbirds, and not finches, that impressed Darwin during his visit to Galapagos in 183-5 (Chapters 2, 5). But what about the other organisms there? They evolved, too, but this is seldom discussed. In this book, you will learn their stories.
Several books about Galapagos are strikingly Lamarckian, while others gloss over evolution with¬out linking it to what visitors actually see in the archipelago. Granted, the islands' marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, and other iconic plants and animals (see color images) are interesting in and of themselves, but why are they in Galapagos and nowhere else? Why are there so few endemic mammals in Galapagos? Why don't the animals run when approached by humans? Answering these questions helps you understand what you see, but requires an understanding of evolution. Chapter 1 summarizes what evolution is and how populations evolve.

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Ketersediaan

Informasi Detail

Judul Seri

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No. Panggil

508.866 Moo u

Penerbit

New York : Mc Graw-Hill., 2014

Deskripsi Fisik

xx, 426 hal. : il. ; 24 cm.

Bahasa

English

ISBN/ISSN

9780073532288

Klasifikasi

508.866

Tipe Isi

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Tipe Media

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Tipe Pembawa

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Edisi

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Subjek

Perkembangan Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam
Kepulauan Galapagos

Info Detail Spesifik

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Pernyataan Tanggungjawab

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Versi lain/terkait

Lampiran Berkas

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