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Fifty animals that changed the course of history / written by Eric Chaline.

By: Material type: TextTextPublication details: Richmond Hill, Ont. ; Buffalo, N.Y. : Firefly Books ; Hove, England : Quid Pub., c2011.Description: 223 p. : ill. (chiefly col.), ports. (some col.) ; 24 cmISBN:
  • 1554078970
  • 9781554078974
Subject(s):
Contents:
Mosquito : Anopheles gambiae -- Honeybee : Apis mellifera -- Common minke whale : Balaenoptera acutorostrata -- American buffalo : Bison bison -- Spiny dye-murex : Bolinus brandaris -- Silkworm : Bombyx mori -- Cow : Bos taurus -- Camel : Camelus dromedarius -- Wolf : Canis lupus subsp. -- Dog : Canis lupus familiaris -- Goat : Capra hircus -- North American beaver : Castor canadensis -- North Atlantic herring : Clupea harengus -- Pigeon : Columba spp. -- Carp : Cyprinus carpio spp. -- Cochineal : Dactylopius coccus -- Fruit fly : Drosophila melanogaster -- Donkey : Equus asinus -- Horse : Equus ferus caballus -- Falcon : Falco peregrinus -- Cat : Felis catus -- Atlantic cod : Gadus morhua -- Chicken : Gallus gallus domesticus -- Darwin's finches : Geospiga spp. -- Bald eagle : Haliaeetus leucocephalus -- Leech : Hirudo medicinalis -- Iguanodon : Iguanodon bernissartensis -- Llama : Lama glama -- Elephant : Loxodonta africana -- Earthworm : Lumbricus terrestris -- Spanish fly : Lytta vesicatoria -- Turkey : Meleagris gallopavo subsp. -- Cobra : Naja naja -- Common rabbit : Oryctolagus cuniculus -- Sheep : Ovis aries -- Chimpanzee : Pan troglodytes -- Lion : Panthera leo -- Louse : Pediculus humanus -- Seal : Phoca spp. -- Oyster : Pinctada radiata -- Bat : Pipistrellus pipistrellus -- Reindeer : Rangifer tarandus -- Dodo : Raphus cucullatus -- Rat : Rattus spp. -- Scarab beetle : Scarabaeus sacer -- Desert locust : Schistocerca gregaria -- Schistosome : Schistosoma mansoni -- Pig : Sus domesticus -- Oriental rat flea : Xenopsylla cheopis -- Human : Homo sapiens.
Summary: The 50 animals include the horse, dog, rat, whale, reindeer, beaver, flea, leech, dodo, falcon, oyster and shark. These creatures, great and small, have played central roles in the evolution of humankind, but they have remained at the periphery of our understanding of history. Whether it is an advancement in scientific knowledge, a trade war, disease and death, battles won and lost, or encounters with explorers in unknown lands, these animals have changed the course of history.
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Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 590 C436 Available 33111006673731
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The fascinating stories of the animals that changed civilizations.

Fifty Animals that Changed the Course of History is a beautifully presented guide to the animals that have had the greatest impact on human civilization. Entries are organized by scientific name, except for Homo sapiens, which is featured last.

The 50 animals include the horse, dog, rat, whale, reindeer, beaver, flea, leech, dodo, falcon, oyster and shark. These creatures, great and small, have played central roles in the evolution of humankind, but they have remained at the periphery of our understanding of history. Whether it is an advancement in scientific knowledge, a trade war, disease and death, battles won and lost, or encounters with explorers in unknown lands, these animals have changed the course of history.

More than 150 elegant drawings, photographs and paintings, as well as excerpts from literature, highlight the concise text. Each animal is judged by its influence in four categories:

Edible -- animals that have shaped agriculture, such as the cow Medical -- animals that are "disease vectors," spreading bacteria and viruses, from malaria to plague Commercial -- animals used for trade or in manufacturing Practical -- animals used for transportation or clothing.

The animals described in Fifty Animals that Changed the Course of History are familiar, but their roles in human history are easily overlooked. This attractive reference gives us a fresh perspective on our place in the animal kingdom.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 218-219) and index.

Mosquito : Anopheles gambiae -- Honeybee : Apis mellifera -- Common minke whale : Balaenoptera acutorostrata -- American buffalo : Bison bison -- Spiny dye-murex : Bolinus brandaris -- Silkworm : Bombyx mori -- Cow : Bos taurus -- Camel : Camelus dromedarius -- Wolf : Canis lupus subsp. -- Dog : Canis lupus familiaris -- Goat : Capra hircus -- North American beaver : Castor canadensis -- North Atlantic herring : Clupea harengus -- Pigeon : Columba spp. -- Carp : Cyprinus carpio spp. -- Cochineal : Dactylopius coccus -- Fruit fly : Drosophila melanogaster -- Donkey : Equus asinus -- Horse : Equus ferus caballus -- Falcon : Falco peregrinus -- Cat : Felis catus -- Atlantic cod : Gadus morhua -- Chicken : Gallus gallus domesticus -- Darwin's finches : Geospiga spp. -- Bald eagle : Haliaeetus leucocephalus -- Leech : Hirudo medicinalis -- Iguanodon : Iguanodon bernissartensis -- Llama : Lama glama -- Elephant : Loxodonta africana -- Earthworm : Lumbricus terrestris -- Spanish fly : Lytta vesicatoria -- Turkey : Meleagris gallopavo subsp. -- Cobra : Naja naja -- Common rabbit : Oryctolagus cuniculus -- Sheep : Ovis aries -- Chimpanzee : Pan troglodytes -- Lion : Panthera leo -- Louse : Pediculus humanus -- Seal : Phoca spp. -- Oyster : Pinctada radiata -- Bat : Pipistrellus pipistrellus -- Reindeer : Rangifer tarandus -- Dodo : Raphus cucullatus -- Rat : Rattus spp. -- Scarab beetle : Scarabaeus sacer -- Desert locust : Schistocerca gregaria -- Schistosome : Schistosoma mansoni -- Pig : Sus domesticus -- Oriental rat flea : Xenopsylla cheopis -- Human : Homo sapiens.

The 50 animals include the horse, dog, rat, whale, reindeer, beaver, flea, leech, dodo, falcon, oyster and shark. These creatures, great and small, have played central roles in the evolution of humankind, but they have remained at the periphery of our understanding of history. Whether it is an advancement in scientific knowledge, a trade war, disease and death, battles won and lost, or encounters with explorers in unknown lands, these animals have changed the course of history.

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