An accessible and thought-provoking introduction to timespans in the natural world, featuring more than 80 beautifully designed diagrams and charts.
Which organisms live the longest? How does the natural world recover from wildfires? How long do eggs take to hatch? What are the world's fastest- and slowest- growing plants? Which species invest the most in parental care?
The graphic number line is a potent pattern that explains much of our world, from the life cycle of immortal jellyfish to the perfect amount of time for a 'good sleep'. Beautifully illustrated with reader-friendly infographics and stunning colour photography, How Nature Keeps Time visually maps the amounts of time bounded by growth, distance, age, reproduction, sleep, death and other key behaviours.
Join science and comedy writer Helen Pilcher as she examines a broad range of species from across the world and throughout time. As our natural world draws our attention to its plight, this fascinating book offers a calm, clear-thinking series of visual explanations based on the ultimate objective measure - time.
Author(s): Helen Pilcher
Publisher: Bloomsbury Wildlife
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 208
City: London
Cover
Half-title
Title
Copyright
Contents
Introduction
It’s All About Time
Have a Good Time
Nature’s Clocks
Life in Slow Motion
1. Evolutionary Spans
Introduction
Life in a Day
Geological Time Spans
Evolution in Action
Mass Extinctions
The Rise and Rise of Plants
Terrible Lizards
Time For Take-off
Rock Stars
Monotremes, Marsupials and Mammals
Domesticated Bliss
The Silver Fox
2. Ecological Spans
Introduction
Whale Decomposition
The Benefits of Burial At Sea
Out of the Ashes
Beavers: Ecosystem Engineers
The Lungs of the World
Floundering Frogs
Life Between the Tides
Going, Going, Gone
Conservation Success Stories
3. Lifespans
Introduction
How Old?
Clonal Colonies
Life in the Fast Lane
The Elixir of Life
A Lifespan Less Ordinary
In their Prime
Hibernation
Back From the Dead?
4. Growth Spans
Introduction
The Great Egg Race
Pregnancy in Mammals
Growing Up
On Your Feet
Reef Building
Shooting Up
Regeneration in Animals
5. Behavioural Spans
Introduction
Sleeping Habits
Animal Migrations
No Time to Die
Think Fast
Parenting Strategies
Home Sweet Home
Courtship
Mating Marathons
Seasonal Shifts
6. Biological Spans
Introduction
Oestrous Cycles
Reproductive Spans
Rhythms of Life
What Goes In . . .
Breathe Deep
Every Breath You Take
The Speed of Sound
Further Reading
Index
Picture Credits
