Do Elephants Have Knees? (Hardcover)

Charles R. Ault

18 ratings by Goodreads

Language: English

Published by Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 2016

1501704672 / 9781501704673

  • Hardcover
  • New
See all details

Seller: Grand Eagle Retail, Bensenville, IL, U.S.A.Grand Eagle Retail

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since October 12, 2005

Hardcover

Condition: New

£ 34.38

 Free Shipping 
Ships within U.S.A.

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket
Free 30-day returns

Item description from seller

Hardcover. Thinking whimsically makes serious science accessible. That's a message that should be taken to heart by all readers who want to learn about evolution. Do Elephants Have Knees? invites readers into serious appreciation of Darwinian histories by deploying the playful thinking found in children's books. Charles R. Ault Jr. weds children's literature to recent research in paleontology and evolutionary biology. Inquiring into the origin of origins stories, Ault presents three portraits of Charles Darwin-curious child, twentysomething adventurer, and elderly worm scientist. Essays focusing on the origins of tetrapods, elephants, whales, and birds explain fundamental Darwinian concepts (natural selection, for example) with examples of fossil history and comparative anatomy. The imagery of the children's story offers a way to remember and recreate scientific discoveries. By juxtaposing Darwin's science with tales for children, Do Elephants Have Knees? underscores the importance of whimsical storytelling to the accomplishment of serious thinking. Charles Darwin mused about duck beaks and swimming bears as he imagined a pathway for the origin of baleen.A "bearduck" chimera may be a stretch, but the science linking not just cows but also whales to moose through shared ancestry has great merit. Teaching about shared ancestry may begin with attention to Bernard Wiseman's Morris the Moose. Morris believes that cows and deer are fine examples of moose because they all have four legs and things on their heads. No whale antlers are known, but fossils of four-legged whales are. By calling attention to surprising and serendipitous echoes between children's stories and challenging science, Ault demonstrates how playful thinking opens the doors to an understanding of evolutionary thought. Do Elephants Have Knees? invites readers into serious appreciation of Darwinian histories by deploying the playful thinking found in children's books. Charles R. Ault Jr. weds children's literature to recent research in paleontology and evolutionary biology. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.…

Seller Inventory # 9781501704673

Title
Do Elephants Have Knees? (Hardcover)
Author
Charles R. Ault
Publisher
Cornell University Press, Ithaca
Publication year
2016
Condition
new
Binding
Hardcover
Language
English
ISBN 10
1501704672
ISBN 13
9781501704673

Grand Eagle Retail

Bensenville, IL, U.S.A.

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since October 12, 2005

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Item6 to 14 business days6 to 16 business days
First item£ 0.00£ 0.00
Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.

Payment methods

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay

Seller's business information

APOLLO ONLINE CORP.

605 Geddes Street
Wilmington, DE U.S.A. 19805