20:I[5421,["https://dlhg59ksjeb0y.cloudfront.net/_next/static/chunks/32wlomrwrmrkt.js","https://dlhg59ksjeb0y.cloudfront.net/_next/static/chunks/3_m036uulyk24.js","https://dlhg59ksjeb0y.cloudfront.net/_next/static/chunks/3vyhf5n3zugq3.js","https://dlhg59ksjeb0y.cloudfront.net/_next/static/chunks/11tga8gv621-f.js","https://dlhg59ksjeb0y.cloudfront.net/_next/static/chunks/2ureo05iszfhx.js","https://dlhg59ksjeb0y.cloudfront.net/_next/static/chunks/00pn5b4f33zqj.js","https://dlhg59ksjeb0y.cloudfront.net/_next/static/chunks/2yz0gl-3dg51y.js"],"default"] 21:T48c,

From the author of Nursery Earth, a “nimble, fast, surprising, smart, and weird in the very coolest sense of the word” (Sy Montgomery) exploration of the sometimes enormous, often bizarre creatures that ruled the seas long before the first dinosaurs—a Science Friday Book Club Pick

Cephalopods, Earth’s first truly substantial animals, are still among us: Their fascinating family tree features squid, octopuses, nautiluses, and more. The inventors of swimming, cephs presided over the sea for millions of years. But when fish evolved jaws, cephs had to step up their game (or end up on the menu). Some evolved defensive spines. Others abandoned their shells entirely, opening the floodgates for a tidal wave of innovation: masterful camouflage, fin-supplemented jet propulsion, and intelligence we’ve yet to fully measure. In Monarchs of the Sea, marine biologist Danna Staaf unspools how these otherworldly creatures once ruled the deep—and why they still captivate us today.

Publisher’s Note: Monarchs of the Sea was previously published in hardcover as Squid Empire.22:T483,

A first-of-its-kind pop-science journey into the hidden world of baby animals

Entire ecosystems rest on the shoulders (or tentacles, or jointed exoskeletons) of animal babies; it’s time we paid them more attention. In Nursery Earth, researcher Danna Staaf invites readers to explore these tiny, secret lives, revealing some of nature’s 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 they’re not mating rivals and to encourage friendly behavior.

Our bias toward adult animals (not least because babies can be hard to find) means these wonders have long gone under-researched. But for all kinds of animals, if we overlook their babies, we miss out on the most fascinating—and consequential—time in their lives. Nursery Earth makes the case that these young creatures are not just beings in progress but beings in their own right. Our planet needs them all: the maggots as much as the kittens!

Books By Danna Staaf (2 Books)

Monarchs of the Sea

Nursery Earth

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