EBOOK Animal Kingdom: A Very Short Introduction

The animal world is immensely diverse, and our understanding of it has been        greatly enhanced by analysis of DNA and the study of evolution and development        ('evo-devo'). In this Very Short Introduction Peter Holland presents a modern tour        of the animal kingdom. Beginning with the definition of animals (not obvious in        biological terms), he takes the reader through the high-level groupings of animals        (phyla) and new views on their evolutionary relationships based on molecular        data,together with an overview of the biology of each group of animals. The        phylogenetic view is central to zoology today and the volume will be of great value        to all students of the life sciences, as well as providing a concise summary for the        interested general reader.