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Published January 1, 2001 | Version v1
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Rocky Mountains . By S cott A. E lias , 2002 (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press) [Pp. xi+164 with an Editor's note by John Kricher, 49 high-quality colour photographs, numerous bw illustrations and a subject index]. Price $34.95 (hb). ISBN 1-58834-042-2.

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Brain, Paul (2001): Rocky Mountains . By S cott A. E lias , 2002 (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press) [Pp. xi+164 with an Editor's note by John Kricher, 49 high-quality colour photographs, numerous bw illustrations and a subject index]. Price $34.95 (hb). ISBN 1-58834-042-2. Journal of Natural History 38: 1999-2000, DOI: 10.1080/00222930310001619038, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222930310001619038

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urn:lsid:plazi.org:pub:FFD0FE0CDD08FFB4701F9949C4751E79

References

  • Galapagos. By JOHN KRICHER, 2002 (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press) [Pp. 221 with an editor's note, a preface, an acknowledgements and a detailed index, 50 high quality colour plates and numerous bw illustrations]. Price $34.95 (hb). ISBN 158834-041-4.
  • This is a book by a renowned ecologist and a Galapagos ecotour guide. The first chapter 'Nothing Could be Less Inviting' paraphrases Darwin's initial response to Chatham Island (now St Christobal) but segues into the now ebullient ecotourism. 'First by Bucaniers and Latterly by Whalers' records notable visitors to the islands in addition to Darwin. They include Louis Agassiz, the founder of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University, who visited in 1872 but was not converted to Darwinism. Herman Melville visited in 1841 and William Beebe in 1923 and 1925. Kurt Vonnegut produced a science fiction book in 1985 after a trip to the archipelago. 'This Archipelago' deals with the volcanic origins of the isolated island group and their unique natural history. A useful table lists the official names, original English name and the commonly used name for the largest Galapagos Islands. This chapter has key sections on colonization; endemism; oceanography; the El Nino Southern Oscillation; climate and seasonality; geology; and ecological zones. 'Eminently Curious: Charles Darwin and the Galapagos' tells the well-known tale of the impact of the island visit on Darwin's thinking but has some unusual observations, for example that Darwin and Abraham Lincoln were born on the same day (12 February 1809). It challenges the myth that Darwin suddenly became a convinced evolutionist at this time and emphasizes the importance of ornithologist John Gould in helping Darwin with the interpretation of the finch material. It also observes that Darwin commented little on the giant tortoises, probably believing them to be food introductions by sailors! 'At Least Two Thousand Craters' deals with the volcanic origins of the islands on the Nazca Plate. 'The Great Monsters' (Darwin's description of the Giant tortoises) deals with these animals that gave the islands their name (galapagos is the word for a Spanish saddle, similar in shape to the tortoise shell). These impressive animals were indeed initially exploited for food and Beebe compared the flavour of the meat to 'the finest veal'. Kricher deals in detail with the recent conservation efforts on these important animals, emphasizing the role of goat control in such efforts. He notes that 10 of the remaining 11 subspecies (three races are now extinct) exist in reasonably viable populations. One, the Pinta race, will probably die out with the demise of 'Lonesome George'. 'Hideous-Looking Creatures' (another Darwinism) deals with the unique Marine Iguanas; Land Iguanas; Lava Lizards; geckos; and snakes (three species of small constrictors). In relation to the last, he points out that we are lucky that these snakes never proved as destructive to birds as those introduced to Guam! 'All the Birds Were So Tame' describes why birders come from all around the world to see the unique assemblage of seabird species. It has sections on the Galapagos penguin; the flightless cormorant; boobies; frigatebirds; the red-billed tropicbird; the brown pelican; the waved albatross; shearwaters, gadfly petrels and storm petrels; the lava gull; the swallow-tailed gull; and terns and noddies. 'One Small, Intimately Related Group of Birds' describes the 22 endemic species and those (including the moorhen!) that currently inhabit the islands. Kricher notes that the endemic land birds seem to have been generated by only seven of the 3751 bird species in the Neotropics reaching the islands (he cites Simpson's 'sweepstake route' hypothesis). Again, there are sections devoted to different bird species. 'Several Huge Whales' actually deals with shoreline species with sections on crabs and other invertebrates; sealions; wading birds, shorebirds and a duck; fish; whales, dolphins and porpoises; and sea turtles. 'Galapagos 3000' speculates on whether the archipelago will survive the next millennium. Kricher points out that the area was designated an Ecuadorian National Park only in 1959 and became a United Nations World Heritage Site in 1978 but that protection can be removed as well as given. He also discusses the role of the Charles Darwin Research Station in conservation and suggests that the regulation of tourism is the key (he contrasts the Galapagos situation with the geographically similar Hawaiian islands). A strong plea for retention of this 'true Eden' is made. This is a thoroughly entertaining and instructive book.