Animal Earth

What most think of as the animal kingdom--from elephants to amphibians--in fact accounts for only a tiny portion of the tens of millions of species which scientists speculate inhabit planet Earth.Animal Earth is an unbiased tour of this still largely undiscovered world, illuminating the bizarre appearances and hidden lives of the creatures who share our planet.

What is perhaps more surprising is that this bewildering range of animal species are all offshoots from a relatively small number of lineages, sharing a common body plan and evolutionary history. Animal Earth not only provides an even-handed summary of each, but reflects the latest research on the evolutionary relationships between species. How they all fit on the "tree of life" is a topic that has been debated for decades, not least because new species are being discovered all the time; some lesser-known lineages, such as Chaetognatha (arrow worms) and Xenoturbellida (strange worms) continue to defy classification.

Humans are in a uniquely privileged position, given our technological achievements, to protect animal diversity. As Piper makes clear, each species is an integral component of the ecosystem we live in, and we protect animal diversity not only for its own sake, but to maintain the natural systems that keep us all alive.