Animal Anomalies: What Abnormal Anatomies Reveal about Normal Development
Cambridge University Press, 3/18/2021
EAN 9781108819749, ISBN10: 1108819745
Paperback, 294 pages, 24.1 x 17 x 1.5 cm
Language: English
Originally published in English
Among the offspring of humans and other animals are occasional individuals that are malformed in whole or in part. The most grossly abnormal of these have been referred to from ancient times as monsters, because their birth was thought to foretell doom; the less severely affected are usually known as anomalies. This volume digs deeply into the cellular and molecular processes of embryonic development that go awry in such exceptional situations. It focuses on the physical mechanisms of how genes instruct cells to build anatomy, as well as the underlying forces of evolution that shaped these mechanisms over eons of geologic time. The narrative is framed in a historical perspective that should help students trying to make sense of these complex subjects. Each chapter is written in the style of a Sherlock Holmes story, starting with the clues and ending with a solution to the mystery.
Preface
Part I. Frogs
1. The introspective frog
2. Two-headed tadpoles
3. Extra-legged frogs
Part II. Flies
4. The double-jointed fly
5. The four-winged fly
6. The naked fly
Part III. Dogs
7. The Shar-Pei
8. The bully whippet
9. The Great Pyrenees
Part IV. Cats
10. The blotched tabby
11. The Siamese cat
12. The calico cat.