The Animal Kingdom: A Very Short Introduction

Peter Holland

Very Short Introductions

• Provides a summary of the modern understanding of the animal world and its evolution
• Shows how DNA studies have revolutionized the classification of animals
• Discusses key topics in zoology such as modern evolutionary trees and the origin of animals
• Part of the Very Short Introductions series - over three million copies sold worldwide

The Animal Kingdom: A Very Short Introduction

Peter Holland

Very Short Introductions

Description

The Animal Kingdom: A Very Short Introduction

Peter Holland

Very Short Introductions

Table of Contents

The Animal Kingdom: A Very Short Introduction

Peter Holland

Very Short Introductions

Author Information

The Animal Kingdom: A Very Short Introduction

Peter Holland

Very Short Introductions

From Our Blog

10 facts about the animal kingdom

How many species of animals are there? What is the largest animal, and how are we related to rats? Peter Holland, the author of The Animal Kingdom: A Very Short Introduction, tells us 10 things everyone should know about the animal kingdom, and how we humans fit in.

Posted on June 9, 2017

Read the blog post

Animal evolution: a new view of an old tree

By Peter Holland The metaphor of the 'evolutionary tree' is powerful. Closely related species, such as octopus and squid, can be pictured as twigs sitting near each other on a small branch, in turn connected to larger and larger branches, each representing more distant evolutionary relationships. Every animal species, past and present, is a twig somewhere on the vast tree of life. But what is the shape of this metaphorical tree? Can we find the correct place for all the twigs, or perhaps even just the largest branches? In short, who is related to whom? To solve this would be to reconstruct the history of animal life on our planet.

Posted on January 4, 2013

Read the blog post

The Animal Kingdom: A Very Short Introduction

Peter Holland

Very Short Introductions

Author Interview