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Why do giraffes have such long necks? Why are zebras striped? And why does the clitoris of the female hyena exactly resemble and in most respects function like the male's penis?Deploying the latest scientific research and his own extensive observations in Africa, Léo Grasset offers answers to these questions and many more in a book of post-Darwinian Just So stories. Complex natural phenomena are explained in simple and at times comic terms, as Grasset turns evolutionary biology to the burning questions of the animal kingdom, from why elephants prefer dictators and buffaloes democracies, to whether the lion really is king.The human is, of course, just another animal, and the author's exploration of two million years of human evolution shows how it not only informs our current habits and behavior, but reveals that we are hybrids of several different species.Prepare to be fascinated, shocked and delighted, as well as reliably advised -- by the end, you will know to never hug the beautiful, cuddly honey badger, and what explains its almost psychotic nastiness.This is serious science at its entertaining best.… (more)
User reviews
That there is disagreement in science is no headline, but in these cases, Grasset depicts the field as wide open. There are assumptions, interpretations, possibilities and theories. How The Zebra Got Its Stripes is a fast little book that brings us up to speed on the state of our thinking today. It is an enthusiastic examination, with all due respect for the animals. I think I liked the story of the crows that drop otherwise unbreakable nuts onto the street from their position on electrical lines, and wait for cars to crush them. They even know the functions of traffic lights, and collect their rewards safely.
As for the zebras of the title, their stripes are white, and the patterns are less important than we think, and they have much duller personalities than horses.
We have much to learn.
David Wineberg