Great Adaptations: Star-Nosed Moles, Electric Eels, and Other Tales of Evolution's Mysteries Solved

by Kenneth Catania

Overview

"The irresistible enthusiasm of Great Adaptations couldn’t come at a better time."—David P. Barash, Wall Street Journal

"Be very amazed."—Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words and Becoming Wild

How one scientist unlocked the secrets behind some of nature’s most astounding animals

From star-nosed moles that have super-sensing snouts to electric eels that paralyze their prey, animals possess unique and extraordinary abilities. In Great Adaptations, Kenneth Catania presents an entertaining and engaging look at some of nature’s most remarkable creatures. Telling the story of his biological detective work, Catania sheds light on the mysteries behind the behaviors of tentacled snakes, tiny shrews, zombie-making wasps, and more. He shows not only how studying these animals can provide deep insights into how life evolved, but also how scientific discovery can be filled with adventure and fun.

Beginning with the star-nosed mole, Catania reveals what the creature’s nasal star is actually for, and what this tells us about how brains work. He explores how the deceptive hunting strategy of tentacled snakes leads prey straight to their mouths, how eels use electricity to control other animals, and why emerald jewel wasps make zombies out of cockroaches. He also solves the enigma of worm grunting—a traditional technique in which earthworms are enticed out of the ground—by teaming up with professional worm grunters. Catania demonstrates the merits of approaching science with an open mind, considers the role played by citizen scientists, and illustrates that most animals have incredible, hidden abilities that defy our imagination.

Examining some strange and spectacular creatures, Great Adaptations offers a wondrous journey into nature’s grand designs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691228471
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	10/12/2021
Pages:	216
Sales rank:	986,349
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Kenneth Catania is Stevenson Professor of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University. A 2006 MacArthur Fellow, he lives in Nashville.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 The Enigma of The Star 5

2 Pasteur Was Right 28

3 The Sting 54

4 The Mystery of Worm Grunting 73

5 Tiny T-Rex 100

6 You Had Me At 500 Volts 118

7 The Art of Making A Zombie 149

Epilogue 176

Acknowledgments 179

References 183

Chapter-Opening Captions 189

Illustration Credits 191

Index 195

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"With engaging prose and captivating stories, Kenneth Catania brings his brilliant research to life. Never have I learned so much from a book that’s so enjoyable to read."—Jonathan Losos, author of Improbable Destinies

"In writing about the astonishing ways that animals live on this planet, Kenneth Catania says he stopped at the word ‘miracles.’ But in Great Adaptations, what he describes is just that—a planet full of miracles. Catania’s personal experiences and journeys make this a compulsively readable book. Be very amazed."—Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words and Becoming Wild

"From star-nosed moles to worm grunting, this book captivates readers with stories about the extraordinary abilities of ordinary creatures."—Marlene Zuk, author of Paleofantasy

"Through a series of gripping vignettes about incredible animals doing seemingly impossible things, Great Adaptations melds insightful natural history with sophisticated experimental analysis, garnished with scientific brilliance. It is among the best natural history accounts our generation has to offer."—Michael J. Ryan, author of A Taste for the Beautiful

Editorial Reviews

★ 06/22/2020

By blending accessible writing with cutting-edge science, Catania, professor of neuroscience at Vanderbilt University and a MacArthur Fellowship winner, demonstrates how exciting the process of scientific investigation can be in his invigorating debut. He shares his experiences asking fascinating questions about a number of odd animals including the star-nosed mole, the electric eel, the water shrew, large Florida earthworms, and the emerald jewel wasp. In each case, he describes how his research led to new discoveries, such as how the mole’s nose functions as perhaps the “most sensitive and high-resolution touch system on our planet,” and how the wasp controls the behavior of far larger cockroaches by injecting them with a potent venom. He also explains how his findings may yield insight into other subjects. The wasp venom, for example, may help treat Parkinson’s disease, while the eel’s electrical pulses relate to echolocation in bats, and the mole’s elaborate sense of touch, its primary sense, is surprisingly similar to human vision. Throughout, Catania introduces neuroscience basics in an accessible manner, while also making clear what a large role serendipity can play in scientific investigation. The joy Catania takes in the process of exploring the natural world will delight readers. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Winner of the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books for Young Adults

From the Publisher

"The irresistible enthusiasm of Great Adaptations couldn’t come at a better time—science is under assault not merely by know-nothing deniers but in how it is taught and presented to the general public. It’s dispensed as a collection of facts, recitations of what past research has uncovered, findings to be understood, which all too often means just 'memorized.' By contrast, as Mr. Catania clearly understands, and demonstrates beautifully in his book, science offers adventures in trying to decode the mysteries of the natural world."

Wall Street Journal

★ 11/01/2020

Catania (neurobiology, Vanderbilt Univ.) showcases some strange creatures with unusual capacities. The "star" of his show is the star-nosed mole, with its weird schnoz containing some 25,000 touch-sensitive nerve organs and the ability to gobble small invertebrate prey in world record-breaking time. The mole was undergrad Catania's first real biological assignment; his "strange path of discovery" is brilliantly documented, from figuring how to find and capture his elusive subject to eventually mapping its brain. He also studies tentacled snakes that deploy some devilish hunting strategies, worms that leave the ground in response to "grunts," eels that paralyze their prey with Taser-like jolts, bloodthirsty water shrews, and zombie-making wasps. The author's witty style and amazing findings are complemented by stunning photography and movie shorts that readers with smart phones can scan and play. The astonishing animals are only half the story. Just as compelling is the enquiring-human side—i.e., seeing a scientist at work (and at play), applying a Sherlockian credo: "approach the problem with an open mind, gather every possible clue, start eliminating suspects." VERDICT Casual science readers will be hooked from page one; for those contemplating careers in the sciences, this should be required reading.—Robert Eagan, Windsor P.L., Ont.

Library Journal

2020-05-26
A Vanderbilt biology professor digs into “unsolved biological mysteries and extreme adaptations.”

What do star-nose moles, electric eels, jewel wasps, tentacled snakes, and water shrews have in common? The rapt gaze of Catania, who investigates those odd creatures and more. The author knows better than most that even animals that have been studied for centuries harbor secrets yet to be uncovered. Using a variety of visual aids to good effect, Catania explores how the humblest species may have developed their remarkable abilities. The author wants us to learn something not only about these extraordinary creatures, but about the process of discovery as well. This begins, prosaically, with the simple act of taking a closer look. A Guggenheim and MacArthur fellow, Catania was motivated to write the book, in part, as an alternative to the necessarily dry technical style of scientific papers, which by their very nature do little to capture the sense of wonder or elation attending new discoveries. It’s clear that being a scientist has only magnified the author’s sense of wonder, and he notes how chance, failure, an open mind, and tirelessly methodical experimentation are as much natural parts of science as breakthroughs. Very occasionally, he has hit the mother lode in the field, when preparation and a bit of luck intersect with biology, history, and culture, as in the marvel that is earthworm “grunting.” His studies also deal with the larger question of the extremes to which evolution can tailor a species to its environment as well as some potentially profound applications: For example, the venom of the jewel wasp, a leading figure in neuroparasitology, “may be useful for research into Parkinson’s disease.” Perhaps not everyone will share the author’s abundant enthusiasm for the specifics of insectivore senses, amphibian electroreceptors, and the vagaries of neuroanatomy, but his delight is contagious.

Catania successfully unearths a universe of surprises within a small-scale realm.

Kirkus Reviews