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Kingdom of Ants Edward O. Wilson

Kingdom of Ants By Edward O. Wilson (Pellegrino University Professor, Harvard University)

Kingdom of Ants by Edward O. Wilson


£8.49
Condition - Very Good
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Summary

A unique glance into the early world of science exploration, Kingdom of Ants is a delight to read and filled with intriguing information.

Kingdom of Ants Summary

Kingdom of Ants: Jose Celestino Mutis and the Dawn of Natural History in the New World by Edward O. Wilson

One of the earliest New World naturalists, Jose Celestino Mutis began his professional life as a physician in Spain and ended it as a scientist and natural philosopher in modern-day Colombia. Drawing on new translations of Mutis's nearly forgotten writings, this fascinating story of scientific adventure in eighteenth-century South America retrieves Mutis's contributions from obscurity. In 1760, the 28-year-old Mutis-newly appointed as the personal physician of the Viceroy of the New Kingdom of Granada-embarked on a 48-year exploration of the natural world of northern South America. His thirst for knowledge led Mutis to study the region's flora, become a professor of mathematics, construct the first astronomical observatory in the Western Hemisphere, and amass one of the largest scientific libraries in the world. He translated Newton's writings and penned essays about Copernicus; lectured extensively on astronomy, geography, and meteorology; and eventually became a priest. But, as two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward O. Wilson and Spanish natural history scholar Jose M. Gomez Duran reveal in this enjoyable and illustrative account, one of Mutis's most magnificent accomplishments involved ants. Acting at the urging of Carl Linnaeus-the father of taxonomy-shortly after he arrived in the New Kingdom of Granada, Mutis began studying the ants that swarmed everywhere. Though he lacked any entomological training, Mutis built his own classification for the species he found and named at a time when New World entomology was largely nonexistent. His unorthodox catalog of army ants, leafcutters, and other six-legged creatures found along the banks of the Magdalena provided a starting point for future study. Wilson and Duran weave a compelling, fast-paced story of ants on the march and the eighteenth-century scientist who followed them. A unique glance into the early world of science exploration, Kingdom of Ants is a delight to read and filled with intriguing information.

Kingdom of Ants Reviews

Edward O. Wilson, one of those rare scientists who can make biology and science history not only readable but entertaining, has written a book that holds the reader's attention from beginning to end. -- Lynne M. Hinkey * Internet Review of Books *
By coupling excerpts from Mutis's forgotten diaries with recent findings on ant eating habits, reproductive behaviors, and emigration patterns, the authors give new relevance to one of the New World's oldest natural history studies. This interesting writing technique helps readers understand the continual nature of the process of scientific inquiry. * Choice *
A unique glance into the early world of science exploration, Kingdom of Ants is a delight to read and filled with intriguing information. * Southeastern Naturalist *

About Edward O. Wilson

Edward O. Wilson is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author, scientist, and University Research Professor Emeritus at Harvard University. Dr. Wilson has written more than 20 books and hundreds of journal articles. Jose M. Gomez Duran is one of the founding members of the Iberian Myrmecological Association and a researcher with the Spanish Institute for Agriculture and Food Research and Technology (INIA).

Table of Contents

Prologue1. Who Was Mutis?2. The Making of an Eighteenth-Century Naturalist3. The Scientific Contributions of Jose Celestino Mutis4. Mutis Seeks Advice5. Mutis Begins His Study of Ants6. Ants Are Transported by Ships7. Ant Plants and Plant Ants8. Mutis Learns about the Mule-Train (Leafcutter) Ants9. Unending Struggles against the Mule-Train Ants10. Ant Wars11. Mutis Solves the Mystery of the Nomadic Pataloas12. Mutis Measures the Size of an Army-Ant Colony13. Mutis Tracks the Armies of Ants14. Mutis Studies the Gender of Ants and Makes an Amazing Discovery15. Mutis' Other Ants16. How Good a Scientist Was Mutis?EpilogueAcknowledgments

Additional information

GOR008741961
9780801897856
0801897858
Kingdom of Ants: Jose Celestino Mutis and the Dawn of Natural History in the New World by Edward O. Wilson
Used - Very Good
Hardback
Johns Hopkins University Press
2010-10-29
120
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Kingdom of Ants