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Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid: The Fraught and Fascinating Biology of Climate Change

byThor Hanson

Biologist Thor Hanson investigates how plants and animals respond to a rapidly changing climate. Lizards develop larger toe pads after hurricanes, squid alter body chemistry, species shift ranges, and organisms change timing, behavior, and relationships. Some adaptations happen within lifetimes while others require evolution across generations; many species cannot adjust quickly enough. Hanson brings laboratory science together with field researchers and vivid natural history, showing that climate change is already reorganizing life. The book balances resilience with limits, explaining why surprising biological flexibility cannot substitute for protecting habitats and reducing warming.

Publisher

Basic Books

Publication date

2021

Format

Print edition

Pages

304

ISBN

9781541672420