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

by Thor Hanson

*A New York Times Editor’s Choice pick
*Shortlisted for the 2022 Pacific Northwest Book Awards

A beloved natural historian explores how climate change is driving evolution  

In Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid, biologist Thor Hanson tells the remarkable story of how plants and animals are responding to climate change: adjusting, evolving, and sometimes dying out. Anole lizards have grown larger toe pads, to grip more tightly in frequent hurricanes. Warm waters cause the development of Humboldt squid to alter so dramatically that fishermen mistake them for different species. Brown pelicans move north, and long-spined sea urchins south, to find cooler homes. And when coral reefs sicken, they leave no territory worth fighting for, so aggressive butterfly fish transform instantly into pacifists. 

Interview with the Author

Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda
Thor Hanson: How Nature Struggles with a Warming Planet
1/25/22          44 min

Town Hall Seattle Science Series 
152. Thor Hanson: Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid 
11/30/21            60 min

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