The Evolution of Plants

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 392 pages
• Published by: Oxford University Press, USA March 21, 2002
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0198500653
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0198500650
• Book Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Weighs: 1.4 pounds

Product Review
`This book incorporates many recent studies on the morphological evolution of plants, enlivens the subject with current research on ancient DNA and other biomolecular markers, and places plant evolution in the context of climate change and mass extinction.' CAB International 2003

`the recently published book by Willis and McElwain is a breath of fresh air. There is no doubt about it, this is an important work. Without being blinded by new methodologies, the ideas expressed shine out for their reforming chracteristics.' Global Ecology and Biogeography 2003

Product Description
This is a broad but provocative examination of the evolution of plants from the earliest forms of life to the development of our present flora. Taking a fresh, modern approach to a subject often treated very stuffily, the book incorporates many recent studies on the morphological evolution of plants, enlivens the subject with current research on ancient DNA and other biomolecular markers, and places plant evolution in the context of climate change and mass extinction. It is written to be accessible to undergraduates, so, for example, geological time is discussed in terms of 'millions of years ago' as well as by the names of the ages, and English equivalents of plant names are prefered, e.g. seed plants (instead of gymnosperms), flowering plants (instead of angiosperms).

Reader Reviews
This is from the my perspective as a basic research scientist and sometimes informal hiker and naturalist who never took zoology or botany too seriously, but on a whim wanted to know more about plant evolution. This is a wonderful book. It is engagingly written, and more importantly isn't a litany of facts, but rather discusses the topic in the context of biomes, geology, and the evolutionary solutions reached by plants. One small modification would be useful. Although the book is remarkably jargon free a few more terms in the glossary would have been useful to the non specialist. This said, as a non-specialist I read this book cover to cover and highly enjoyed it.