The Ghosts Of Evolution: Nonsensical Fruit, Missing Partners, and Other Ecological Anachronisms by Connie BarlowMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Ghosts of Evolution is an account of fruits and their missing seed dispersers.
Ever wonder what eats crazy-looking fruits like the Osage Orange? It could be that nothing living does, that the preferred organism for spreading the seed has been lost to the sands of time. Connie Barlow investigates fruits from around the world and points out the probable ecological anachronisms.
For instance, the avocado seems to be intended to be devoured whole by some megafauna, possible a ground sloth, but no such megafauna exists in its range. Fortunately for some of the tastier species, mankind has taken on the role of seed dispersement but some species aren't so lucky.
The Ghosts of Evolution was one of the more interesting non-fiction books I've ever read. It made me harken back to my pre-teen days of wanting to be a scientist, several years before deciding having friends was more important than being the smartest kid in the room. What was I thinking?
Anyway. The Ghosts of Evolution is a fascinating exploration of the ecosystem and what happens when it gets disrupted. Four out of five stars.
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