The Animal Kingdom: A Very Short Introduction by Peter W H Holland




wide ranging, insightful and a pleasure to read

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Like
so many of the VSI series, this book has a fresh and informative style that
allows the assimilation of cascade of information to be a pleasant experience.
The definition of an animal is approached from a modern viewpoint with an
important and interesting emphasis on epithelial cells sheets. A classification
of the animal kingdom uses historical perspectives on bilateralism and coeloms
to explain the most modern synthesis of animals into the basal phyla, the
Lophotrochozoa, the Ecdysozoa and the Deuterostomia. This derives from the
latest molecular evidence, an area where Holland is expert, and provides a lucid
and engaging introduction. Holland then works methodically through these
super-phyla.

Working
through the super-phyla inevitably requires a degree of listing. Many of the
listings are accompanied by key points of interest: the emergence of the
ubiquitous homeobox region in the genome of the Bilateria; the deep sea
pogonophoran worm's troposome organ which allows chemosynthesis of hydrogen
sulphide; uric acid storage in the wings of Pieris butterflies; a little story
about nematomorph horse-hair worms that answered a perennial question from my
childhood; and an evolutionary explanation for temperature dependent sex
determination in the Tasmanian Snow Skink - these are but a few of the
enlightening points which punctuate this survey of the animal kingdom. Holland's
extensive walk-through of the whole kingdom necessarily leaves only twenty pages
to cover the terrestrial deuterostomes with which we are familiar from day to
day. Perhaps there is scope for a VSI on the vertebrates. The Further Reading
and Index are both helpful.

Holland achieves a thorough and insightful
exposition on some complex topics which is often beyond expensive text books. It
is a must-read for biology students and those who wish to refresh their
knowledge of zoological classification through an inspiring VSI.