Darwin's Dreampond: Drama in Lake Victoria Book + PRICE WATCH * Amazon pricing is not included in price watch

Darwin's Dreampond: Drama in Lake Victoria Book

Tijs Goldschmidt, a Dutch biologist, has been working for several years along the shores of East Africa's Lake Victoria, a freshwater sea the size of Switzerland. There he has chronicled the changing fortunes of the genus Haplochromis, made up of perchlike fish that differentiate into new species faster than any other vertebrates. Their numbers, however, fell precipitously after the Dutch government funded a fishery industry that harvested 60 tons of these cichlids daily; this industry also introduced nonnative species of fish that threatened to destroy the indigenous fauna. Goldschmidt writes of the mechanics of extinction--a process he says many biologists are loath to describe, for there "is always the hope that somewhere, hidden away, unnoticed, several individuals are still thriving." Students of population biology in particular will find this book of urgent value. --Gregory McNameeRead More

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  • Product Description

    "The biological story itself is fascinating, and Mr. Goldschmidt tells it well. But the genius of his book lies in the way he has combined the science with travel writing. He interleaves the two in a highly readable way, so that his Tanzanian experiences lighten the science. . . . the book should give universal pleasure." -- Mark Ridley, The New York Times Book Review

    Darwin's Dreampond tells the evolutionary story of the extraordinary "furu" and the battlefield leading to extinction. Tijs Goldschmidt skillfully blends a masterful discussion of the principles of neo-Darwinian evolution and speciation with a history of Lake Victoria's ecosystem. The science unfolds in the context of the engaging first-person narrative of Goldschmidt's adventures and misadventures as a field researcher. An astute observer and a clear and witty writer, he warmly portrays the colors and textures of the landscapes and the lives of the local people as he interacts with them during the course of his fieldwork.

  • 0262571218
  • 9780262571210
  • T Goldschmidt
  • 14 April 1998
  • MIT Press
  • Paperback (Book)
  • 280
  • New edition
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