As the title says, A Natural History of Australia takes a comprehensive look at the sometimes bizarre, oftentimes spectacular, and always fascinating natural history of the island continent. It describes in words, illustrations, tables and charts, and with some truly inspiring photographs Australia’s geography and geology, its Aboriginal people, the Great Barrier Reef, and its fauna and flora. It also deals with the country’s colorful history, its laidback lifestyle and the quirky and entertaining brand of English that Australians speak. A Natural History of Australia is a serious but accessible book that describes how isolation and aridity have shaped Australia’s fauna and flora. The book explains the principles of Australia’s biogeography and the complexity of its Great Barrier Reef. It compares the reproductive system of Australia’s unique monotremes (egg-laying mammals) with those of its well-known marsupials and with placental mammals, and it reviews the latest discoveries in paleoanthropology. These are but a few of the topics discussed in A Natural History of Australia. A Natural History of Australia, will appeal to all lovers of natural history, travelers and tourists, professional zoologists and anyone interested in Australia and its wildlife.

ix, 304 p. : col. ill., maps ; 27 cm. #0721

Natural history — Australia.