In captions, I try to imagine: If there had been a thought process behind these organisms, what would it have been? I collect these evolutionary oddities on my blog, WTF, Evolution?, and in the new book of the same name. But you know what I love more than these shining examples of evolution? The less elegant creatures-the ones that survive despite being awkward, ugly, slime-covered, or completely absurd. These adaptations may make us marvel at nature’s inventiveness and engineering skill. For almost 4 billion years, Evolution has produced a nonstop parade of inflatable noses, bizarre genitalia, and seriously awkward necks.We’ve all heard examples of evolutionary perfection: The cheetah’s sleek, long-legged body, built for speed on the African savanna, or the parrot’s tough, ridged beak, ideally shaped for cracking open nuts. Grunbaum's especially brilliant stroke is to personify Evolution as a well-meaning but somewhat oblivious experimenter whose conversations with a skeptical narrator are hilarious. Here are more than 100 outlandish mammals, reptiles, insects, fish, birds, and other creatures whose very existence leaves us shaking our heads and muttering WTF?! Ms. Mara Grunbaum is a very smart, very funny science writer who celebrates the best or, really, the worst of Evolution's blunders. Or maybe Evolution was feeling cheeky a fish with hands? Joke's on you, Red Handfish! Or maybe Evolution simply goofed up: How else to explain the overgrown teeth of the babirusas that curl backward over their face? Oops.
Or maybe Evolution ran out of steam (Memo to Evolution: The Irrawaddy Dolphin looks like a prototype that should have been left on the drawing board).
Why should Evolution be any different? Maybe Evolution got carried away with an idea that was just a little too crazy like having the Regal Horned Lizard defend itself by shooting three-foot streams of blood from its eyes. Here to question the intelligence in intelligent design, WTF, Evolution!? features more than 100 of the most ridiculous-looking wacky creatures on earth, with accompanying hilarious commentary.
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