We all know about the birds and the bees, but what about the ancient placoderm fishes and the dinosaurs? The history of sex is as old as life itself—and as complicated and mysterious. And despite centuries of study there is always more to know. In 2008, paleontologist John A. Long and a team of researchers revealed their discovery of a placoderm fish fossil, known as “the mother fish,” which at 380 million years old revealed the oldest vertebrate embryo—the earliest known example of internal fertilization. As Long explains, this find led to the reexamination of countless fish fossils and the discovery of previously undetected embryos. As a result, placoderms are now considered to be the first species to have had intimate sexual reproduction or sex as we know it—sort of. Inspired by this incredible find, Long began a quest to uncover the paleontological and evolutionary history of copulation and insemination. In The Dawn of the Deed, he takes readers on an entertaining and lively tour through the sex lives of ancient fish and exposes the unusual mating habits of arthropods, tortoises, and even a well-endowed (16.5 inches!) Argentine Duck. Long discusses these significant discoveries alongside what we know about reproductive biology and evolutionary theory, using the fossil record to provide a provocative account of prehistoric sex. The Dawn of the Deed also explores fascinating revelations about animal reproduction, from homosexual penguins to monogamous seahorses to the difficulties of dinosaur romance and how sexual organs in ancient shark-like fishes actually relate to our own sexual anatomy. The Dawn of the Deed is Long’s own story of what it’s like to be a part of a discovery that rewrites evolutionary history as well as an absolutely rollicking guide to sex throughout the ages in the animal kingdom. It’s natural history with a naughty wink.

The Dawn of the Deed: The Prehistoric Origins of Sex

Politics & Social Sciences

Long, John A.

Anthropology

University of Chicago Press

We all know about the birds and the bees, but what about the ancient placoderm fishes and the dinosaurs? The history of sex is as old as life itself—and as complicated and mysterious. And despite centuries of study there is always more to know. In 2008, paleontologist John A. Long and a team of researchers revealed their discovery of a placoderm fish fossil, known as “the mother fish,” which at 380 million years old revealed the oldest vertebrate embryo—the earliest known example of internal fertilization. As Long explains, this find led to the reexamination of countless fish fossils and the discovery of previously undetected embryos. As a result, placoderms are now considered to be the first species to have had intimate sexual reproduction or sex as we know it—sort of. Inspired by this incredible find, Long began a quest to uncover the paleontological and evolutionary history of copulation and insemination. In The Dawn of the Deed, he takes readers on an entertaining and lively tour through the sex lives of ancient fish and exposes the unusual mating habits of arthropods, tortoises, and even a well-endowed (16.5 inches!) Argentine Duck. Long discusses these significant discoveries alongside what we know about reproductive biology and evolutionary theory, using the fossil record to provide a provocative account of prehistoric sex. The Dawn of the Deed also explores fascinating revelations about animal reproduction, from homosexual penguins to monogamous seahorses to the difficulties of dinosaur romance and how sexual organs in ancient shark-like fishes actually relate to our own sexual anatomy.The Dawn of the Deed is Long’s own story of what it’s like to be a part of a discovery that rewrites evolutionary history as well as an absolutely rollicking guide to sex throughout the ages in the animal kingdom. It’s natural history with a naughty wink.

Science & Math

Biological Sciences

No other continent on Earth has undergone such radical environmental changes as Antarctica. In its transition from rich biodiversity to the barren, cold land of blizzards we see today, Antarctica provides a dramatic case study of how subtle changes in continental positioning can affect living communities, and how rapidly catastrophic changes can come about. Frozen in Time presents a comprehensive overview of the fossil record of Antarctica framed within its changing environmental settings, providing a window into a past time and environment on the continent. It reconstructs Antarctica’s evolving animal and plant communities as accurately as the fossil record permits. The story of how fossils were first discovered in Antarctica is a triumph of human endeavor. It continues today with modern expeditions going out to remote sites every year to fill in more of the missing parts of the continent’s great jigsaw of life. KEY FEATURES * Copiously illustrated with magnificent color images * Provides an overview of the discovery and exploration of Antarctica * Gives a clear guide to the palaeontology of Antarctica * Includes contemporary issues of heritage and preservation * Outlines the possible major impacts of climate change

Frozen in Time [OP]: Prehistoric Life in Antarctica

Stilwell, Jeffrey D.

Archaeology

CSIRO Publishing

Beginning in the 1990s, fossils unearthed in Australia and New Zealand began to reshape the debates around some of paleontology's most hotly contested questions: how dinosaurs and birds are related, whether dinosaurs were warm-blooded, and when and how the mammals began their rise.
In this first comprehensive account of Mesozoic vertebrates from New Zealand and Australia, John Long shows that, while the fossil record from the region can be sparse and fragmentary, finds from such sites as Dinosaur Cove, Coober Pedy, Lightning Ridge, and the fossil trackways at Broome offer new and occasionally startling evidence that has the potential to challenge current views. Long's up-to-date coverage includes the discovery in late 1996 of a new shrew-like mammal, Ausktribosphenos nyktos.
Entries on individual fauna begin with a brief introduction, written to be accessible to the armchair paleontologist, that describes the prevailing climate and habitat during the relevant geological time period, followed by more technical information aimed at specialists, including type characteristics, location and other details about the specimen's discovery. Dinosaurs of Australia and New Zealand is profusely illustrated with photographs of the fossils, maps, and newly commissioned life restorations by some of the leading dinosaur illustrators from Australia and the United States: Peter Schouten, Tony Windberg, Bill Stout, and Mike Skrepnick.

Dinosaurs of Australia and New Zealand and Other Animals of the Mesozoic Era

Reference

Harvard University Press

We all know about the birds and the bees, but what about the ancient placoderm fishes and the dinosaurs? The history of sex is as old as life itself-and as complicated and mysterious. And despite centuries of study there is always more to know. In 2008, paleontologist John A. Long and a team of researchers revealed their discovery of a placoderm fish fossil, known as "the mother fish," which at 380 million years old revealed the oldest vertebrate embryo-the earliest known example of internal fertilization. As Long explains, this find led to the reexamination of countless fish fossils and the discovery of previously undetected embryos. As a result, placoderms are now considered to be the first species to have had intimate sexual reproduction or sex as we know it-sort of.  Inspired by this incredible find, Long began a quest to uncover the paleontological and evolutionary history of copulation and insemination. In Hung Like An Argentine Duck, he takes readers on an entertaining and lively tour through the sex lives of ancient fish and exposes the unusual mating habits of arthropods, tortoises, and even a well-endowed (16.5 inches!) Argentine Duck. Long discusses these significant discoveries alongside what we know about reproductive biology and evolutionary theory, using the fossil record to provide a provocative account of prehistoric sex. Hung Like An Argentine Duck also explores fascinating revelations about animal reproduction, from homosexual penguins to monogamous seahorses to the difficulties of dinosaur romance and how sexual organs in ancient shark-like fishes actually relate to our own sexual anatomy.  Hung Like An Argentine Duck is Long's own story of what it's like to be a part of a discovery that rewrites evolutionary history as well as an absolutely rollicking guide to sex throughout the ages.  "John Long is renowned as the discoverer of the earliest evidence for internal fertilisation. In a book encompassing 380 million years of sexual evolution, he lays the full significance of his discoveries in fascinating  context." - Tim Flannery  "You are now holding a compromise between a book that you should carry hidden inside an opaque bag, and a sober respectable scientific treatise.  It's a deliciously written account of the evolution of sex, in all of its bizarre manifestations.  Read, blush, and enjoy!" - Jared Diamond, Professor of Geography at UCLA, Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel  "I shall never feel the same about ducks again. Or fish. This is first class science told with brilliance and flair. Read and be astounded." - Robyn Williams  'John Long breaks new ground in our understanding of the origins of sex as it is written in the fossil record. Using well-preserved specimens he has worked on for more than two decades, he reconstructs a detailed 400 million year history in which survival of not only the best, but sexiest, continues to dominate all species, including humans' - Carmelo Amalfi, science writer.  rsp20

Hung Like an Argentine Duck: A Journey Back in Time to the Origins of Sexual Intimacy

HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd

From kangaroos and koalas to the giant Diprotodon and bizarre "thingodontans," prehistoric mammals evolved within the changing and sometimes harsh environments of Australia. As part of Gondwana, Australia was the first landmass to be isolated from the supercontinent Pangaea. In Prehistoric Mammals of Australia and New Guinea, four respected paleontologists present a history of the development of modern mammals from the unique evolutionary environment of Australia and New Guinea. The authors describe both what is known about prehistoric Australian mammals and what can be reconstructed from the fossil evidence about their appearance and behaviors.
This accessible reference work offers facts about how each mammal got its name and provides a description of how the fossil mammal resembles its modern descendants. Over 200 four-color illustrations enhance the text, which describes the age, diet, and habitat of these extinct mammals. The authors also detail how each mammal evolved and is now classified. Diagrams showing skeletal features and tooth structure and a glossary of technical terms are also included.

Prehistoric Mammals of Australia and New Guinea: One Hundred Million Years of Evolution

Flannery, Timothy

Hand, Suzanne

Archer, Michael

Johns Hopkins University Press

Fishes that walk, fishes that breathe air, fishes that look like―and are―monsters from the deep. These and many more strange creatures swim through The Rise of Fishes, John A. Long’s richly illustrated tour of the past 500 million years. Long has updated his classic work with illustrations of recent fossil discoveries and new interpretations based on genetic analyses. He reveals how fishes evolved from ancient, jawless animals, explains why fishes have survived on the Earth for so long, and describes how they have become the dominant aquatic life-form. Indeed, to take things a step further, we learn much about ourselves through this book, for all amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are descendants of ancient fishes.
Clear, accessible, and engaging, The Rise of Fishes combines scientific expertise with entertaining stories about Long's own excursions, which span the oceans and continents. The book includes photographs of fossils from around the world as well as dramatic color illustrations depicting what those fishes may have actually looked like.

The Rise of Fishes: 500 Million Years of Evolution

History

Americas

Whether you're in training or an established practitioner, Oculoplastic Surgery, a brand-new title in the Surgical Techniques in Ophthalmology Series, is your go-to manual for expert guidance on how to master new procedures, improve outcomes, and learn the latest techniques faster. It features step-by-step details on how to perform a variety of oculoplastic surgical procedures, including upper eyelid blepharoplasty, lower eyelid blepharoplasty, ptosis repair, evisceration, and enucleation entropion and ectropion. And, a concise, templated format complements the commentary and procedures on the accompanying DVD.
<ul>
<li>Presents detailed coverage of the oculoplastic surgical procedures practiced today, including upper eyelid blepharoplasty, lower eyelid blepharoplasty, ptosis repair, evisceration, and enucleation entropion and ectropion, keeping you on the cusp of the latest advances. </li>
<li>Features explanations of surgical techniques combined with high-quality video clips that emphasize and illuminate key points. </li>
<li>Discusses pros and cons, pearls and pitfalls, and tricks-of-the-trade for all techniques to help you make the best informed decisions and avoid complications. </li>
<li>Uses a consistent step-by-step approach to each procedure to help you perform every technique with precision. </li>
<li>Lists equipment and instrumentation required for each procedure in appropriate chapters. </li>
<li>Uses full-color illustrations throughout for enhanced visual guidance. </li>
<li>Includes a DVD of surgical videos to help you master every technique. </li>
</ul>

Surgical Techniques in Ophthalmology Series: Oculoplastic Surgery: Text with DVD

Medical Books

Medicine

Saunders

Edmund Campion: A Tower of Faith and Martyrdom: Unveiling the Extraordinary Journey and Enduring Impact of a Catholic Martyr in Elizabethan England (Books of Saint)

Religion & Spirituality

Christian Books & Bibles

Independently published

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Books by Long, John A.