A Natural History of Australia (Natural World)

Book info: A Natural History of Australia (Natural World) (Hardcover, 256 pages) – Academic Press, 1998. Language: English.

A Natural History of Australia is for anyone interested in this long-isolated continent. It presents the many wonders of Australia, including geography, geology, the Aborigines, the Great Barrier Reef, invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. It also covers the history, life style, and language of Australia. From rock art to giant earthworms, this book is a well-written and beautifully illustrated narrative. Key Features* Contains color illustrations, diagrams, and photographs throughout* Covers the geological history of Australia as well as the biological history* Reviews Aboriginal cultures* Demonstrates the complexity of the Great Barrier Reef* Includes valuable appendices for the traveler covering political, social, economic, idiomatic, and practical matters About the Author Tim M. Berra received his B.S. in biology from St. Louis University, Missouri. He earned a M.S. and Ph.D. in biology from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was awarded a Fulbright Post-doctoral Fellowship to the Australian National University in Canberra in 1969-1970; in 1971 he joined the faculty of the University of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby. He joined the Department of Zoology at Ohio State University reaching the rank of Full Professor in 1985. Berra received a Fulbright Senior Research Fellowship to Monash University in 1979, and he has returned to Australia in 1986 and 1988-1989 as Research Associate at the Western Australian Museum in Perth. He has also done field work in Chile and New Zealand. Berra is the author of more than 50 papers in scientific journals and three books. He is the ichthyological book review editor of Copeia, the journal of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, and is former Editor-in-Chief of The Ohio Journal of Science. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Columbus Zoo and the zoo's Conservation and Collection Management Committee. In July 1995, Berra took early retirement from the Ohio State University where he is now Professor Emeritus in order to devote full time to research, writing, and photography.