THE CASE OF THE MONKEYS THAT FELL FROM THE TREES

Outstanding science writing and impressive scholarship make this a first choice for science enthusiasts. The author poses 11 ecological mysteries and carefully describes how scientists set about studying, experimenting, and testing various hypotheses to understand the rain forest. Along the way, she provides a detailed look at how contemporary field scientists work and gives the reader access to many specialized publications like Biotropica, Journal of Animal Ecology, and Toxicon, all carefully listed in the selected resources. As in her previous work, The Case of the Mummified Pig and Other Mysteries in Nature (1994), the author, a field biologist, introduces observations that puzzle scientists: Why do passionflower vines have leaves of different shapes? Where do poison-dart frogs get their poison? Or how come the ithomiine butterfly follows the army ants sipping from bird droppings? She then explains how scientists begin with an observation, develop a hypothesis, and then set up and conduct experiments to support or refute it. Individual mysteries are woven together to provide the reader with a better understanding of the complex and fragile ecosystem of the rain forest and to urge responsible stewardship. Intriguing and enriching. (extensive index) (Nonfiction. 10-13)