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The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy

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The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy
Cover of the hardback edition of The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy
AuthorArik Kershenbaum
SubjectEvolutionary biology Astrobiology
GenrePopular science
PublisherViking-Penguin
Publication date
2020
Publication placeUK
Pages368

The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy. What Animals on Earth Reveal about Aliens – and Ourselves is a 2020 popular science book by the Cambridge University zoologist Arik Kershenbaum. It discusses the possible nature of life on other planets, based on the study of animal life on Earth.

The book argues that the evolutionary processes that are observed operating on Earth are universal, and a necessary requirement for the presence of complex life on any planet. As a result, many aspects of animal behavior are likely to be present in the equivalent lifeforms on alien planets. This includes certain features of social behavior, communication, and movement, the evolutionary origin of which on Earth is underpinned by universal processes.

The book has been praised by critics for its accessibility and engaging conversational tone,[1] and described by Richard Dawkins as "A wonderfully insightful sidelong look at Earthly biology".[2]

Author

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Dr Arik Kershenbaum with a collared rock hyrax

Kershenbaum is a College Lecturer at Girton College, University of Cambridge,[3][4] and an academic visitor at the Department of Zoology.[5] He studies animal communication[6] and particularly the vocal communication of wolves[7] and dolphins.[8]

Book

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Context

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Further information: Astrobiology

Although the field of astrobiology usually investigates possibilities of simple lifeforms that may exist on alien planets, The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy considers the possibilities of complex life, and in particular, life that might be considered as animal life. The book begins by laying out the argument that evolution by natural selection is the only mechanism by which complex life can evolve. It then examines the implications of natural selection for life on other planets. The book ends by examining the question of whether humanity is a parochial Earth-centric concept, or whether intelligent alien life should also be considered human.

The book draws on the work of paleontologist Simon Conway Morris on convergent evolution,[9] and on Universal Darwinism, popularised by Richard Dawkins.[10]

Contents

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1. Introduction
Sets out the basis of the claims made in the book, that observing animal life of Earth can tell us about the nature of life on other planets.
2. Form vs Function: What is Common Across Worlds?
Why natural selection is both a universal and predictable process, the existence and results of which are likely to be present on alien planets.
3. What are Animals and What are Aliens?
Examines the definition of animals, from the historical definitions derived from observation (e.g. Aristotle), to modern phylogenetic relationships. The book argues that a purely phylogenetic definition of what is an animal cannot be sufficient for classifying alien life.
4. Movement – Scuttling and Gliding Across Space
How the constrains of physics and mechanics combined with evolutionary laws to produce the movement strategies we see on Earth, and why many of these strategies (e.g. legs) are likely to exist on other planets too.
5. Communication Channels
The different ways that animals communicate: sound, vision, smell, and what might lead these same channels to be used by alien life to communicate.
6. Intelligence (Whatever That Is)
How different forms of intelligence evolved on Earth, and how similar intelligences might evolve on other planets.
7. Sociality – Cooperation, Competition and Teatime
The processes driving the evolution of social behavior are well understood, and, the book claims, are almost inevitably going to be driving alien sociality as well.
8. Information – A Very Ancient Commodity
Truth and lies, information about the environment and about oneself, are all under evolutionary pressure, and principles of game theory are universal enough to tell us what information aliens are likely to use.
9. Language – The Unique Skill
Humans are the only species on Earth that have a true language, but the processes that led to language evolution may be occurring on other worlds as well.
10. Artificial Intelligence – A Universe Full of Bots?
Some scientists (e.g. astronomer Seth Shostak) have proposed that alien life is more likely to be technological rather than biological.[11] This chapter explores whether such artificial intelligence would also be subject to the laws of evolution.
11. Humanity, As We Know It
Drawing on the principles of the previous chapter, Kershenbaum emphasises that underlying similarities between life on Earth and that on other planets implies that the title of human should be more broadly applied than just being restricted to Homo sapiens.
12. Epilogue

Awards

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Reception

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The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy was featured as one of the New York Times Editors' Choice of books.[14]

Professor Lewis Dartnell, writing in The Times, summarised, "Pondering scientifically on the concept of the extraterrestrial, of universalities and alternatives, is to hold a full-length mirror up to ourselves. This allows us to deconstruct everything from our physiology to psychology, and so explore why humans are the way we are. To comprehend the alien is to know thyself."[15]

In The Sunday Times, titled Using Darwinism to imagine what extraterrestrials may really be like James McConnachie wrote, "Arik Kershenbaum is a Cambridge zoologist who wants to prepare us for first contact. When we finally discover aliens, what might they be like?... Where much writing on astrobiology is joyously speculative, Kershenbaum is doggedly cautious, building his case from first evolutionary principles."[16]

Primatologist Frans de Waal wrote, "If you don't want to be surprised by extraterrestrial life, look no further than this lively overview of the laws of evolution that have produced life on earth. Assuming these laws to be universal, Arik Kershenbaum predicts what alien organisms might look like."[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b "The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy". Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Richard Dawkins". Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Fellow's Profiles Arik Kershenbaum". Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Dr Arik Kershenbaum". Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Dr Arik Kershenbaum". 4 September 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  6. ^ Kershenbaum, A.; Blumstein, D. T.; Roch, M. A.; Backus, G.; Bee, M. A.; Bohn, K.; Cao, Y.; Carter, G.; Cäsar, C.; Coen, M.; Deruiter, S. L.; Doyle, L.; Edelman, S.; Ferrer-i-Cancho, R.; Freeberg, T. M.; Garland, E. C.; Gustison, M.; Harley, H. E.; Huetz, C.; Hughes, M.; Hyland Bruno, J.; Ilany, A.; Jin, D. Z.; Johnson, M.; Ju, C.; Karnowski, J.; Lohr, B.; Manser, M. B.; McCowan, B.; et al. (2016). "Kershenbaum A., Blumstein D.T, Roch M.A., et al. (2014) Acoustic sequences in non-human animals: A tutorial review and prospectus. Biological Reviews". Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society. 91 (1): 13–52. doi:10.1111/brv.12160. PMC 4444413. PMID 25428267.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Kershenbaum, A.; Root-Gutteridge, H.; Habib, B.; Koler-Matznick, J.; Mitchell, B.; Palacios, V.; Waller, S. (March 2016). "Kershenbaum A., Root-Gutteridge H., Habib B., Koler-Matznick J., Mitchell B., Palacios V., Waller S. (2016) Disentangling canid howls across multiple species and subspecies: structure in a complex communication channel. Behavioural Processes". Behavioural Processes. 124: 149–157. doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2016.01.006. PMID 26809021. S2CID 46622510.
  8. ^ Kershenbaum, A.; Sayigh, L. S.; Janik, V. M. (2013). "Kershenbaum A., Sayigh L., Janik V. (2013) The encoding of individual identity in dolphin signature whistles: how much information is needed? PLoS One 8(10): e77671". PLOS ONE. 8 (10): e77671. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0077671. PMC 3806847. PMID 24194893.
  9. ^ "Life's Solution". Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  10. ^ Dawkins, Richard (14 May 1986). "The blind watchmaker". New York : Norton – via Internet Archive.
  11. ^ "Electronic E.T.: Intelligent Aliens Are Likely Machines". Space.com. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  12. ^ "15 of the best space and astronomy books 2020". Space.com. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Best science books of the year 2020". Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Editors' Choice 11 New Books We Recommend This Week". The New York Times. April 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  15. ^ Dartnell, Lewis. "The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy by Arik Kershenbaum review — do aliens have opposable thumbs?". Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  16. ^ McConnachie, James. "The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy by Arik Kershenbaum, review — how might aliens look?". Retrieved 21 January 2021.
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