Introduction Discover the Wonder of Wildlife There's no doubt about it. Scientists work hard to uncover some of the amazing things that animals do. They spend thousands of hours planning experiments, making observations, spotting patterns, and analyzing results. Their efforts call for plenty of patience and loads of persistence. But that all pays off big time when they discover something new -- something no one has ever seen before. As you might imagine, finding an AHA! in research is a huge thrill. Scientists study wildlife as large as whales and as small as insects to learn about what, how, and why critters do what they do. Some research is done in the wild to see how the animals behave in their natural homes. Other research takes place in laboratories where scientists can watch what happens in controlled experiments. Now and then, a discovery even helps us understand more about people. This book looks at scientists who have made recent, exciting discoveries about wildlife. Their work has been reported in professional science journals, but not everyone agrees with the results. All research conclusions must be proven by other scientists studying more animals and, perhaps, taking different approaches. Sometimes conclusions change because of new observations. The stories of the AHA! moments in wildlife science are awesome. One day, they may even inspire you to unravel animal secrets. Excerpted from Animal Aha!: Thrilling Discoveries in Wildlife Science by Diane Swanson All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
