CONTRIBUTORS 



An expert nature photographer, FRANS LANTING prides himself 

 on making the unseen visible. He began taking pictures while hik- 

 ing through national parks in the United States, then developed 

 his craft by photographing wildlife in a park near his home in the 

 Netherlands. A remarkable example of Lanting's skill can be seen 

 in his image of a Panamanian bulldog bat in midair ("The Nat- 

 ural Moment," page 6). For the past few years, Lanting has been 

 at work on a book documenting the evolution of life on Earth. Among his eight 

 previous books are Jiiin^les (Taschen, 2000) and Living Planet (Crown, 1999). More 

 of his work can be seen on his Web site (www.ianting.com). 



ROBERT W. JONES ("March of the Weevils," page 30) studied entomology at the 

 University of Massachusetts— Amherst. After college he joined the Peace Corps and 

 traveled to Honduras, where he became hooked on the tropics. Jones completed 

 his master's degree and doctorate at Texas A&M University in Col- 

 lege Station. His work on boll weevils began twenty years ago, 

 when he was given a truck and two years to locate the insect's host 

 plants in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. Since then, he has trav- 

 eled throughout Mexico and Central America in search of wee- 

 vils and their preferred domiciles. He is a professor of biology at 

 the Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro in central Mexico. 



ANTONIO LAZCANO ("The Origins of Life" page 36) was 

 trained as both an undergraduate and a graduate student at the 

 Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico in Mexico City, 

 where he is now professor of the origins of life. After working 

 for some time on the prebiotic synthesis of organic compounds 

 and the role of extraterrestrial molecules in shaping the primi- 

 tive environment on Earth, he has become increasingly engaged 

 in comparative genomics as a tool for understanding the origin and early evo- 

 lution of metabolic pathways. Lazcano has just been re-elected president of the 

 International Society for the Study of the Origins of Life (ISSOL). 



Raised in Iowa and California, VERLYN KLINKENBORG ("A Shell 

 with a View," page 42) earned a Ph.D. in English literature from 

 Princeton University. He is a member of the editorial board of Tlie 

 New York Times, and has taught literature and creative writing at 

 Bennington College, Fordham University, Harvard University, and 

 St. Olaf College. His books include Tlie Last Fine Time (Knopf, 

 1991). 77;e Rural Life (Litrie, Brown, 2002), and Timothy; or, Notes 

 of an Abject Reptile, which is being published this month by Alfred A. Knopf, and 

 from which his article has been adapted. His work has also appeared in many 

 magazines. Klinkenborg lives in rural New York State with his wife, Lindy Smith. 



PICTURE CREDITS Cover and p. 28: StarusUv Gorb a#idjuergen Berger; pp. 6-7: Fnins Lanting; p. 10 (Jone^): Jennifer jone^ B.iro. p. 14: Bud 

 Grace; p.l7 (top): counesy of R. Craig Albertson; p.l7 (nuddJe): ©Michael Forbes/ Illustration Works; p.l7 (bottom): Photo by Anita Mc- 

 Neece; p. 18 (top): ©Peter 0,\ford/naturepl.coiii; p 18 (bottom): ©Steve Packhani/iiaturepl.com; p. 19 (top): Mary Evans Picture Library'; p. 19 

 (bottom): ©Norbert Wu/Minden Pictures; p.2t): Image produced by F Hasler, M, Jentoft-NiKcn. H Picrc, K Palaniappan. and M, Manyin, 

 NASA Goddard Lab for Atmospheres-Data from NOAA: p.21: NASA/JPL/M.Tlin Space Sciciuc S\ stems, pp 22 55: NASA/JPL-Caltech; 

 pp. 24 & 49: Maps by Joe LeMonnier; p.25: Luis Mazariegos; p.26 ©The Natural Histor\' MLiseuni. London, p 29: Illustrations by Tom 

 Moore; pp,30-3l (top): Dr. Winfield Sterling/Texas A&M University; pp. 30-31 (bottom); David Nance/USDA; p 32 (top): tiom "The BoU- 

 Wccvil Problem: Methods of Reducing Danuge" by W D Hunter and B R, Coad/USDA: pp 32-33 (bottom: left to right): Wlkipedia Com- 

 mons, Clcmson Universlty-USDA Cooperative Extension Sbdc Series, www tnlTstn■llll,l^L■s m^, Assuci.iicd Press; p. 34 (top); B.R, Goad, 

 USDA; p.34 (bottom: left to rlghtj: Houghton Mifflin. Rob FIvnn/USI )A, p 1^ s^,,tt H uki L'SDA pp li,-3" Illustrations byjac Dcpczyk; 

 pp. 38-39: lUustrations by Advanced lliustr,;ti,His ltd, p4ii s.uiricsx ..1" St,,nlc\ I Miller illnsn ,n,.n Ls l.m Worp.ile, p41: Kalju 

 Kahn/UCSB; pp.42-47; Illustrations by Al.in ll,ks. p 4x tu,y., s> mi Mvcrs Missouri Dept of N.mn.il Rssouues ph..,,, p (S (bottom): 

 chuck Haralson; p.50: ©P.ascal Le Segretain/c:oil)is Ssgin.i; p 5 I Illustration b> loiiy Angell; p,52 S. ott Warren Auior.i, p[i 5S-59: artwork 

 by Gcofcy Wowk; p.54; (Illustration) NASA/JPL/Cornell Umversity/Maas Digital; (Photo) Roderick Mickens/©AMNH 



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NATURAL HISTORY February 2006 



