by Danna Staaf (Author)
Before mammals, there were dinosaurs. And before dinosaurs, there were cephalopods.
Cephalopods, Earth’s first truly substantial animals, are still among
us: Their fascinating family tree features squid, octopuses, nautiluses,
and more. The inventors of swimming, cephs presided over the sea for
millions of years. But when fish evolved jaws, cephs had to step up
their game (or end up on the menu). Some evolved defensive spines.
Others abandoned their shells entirely, opening the floodgates for a
tidal wave of innovation: masterful camouflage, fin-supplemented jet
propulsion, and intelligence we’ve yet to fully measure. In Monarchs of the Sea,
marine biologist Danna Staaf unspools how these otherworldly creatures
once ruled the deep—and why they still captivate us today.
