The animal world is immensely diverse & our understanding of it has been greatly enhanced by analysis of DNA & the study of evolution & development ('evo-devo') In this Very Short Introduction Peter Holland presents a modern tour of the animal kingdom Beginning with the definition of animals (not obvious in biological terms) he takes the reader through the high-level groupings of animals (phyla) & new views on their evolutionary relationships based on molecular data together with an overview of the biology of each group of animals The phylogenetic view is central to zoology today & the volume will be of great value to all students of the life sciences as well as providing a concise summary for the interested general reader ABOUT THE SERIES The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly Our expert authors combine facts analysis perspective new ideas & enthusiasm to make interesting & challenging topics highly readable