David Rains Wallace

“Compared to forest or aquatic ecosystems, grassland is unstable. It requires rather precise geological and climatic conditions, and if these conditions are not maintained--if too much rain falls, or too little--it quickly turns into forest or desert, both of which are dominated by woody plants. This instability is reflected in the spectacular but brief careers of various grassland faunas. Humanity, with its dazzling symbioses, preadaptations, and neoteny, is the most spectacular of these--and may well be the briefest.”

“Every time we exterminate a predator, we are in a sense creating a new predator.”

“A flower's structure leads a bee toward having pollen adhere to its body . . . we don't know of any such reason why beautiful places attract humans.”

“Land and water are not really separate things, but they are separate words, and we perceive through words.”

“Life is stranger than biology textbooks.”

“All things human begin with words.”