“COMEPEDIA” illustrated by Aina Bestard; written by Víctor Sabaté
There are creatures that eat rocks. The Lithoredo abatanica, a mollusk that lives in the rivers of the Philippines, survives by boring holes into limestone. It is believed that bacteria inside its body produce nutrients from the limestone. At first glance, it appears to be a creature entirely unlike ourselves.
Yet the illustrations in this book reveal something surprising. The tube-like structure extending from the mouth to the digestive organs is almost identical to the human digestive system. A single passageway stretching from entrance to exit: eating, absorbing nutrients, and eliminating waste. This simple yet sophisticated mechanism for obtaining energy and sustaining life is something we share with countless organisms on Earth.
In the contemporary era known as the Anthropocene, humans often tend to see themselves as exceptional beings. However, at the most familiar level of all—the structure of our internal organs—we are deeply connected with other forms of life.
Through beautifully illustrated diagrams of 70 different creatures, this book allows readers to experience this fundamental truth firsthand. Translated by Kanako Igarashi; Japanese edition supervised by Koshiro Watanuki. (Price: 3,960 yen)
