The story starts in earnest 3.8 billion years ago, with the earliest-known form of life on Earth, a bacteria that still exists today, and journeys through action-packed millennia, charting the appearance of new life forms as well as devastating extinction events. Of course, the ever-popular and endlessly intriguing dinosaurs feature large, but Prehistoric Life gives you the whole picture, and the plants, invertebrates, amphibians, birds, reptiles, and mammals that are the ancestors of today's species also populate its pages, making this book unprecedented in its coverage of prehistory. Specially commissioned artworks use cutting-edge technology to render species in breathtakingly realistic fashion, with astonishing images of prehistoric remains, such as skeletons and fossils, to complete the story. To put all the evidence in context, the concept of geological time is explored, as is the classification of species and how the evidence for their evolution is preserved and can be deciphered.New technologies have brought new life to inanimate fossils. CT scanning, for example, unlocks a 3D image of a plant or animal from a piece of rock, which can then be viewed from all angles revealing never-before-seen details. From this researchers can fill in missing pieces and even simulate how an animal might have moved. Panels explore these and numerous other scientific techniques for recovering, dating, and reconstructing, as well as profiling individuals, key excavations and discoveries, and some of the unique anatomical features that nature has developed over the course of time.The last section of the book looks at the development of humans and the eventual rise to dominance of Homo sapiens, exploring not only their changing anatomy as revealed by the fossils but also the evidence for culture and society as evidenced by extraordinary cave paintings and intricately worked tools.In combination, the stunning visuals, captivating, authoritative text, and comprehensive approach make Prehistoric Life a fascinating and revealing encyclopedia that will appeal to the whole family.TABLE OF CONTENTS1. LIVING PLANET (38 pp)Foundations of a living planet. The Earth's structure. Plate tectonics, formation of oceans and continents.Changing climate. factors that contribute to climate change, how those can be seen in the geological record, and how that has affected life on Earth.Reconstructing the past. Using the present to understand the past (rocks and the rock cycle, layers of rock and dating)Fossils. Types of fossils, how they form, reconstructing the past from them (digging up, analysis), reconstructing past environments, dating using fossils.Geological timescale. Explanation of geological time.Life on Earth. What is life? Natural selection, DNA, molecular clocks, mass extinctions.Timeline of Evolution. Broad-scale look at major evolutionary markers through time.Classification. How we classify living organisms. The kingdoms of life.2. ON EARTH (398 PP) This chapter will be organized so that pages can be removed to leave a section of 360pp.his consists of a catalog divided into geological periods. Each period introduction covers the conditions on Earth at the time (geology and climate) and includes a chart showing the evolution of the main forms of life. The subsequent catalog entries are organized into groups: Microscopic life; Plants and Fungi; Invertebrates; and Vertebrates, with each having an introduction detailing the main evolutionary developments within the group.Archean 3.8-2.5 billion years ago (4pp)Period introduction. (1p)Archean life intro - (1p) the rise of life. Biology of cells; prokaryotes, cyanobacteria, stromatolites.Catalog of species.Proterozoic 2.5 billion-543 mya (6pp)Period introduction. (2pp)Microscopic life intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (1p)Invertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (1p)Cambrian 543-490 mya (20pp)Period introduction (4pp)Microscopic life intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (3pp)Invertebrates intro. (2pp)Catalog of species. (8pp)Vertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (1p)Ordovician 490-443 mya (14pp)Period introduction. (4pp)Microscopic life intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (1p)Plants and fungi intro. (1p)Catalog of species.(1p)Invertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (3pp)Vertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (1p)Silurian 443-417 mya (20pp)Period introduction. (4pp)Microscopic life intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (1p)Plants and fungi intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (1p)Invertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (7pp)Vertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (3p)Devonian 417-354 mya (34pp)Period introduction. (4pp)Microscopic life intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (1p)Plants and fungi intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (7pp)Invertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (7pp)Vertebrates intro. (2p)Catalog of species. (10pp)Carboniferous 354-290 mya (38pp)Period introduction. (4pp)Microscopic life intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (1p)Plants and fungi intro. (2pp)Catalog of species. (8pp)Invertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (9pp)Vertebrates intro. (2pp)Catalog of species. (10pp)Permian 290-248 mya (26pp)Period introduction. (Microscopic life intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (1p)Plants and fungi intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (3pp)Invertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (7pp)Vertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (7pp)Triassic 248-206 mya (30pp)Period introduction. (Microscopic life intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (1p)Plants and fungi intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (5pp)Invertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (3pp)Vertebrates intro. (1pp)Catalog of species. (13pp)Jurassic 206-144 mya (56pp)Period introduction. (4pp)Microscopic life intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (1p)Plants and fungi intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (5pp)Invertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (9pp)Vertebrates intro. (2pp)Catalog of species. (24pp)Cretaceous 144-65 mya (54pp)Period introduction. (4pp)Microscopic life intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (1p)Plants and fungi intro. (2pp)Catalog of species. (10pp)Invertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (9pp)Vertebrates intro. (2pp)Catalog of species. (24pp)Paleogene 65-23.8 mya (34pp)Period introduction. (4pp)Microscopic life intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (1p)Plants and fungi intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (6pp)Invertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (6pp)Vertebrates intro. (2pp)Catalog of species. (12pp)Neogene 23.8-1.8 mya (32pp)Period introduction. (4pp)Microscopic life intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (1p)Plants and fungi intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (6pp)Invertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (7pp)Vertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (10pp)Quaternary 1.8 mya-Present (26pp)Period introduction. (4pp)Microscopic life intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (1p)Plants and fungi intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (Invertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (5pp)Vertebrates intro. (1p)Catalog of species. (8pp)3. THE RISE OF HUMANS (44PP)Timeline of human evolution.Coverage of: Sahelanthropus tchadensis, Orrorin tugenesis, Ardipithecus kadabba, Ardipithecus ramidus, Australopithecus anamensis, Australopithecus afarensis, Kenyanthropus platyops, Australopithecus africanus, Australopithecus aethiopicus, Australopithecus garhi, Homo habilis, Homo rudolfensis, Paranthropus boisei, Homo ergaster, Paranthropus robustus, Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, Homo neanderthalensis, Homo sapiens.Themes of anatomy, DNA, global expansion, tool use, diet, communication, ecology, society, and culture run through the section.Glossary/Index/Acknowledgements

    For those who disagree with ID, the powerful case Meyer presents cannot be ignored in any honest debate. For those who may be sympathetic to ID, on the fence, or merely curious, this book is an engaging, eye-opening, and often eye-popping read” — American SpectatorNamed one of the top books of 2009 by the Times Literary Supplement (London), this controversial and compelling book from Dr. Stephen C. Meyer presents a convincing new case for intelligent design (ID), based on revolutionary discoveries in science and DNA. Along the way, Meyer argues that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution as expounded in The Origin of Species did not, in fact, refute ID. If you enjoyed Francis Collins’s The Language of God, you’ll find much to ponder—about evolution, DNA, and intelligent design—in Signature in the Cell.

    Darwin was only too aware of the storm his theory of evolution would provoke but he would surely have raised an incredulous eyebrow at the controversy still raging a century and a half later. Evolution is accepted as scientific fact by all reputable scientists and indeed theologians, yet millions of people continue to question its veracity.In The Greatest Show on Earth Richard Dawkins takes on creationists, including followers of ‘Intelligent Design’ and all those who question the fact of evolution through natural selection. Like a detective arriving on the scene of a crime, he sifts through fascinating layers of scientific facts and disciplines to build a cast-iron case: from the living examples of natural selection in birds and insects; the ‘time clocks’ of trees and radioactive dating that calibrate a timescale for evolution; the fossil record and the traces of our earliest ancestors; to confirmation from molecular biology and genetics. All of this, and much more, bears witness to the truth of evolution.The Greatest Show on Earth comes at a critical time: systematic opposition to the fact of evolution is now flourishing as never before, especially in America. In Britain and elsewhere in the world, teachers witness insidious attempts to undermine the status of science in their classrooms. Richard Dawkins provides unequivocal evidence that boldly and comprehensively rebuts such nonsense. At the same time he shares with us his palpable love of the natural world and the essential role that science plays in its interpretation. Written with elegance, wit and passion, it is hard-hitting, absorbing and totally convincing.

    Comparing gene sequences, examining atomic structures of proteins, and looking into the geochemistry of rocks have helped explain evolution in more detail than ever before. Nick Lane expertly reconstructs the history of life by describing the ten greatest inventions of evolution (including DNA, photosynthesis, sex, and sight), based on their historical impact, role in organisms today, and relevance to current controversies. Who would have guessed that eyes started off as light-sensitive spots used to calibrate photosynthesis in algae? Or that DNA’s building blocks form spontaneously in hydrothermal vents? Lane gives a gripping, lucid account of nature’s ingenuity, and the result is a work of essential reading for anyone who has ever pondered or questioned the science underlying evolution’s greatest gifts to man.

    Award-winning cultural historian Iain McCalman tells the stories of Charles Darwin and his most vocal supporters and colleagues: Joseph Hooker, Thomas Huxley, and Alfred Wallace. Beginning with the somber morning of April 26, 1882—the day of Darwin’s funeral—Darwin’s Armada steps back in time and recounts the lives and scientific discoveries of each of these explorers. The four amateur naturalists voyaged separately from Britain to the southern hemisphere in search of adventure and scientific fame. From Darwin’s inaugural trip on the Beagle in 1835 through Wallace’s exploits in the Amazon and, later, Malaysia in the 1840s and 1850s, each man independently made discoveries that led him to embrace Darwin’s groundbreaking theory of evolution. This book reveals the untold story of Darwin’s greatest supporters who, during his life, campaigned passionately in the war of ideas over evolution and who lived on to extend and advance the scope of his work. 16 pages of color illustrations.

    Spanning evolutionary science from its inception to its latest findings, from discoveries and data to philosophy and history, this book is an authoritative introduction to evolutionary biology.

    On her travels she has witnessed some of the daunting and brutal challenges our ancestors had to face: mountains, deserts, oceans, changing climates, terrifying giant beasts and volcanoes. But she discovers that perhaps the most serious threat of all came from other humans. When our ancestors set out from Africa there were already two other species of human on the planet: Neanderthal in Europe and Homo erectus in Asia. Both (contrary to popular perception) were intelligent, adept at making tools and weapons and were long adapted to their environments. So, Alice asks, why did only Homo sapiens survive? Part detective story, part travelogue, and drawing on the latest genetic and archaeological discoveries, Alice examines how our ancestors evolved physically in response to these challenges, finding out how our colour, shape, size, diet, disease resistance and even athletic ability have been shaped by the range of environments that our ancestors had to survive. She also relates how astonishingly closely related we all are.

    From this new form of care came new ways of engaging and understanding each other. How such singular human capacities evolved, and how they have kept us alive for thousands of generations, is the mystery revealed in this bold and wide-ranging new vision of human emotional evolution."Mothers and Others" finds the key in the primatologically unique length of human childhood. If the young were to survive in a world of scarce food, they needed to be cared for, not only by their mothers but also by siblings, aunts, fathers, friends--and, with any luck, grandmothers. Out of this complicated and contingent form of childrearing, Sarah Hrdy argues, came the human capacity for understanding others. Mothers and others teach us who will care, and who will not.From its opening vision of "apes on a plane"; to descriptions of baby care among marmosets, chimpanzees, wolves, and lions; to explanations about why men in hunter-gatherer societies hunt together, "Mothers and Others" is compellingly readable. But it is also an intricately knit argument that ever since the Pleistocene, it has taken a village to raise children--and how that gave our ancient ancestors the first push on the path toward becoming emotionally modern human beings.

    Situating these fascinating animals in a broad ecological and evolutionary context, leading dinosaur expert Scott D. Sampson fills us in on the exhilarating discoveries of the past twenty-five years, the most active period in the history of dinosaur paleontology, during which more “new” species were named than in all prior history. With these discoveries—and the most recent controversies—in mind, Sampson reconstructs the odyssey of the dinosaurs from their humble origins on the supercontinent Pangaea, to their reign as the largest animals the planet has ever known, and finally to their abrupt demise. Much more than the story of who ate whom way back when, Dinosaur Odyssey places dinosaurs in an expansive web of relationships with other organisms and demonstrates how they provide a powerful lens through which to observe the entire natural world. Addressing topics such as extinction, global warming, and energy flow, Dinosaur Odyssey finds that the dinosaurs' story is, in fact, a major chapter in our own story.

    What is life? Why have creatures evolved as they are? Which species have been the most successful? Where does humanity fit in? Christopher Lloyd leads us on an extraordinary journey, from the birth of life to the present day, as he attempts to answer these questions and to explain the phenomena that we call 'life on Earth'.

    At the heart of the book is an astonishing, beautifully detailed panorama by renowned illustrator Peter Barrett that, in 100 double-page site reconstructions, offers a freeze-frame view of the communities—from microbes to humankind—that have lived on our planet’s continents and in its oceans. These groundbreaking artworks, based on the most recent findings at some of the most famous fossil sites around the world, are paired with an authoritative and highly informative text written for a wide audience of readers. A landmark project, published to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of his book On the Origin of Species, Evolution has been produced in association with the Natural History Museum in London, one of the most important centers of evolution research in the world.The volume includes an index of the hundreds of species shown in the illustrations, introductory articles on evolution, and many other features, making it a must-have reference for all homes, schools, and libraries.

    Progress with Darwin through his early schooling, his studies in the Galapagos Islands, the writing and publication of The Evolution of Species, and his long-term legacy. This is a detailed account of Darwin's life and discoveries, but it is written, designed, and illustrated to resemble a personal notebook or journal.On the bicentennial anniversary of his birth, Clements provides an intimate look into Darwin's degeneration of faith, his personal relationships, the acclaim and criticism from scholars and friends, and his lasting legacy to science. Discover both the scientific and personal sides of Charles Darwin with this beautifully bound, illustrated biography.

    His other books include: The Devil's Delusion: Atheism and Its Scientific Pretensions, Newton's Gift, and A Tour of the Calculus.

    Advances in the fields of genomics, epigenetics, developmental biology and epidemiology have led to the growing realization that incorporating evolutionary thinking is essential for medicine to achieve its full potential. This is the first integrated and comprehensive textbook to explain the principles of evolutionary biology from a medical perspective and to focus on how medicine and public health might utilize evolutionary biology. It is written in a style which is accessible to a broad range of readers, whether or not they have had formal exposure to evolutionary science.Principles of Evolutionary Medicine is divided into three sections: the first provides a systematic approach to the principles of evolutionary biology as they apply to human health and disease, using examples specifically relevant to medicine. It incorporates chapters on evolutionary processes, molecular evolution, the evolution of humans, life history theory, and evolutionary-developmental biology. The second part illustrates the application of these principles to our understanding of nutrition and metabolism, reproduction, combatting infectious disease and stress, and human behaviour. The final section provides a general framework to show in practical terms how the principles of evolutionary medicine can be applied in medical practice and public health.This novel textbook provides the necessary toolkit for doctors and other health professionals, medical students and biomedical scientists, as well as anthropologists interested in human health, to gain a better understanding of the evolutionary processes underlying human health and disease.

    The Beagle’s round-the-world surveying journey lasted five long years on the high seas. The young Darwin noticed everything, and proved himself an avid and detailed chronicler of daily events on the Beagle and onshore. What Darwin Saw takes young readers back to the pages of his journals as they travel alongside Darwin and read his lively and awestruck words about the wonders of the world.We follow Darwin’s voyage, looking over his shoulder as he explores new lands, asks questions about the natural world, and draws groundbreaking conclusions. We walk in his footsteps, collecting animals and fossils, experiencing earthquakes and volcanoes, and meeting people of many cultures and languages. We examine his opinions on life in all its forms. We consider the thoughts of this remarkable scientist, who poured his observations and research into his expansive theories about life on Earth. In this exciting and educational account, Charles Darwin comes alive as an inspirational model for kids who think and question the world around them.

    Zimmer, an award-winning science writer, takes readers on a fascinating journey into the latest discoveries about evolution. In the Canadian Arctic, paleontologists unearth fossils documenting the move of our ancestors from sea to land. In the outback of Australia, a zoologist tracks some of the world's deadliest snakes to decipher the 100-million-year evolution of venom molecules. In Africa, geneticists are gathering DNA to probe the origin of our species. In clear, non-technical language, Zimmer explains the central concepts essential for understanding new advances in evolution, including natural selection, genetic drift, and sexual selection. He demonstrates how vital evolution is to all branches of modern biology—from the fight against deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria to the analysis of the human genome. Richly illustrated with 285 illustrations and photographs, The Tangled Bank is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the history of life on Earth.

    

    This lavishly illustrated book is the official publication for these historic events.This year also marks two other important milestones: the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species and the 200th anniversary of his birth.In 2007, growing pressure on the natural habitat prompted UNESCO to put Galapagos on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Galapagos includes insightful essays and fascinating stories by 30 of the world's leading Galapagos researchers, who describe the challenges and successes of conservation efforts, past and present. Tui de Roy's images vividly show the seemingly alien beauty of the Galapagos landscape and wildlife.This handsome book is an important resource for naturalists, botanists, photographers, researchers, students and all who want a permanent record of Darwin's spectacular discovery.The 28 chapters include:Islands on the Move: Significance of Hotspot Volcanoes Paleoclimate and the Future: A Knife-edge Balance Biodiversity Analysis: How Close to the Brink? Sunflower Trees and Giant Cacti: Vegetation Changes Over Time Inshore Fishes: The Case of the Missing Damsel Shark Migrations: Discovering the Golden Triangle Marine Iguanas: Their Boom and Bust Adaptations Darwin's Finches: Investigating Evolution in Action The Waved Albatross: The Family Affairs of a Critically Endangered Species Penguins on the Equator: Hanging on by a Thread Sea Lions and Fur Seals: Cold Water Species on the Equator Reign on the Giant Tortoises: Repopulating Ancestral Islands Saving "Lost" Plants: Finding and Nurturing the Survivors Reflections on Dangers and Solutions: "Noe Reall Islands," But Paradise

    Authoritative and abundantly illustrated, it illuminates the ways in which ideas of evolutionary biology have leapt the boundaries of science to influence philosophy, law, religion, literature, cinema, art, and popular culture. Darwin's Universe, a thoroughly revised and updated successor to Richard Milner's acclaimed Encyclopedia of Evolution, contains more than a hundred new essays, including entries on animal behavior (Alex the parrot, Kanzi the bonobo, Digit the gorilla), on women in science (Mary Anning, Rosalind Franklin), and on the latest finds of human fossils. A veritable museum of natural history, it also contains many original discoveries brought to light by Milner's historical sleuthing. Packed with hundreds of rare illustrations, including many new ones, this Darwin Bicentennial edition will appeal to a wide audience of readers.

    Thus, the human genome determines such properties as tribal and group cohesion and collaboration and often fierce and irrational competition with and hostility toward other groups’ attributes that were once useful but now often ruinously dysfunctional.Christian de Duve suggests that these traits, imprinted into human nature by natural selection, may have been recognized by the writers of Genesis, thus inspiring the myth of original sin.  Is there redemption for genetic original sin? In a brilliant and original conclusion, the author argues that, unique in the living world, humankind is endowed with the ability to deliberately oppose natural selection. Human beings have the capacity to devise measures that, while contrary to local or personal interests, can bring forth a safer world.

    Paul M. Bingham & Joanne Souza share the products of more than a decades research into our evolutionary history. Humans communicate, cooperate, reason, coerce, & influence in specific ways that separate us from all other species. Knowledge of how this originally came to be in the human species is crucial to understanding our current social, economic and political behavior. "Death from a Distance and the Birth of a Humane Universe" reads like a gripping novel, while delivering an answer to Darwin's unanswered question; how did humans become unique? The authors, one a molecular & evolutionary biologist and the other a research psychologist, dedicated to the evolutionary logic of human social behavior, have taken us beyond the fundamental concepts of biology into a theory that merges the natural & social sciences. You will gain striking new insights into our evolutionary origins, our innate sexual behavior (yes, both monogamous and promiscuous), our unprecedented approach to childrearing, our language and brain evolution, and our current social/political/economic behaviors. Questions like what caused the demise of Neandertals, the appearance of the agricultural revolution, the growth and cycling of elite empires, the modern economic miracle and the formation of both hierarchical and democratic governments will be answered. Bingham and Souzas work opens an entirely new way of looking at science and the human future. From Foreword Clarion Reviews: Death from a Distance comprehensively unifies what it means to be human and gives readers the skills to analyze how our humanness continues to shape our world. Scholars, students, & general readers will all come away from this book with new insight on the human experience. From other scholars: This book is an astonishingly wide-ranging and provocative overview of evolution, human origins & social organization. Breathtaking in its scope, and ranging from the earliest prehistoric period, through the course of the evolution of life on Earth, this book presents a startlingly original thesis grounded in contemporary evolutionary theory. It will challenge countless well-entrenched theories about who we are as a species, where we came from & where we are going. John J. Shea Dept. of Anthropology, Stony Brook University and more...see book website www.deathfromadistance.com

    This lavishly illustrated book accompanies an exhibition organized by the Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, in association with the Yale Center for British Art, that will coincide with the global celebration of the bicentenary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (1859). The essays in this exceptionally wide-ranging book examine both the profound impact that Darwin’s ideas had on European and American artists and the ways in which his theories were influenced by the visual traditions he inherited. In works by artists as diverse as Church, Landseer, Liljefors, Heade, Redon, Cézanne, Lear, Tissot, Rossetti, and Monet, from imaginative projections of prehistory to troubled evocations of a life dominated by the struggle for existence, Darwin’s sense of the interplay of all living things and his response to the beauties of the natural world proved inspirational.

    Most people derive their attitudes about race from their family, culture, and education. Very few, however, are aware that there are vast differences between the popular notions of race and the scientific view of human diversity. Yet even among scientists, who understand the current evidence, there is great controversy regarding the definition of the term race or even the usefulness of thinking in terms of race at all. Drawing on research from diverse sources and interviews with key scientists, award-winning journalist Guy P. Harrison surveys the current state of a volatile, important, and confusing subject. Harrison’s thorough approach explores all sides of the issue, including such questions as these:• If analysis of the human genome reveals that all human beings are 99.9% alike, how meaningful are racial differences?• Is the concept of race merely a cultural invention?• If race distinctions are at least partially based in biological reality, how do we decide the number of races? Are there just three or maybe 3 million?• What do studies of racial attitudes reveal? Are we all, in one way or another, racists?• How does race correlate with environmental and geographical differences?• Are race-based drugs a good idea?• How does race influence intelligence, athletic ability, and love interests?Harrison delves into these and many more intriguing, controversial, and important questions in this enlightening book. After reading Race and Reality, you will never think about race in the same way again.

    One of the best-studied examples involves Caribbean Anolis lizards. With about 400 species, Anolis has played an important role in the development of ecological theory and has become a model system exemplifying the integration of ecological, evolutionary, and behavioral studies to understand evolutionary diversification. This major work, written by one of the best-known investigators of Anolis, reviews and synthesizes an immense literature. Jonathan B. Losos illustrates how different scientific approaches to the questions of adaptation and diversification can be integrated and examines evolutionary and ecological questions of interest to a broad range of biologists.

    Thus far, the exciting findings from "evo-devo" have only been trickling into college courses and into the domain of non-specialists. With its focus on the human organism, Quirks of Human Anatomy opens the floodgates by stating the arguments of evo-devo in plain English, and by offering a cornucopia of interesting case studies and examples. Its didactic value is enhanced by 24 schematic diagrams that integrate a host of disparate observations, by its Socratic question-and-answer format, and by its unprecedented compilation of the literature. By framing the "hows" of development in terms of the "whys" of evolution, it lets readers probe the deepest questions of biology. Readers will find the book not only educational but also enjoyable, as it revels in the fun of scientific exploration.

    Combining science, travel, culture, and history, this book is an elegant, richly illustrated volume that offers not just hundreds of full-color photographs but also a trove of removable facsimile documents that bring the subject alive.These fascinatingly diverse memorabilia include letters, maps, photographs, sketches, newspaper articles, and more, providing telling glimpses of Darwin’s life as never before, from his early expedition aboard the Beagle to his meticulous, seemingly arcane research in the Galápagos Islands to the practical observations and theoretical conclusions that won him a pivotal place in the history of science.

    These behaviours are also exhibited by populations throughout the world, from the prehistoric period through to the present day. How can we interpret these activities? What do they tell us about the beliefs and priorities of the people who carried them out? How do these behaviours relate to ideologies, cosmology, and understanding of the world? What can they tell us about the emergence of ritual and religious thought? And how do the activities of humans in prehistoric Europe compare with those of their predecessors there and elsewhere? In this volume, fifteen internationally renowned scholars contribute essays that explore the relationship between symbolism, spirituality, and humanity in the prehistoric societies of Europe and traditional societies elsewhere. The volume is richly illustrated with 50 halftones and 24 color plates.

    It is about life's smallest entities, deepest diversity, and greatest cellular biomass: the microbiosphere. Jan Sapp introduces us to a newfield of evolutionary biology and a new brand of molecular evolutionists who descend to the foundations of evolution on Earth to explore the origins of the genetic system and the primary life forms from which all others have emerged. In so doing, he examines-from Lamarck to the present-the means ofpursuing the evolution of complexity, and of depicting the greatest differences among organisms.The New Foundations of Evolution takes us into a world that classical evolutionists could never have imagined: a deep phylogeny based on three domains of life and multiple kingdoms, and created by mechanisms very unlike those considered by Darwin and his followers. Evolution by leaps seems to occurregularly in the microbial world where molecular evolutionists have shown the inheritance of acquired genes and genomes are major modes of evolutionary innovation.Revisiting the history of microbiology for the first time from the perspective of evolutionary biology, Sapp shows why classical Darwinian conceptions centering on questions of the origin of species were forged without a microbial foundation, why classical microbiologists considered it impossible toknow the course of evolution, and classical molecular biologists considered the evolution of the molecular genetic system to be beyond understanding. In telling this stirring story of scientific iconoclasm, this book elucidates how the new evolutionary biology arose, what methods and assumptionsunderpin it, and the fiery controversies that continue to shape biologists' understanding of the foundations of evolution today.

    Why is this so? This book reveals that our ecologically disruptive behavior is in fact rooted in our very nature as a species. Drawing on evolution theory, biology, anthropology, archaeology, economics, environmental science and history, this book explains the ecological predicament of humankind by placing it in the context of the first scientific theory of our species' development, taking over where Darwin left off. The theory presented is applied in detail to the whole of our seven-million-year history. Due to its comprehensiveness, and in part thanks to its extensive glossary and index, this book can function as a compact encyclopedia covering the whole development of Homo sapiens. It would also suit a variety of courses in the life and social sciences. Most importantly, Too Smart makes evident the very core of the paradigm to which our species must shift if it is to survive. Anyone concerned about the future of humankind should read this ground-breaking work. This book: - Provides the first and only theory of humankind's development - Explains that economic and political (military) power have their respective biological bases in individual vs. group territoriality - Provides the first classification of human instincts: into the survival, sexual and social instincts - Provides the most inclusive characterization of different kinds of population check yet presented - Explains the importance of the anthropological, archaeological and economic findings of the past 50 years to understanding humankind's development - Clarifies the preconditions for human life on earth - Predicts what will happen to us in the near future

    He argued that this mechanism was the key to explaining the most puzzling features of the natural world, and science and philosophy were changed forever as a result. The exact nature of the Darwinian process has been controversial ever since, however. Godfrey-Smith draws on new developments in biology, philosophy of science, and other fields to give a new analysis and extension of Darwin's idea. The central concept used is that of a Darwinian population, a collection of things with the capacity to undergo change by natural selection. From this starting point, new analyses of the role of genes in evolution, the application of Darwinian ideas to cultural change, and evolutionary transitions that produce complex organisms and societies are developed. Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection will be essential reading for anyone interested in evolutionary theory.

    Why impassioned? Should not scientists be dispassionate in their work? “Perhaps,” write the authors, “but it is impossible to remain neutral when our most successful scientific theories are under attack, for religious and other reasons, by laypeople and even some scientists who willfully distort scientific findings and use them for their own purposes.”Focusing on what other books omit, how science works and how pseudoscience works, Matt Young and Paul K. Strode demonstrate the futility of “scientific” creationism. They debunk the notion of intelligent design and other arguments that show evolution could not have produced life in its present form.Concluding with a frank discussion of science and religion, Why Evolution Works (and Creationism Fails) argues that science by no means excludes religion, though it ought tocast doubt on certain religious claims that are contrary to known scientific fact.

    It is increasingly clear that orangutan populations show extensive variation in behavioural ecology, morphology, life history, and genes. Indeed, on the strength of the latest genetic andmorphological evidence, it has been proposed that orangutans actually constitute two species which diverged more than a million years ago - one on the island of Sumatra the other on Borneo, with the latter comprising three subspecies.This book has two main aims. The first is to carefully compare data from every orangutan research site, examining the differences and similarities between orangutan species, subspecies, and populations. The second is to develop a theoretical framework in which these differences and similarities canbe explained. To achieve these goals the editors have assembled the world's leading orangutan experts to rigorously synthesize and compare the data, quantify the similarities or differences, and seek to explain them.Orangutans is the first synthesis of orangutan biology to adopt this novel, comparative approach. It analyses and compares the latest data, developing a theoretical framework to explain morphological, life history, and behavioural variation. Intriguingly, not all behavioural differences can beattributed to ecological variation between and within the two islands; relative rates of social learning also appear to have been influential. The book also emphasizes the crucial impact of human settlement on orangutans and looks ahead to the future prospects for the survival of criticallyendangered natural populations.

    Most deal with the origin and early evolution of our own genus - something about which we should care. Some of these issues pertain to taxonomy and systematics. How many species of Homo were there in the Pliocene and Pleistocene? How do we identify the earliest members the genus Homo? If there is more than one Plio-Pleistocene species, how do they relate to one another, and where and when did they evolve? Other issues relate to questions about body size, proportions and the functional adaptations of the locomotor skeleton. When did the human postcranial "Bauplan" evolve, and for what reasons? What behaviors (and what behavioral limitations) can be inferred from the postcranial bones that have been attributed to Homo habilis and Homo erectus? Still other issues relate to growth, development and life history strategies, and the biological and archeological evidence for diet and behavior in early Homo. It is often argued that dietary change played an important role in the origin and early evolution of our genus, with stone tools opening up scavenging and hunting opportunities that would have added meat protein to the diet of Homo. Still other issues relate to the environmental and climatic context in which this genus evolved.

    By studying social behaviors in animals, such as bonding, the herd instinct, the forming of trusting alliances, expressions of consolation, and conflict resolution, Frans de Waal demonstrates that animals–and humans–are "preprogrammed to reach out." He has found that chimpanzees care for mates that are wounded by leopards, elephants offer "reassuring rumbles" to youngsters in distress, and dolphins support sick companions near the water's surface to prevent them from drowning. From day one humans have innate sensitivities to faces, bodies, and voices; we've been designed to feel for one another.De Waal's theory runs counter to the assumption that humans are inherently selfish, which can be seen in the fields of politics, law, and finance, and which seems to be evidenced by the current greed-driven stock market collapse. But he cites the public's outrage at the U.S. government's lack of empathy in the wake of Hurricane Katrina as a significant shift in perspective–one that helped Barack Obama become elected and ushered in what may well become an Age of Empathy. Through a better understanding of empathy's survival value in evolution, de Waal suggests, we can work together toward a more just society based on a more generous and accurate view of human nature.Written in layman's prose with a wealth of anecdotes, wry humor, and incisive intelligence, The Age of Empathy is essential reading for our embattled times.

    Yet when an English naturalist called Charles Darwin first published his ideas in 1859 in a book called On the Origin of Species the world was horrified at the notion of a changing creation without the intervention a Creator. By contrast, when a few years later an obscure Moravian monk, Gregor Mendel, published the results of his experiments in genetics the world failed to noticeJohn Scotney’s new book explains just what these two great men had discovered and follows the amazing development of this seminal idea from the decade when it turned the world on its head to the present time and the unravelling of the human genome. It describes how the first dinosaur fossils were believed to be the bones of giants and how little by little the ongoing story of living creatures has been assembled until we can see the thread of life running from single-cell microorganisms to primates like ourselves, and why most ancient creatures died out and some survive to this day. Indeed we still carry vestiges of former life forms in our bodies and it is said that ancient seas flow in our blood. Anatomy, taxonomy, chemistry, geology, archaeology, and embryology have all had a part in this remarkable detective story, and even the Cold War became involved when the followers of Mendel in the West were confronted by those of Lamarck in China and Russia. Modern evolutionary theory is shown to be a synthesis of many scientific fields and the product both of years of tireless work and of sudden imaginative leaps. The Theory of Evolution conveys the excitement of this fundamental discovery and gives an insight into the way scientific enquiry and debate continue to shape our world.SIMPLE GUIDES: SCIENCESimple Guides: Science are user-friendly introductions to the great scientific discoveries of the world. Written by experts in the field, they offer the general reader simple and engaging descriptions of key developments and breakthroughs in different fields of science and technology. • Simple Guides: Science are written in a clear, informal style, using plain, non-technical language to provide accessible introductions to complex scientific theories.• Organized both by theme and chronologically, the books link the major breakthroughs to the lives of their discoverers and inventors.• The clear structure and design enable the general reader to grasp essentials easily. • These guides will appeal to readers with no specific scientific knowledge, yet with a thirst to know more about the world we live in.• The scientific developments and theories are brought to life by descriptions of their social contexts; not only the breakthroughs are described, but also their impact on society and the human story behind the scientists.

    They often start with myths promoted by misinformed critiques in scientific journals, court rulings, or even talks by activists at scientific conferences. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for this misinformation to then be passed down to college students, who may know very little about ID and lack the resources to correct their professors' misinformed and misplaced attacks on ID. Not anymore.If you're a college student, recently gone back to school and expecting to hear a lot of anti-ID views from your professors, we're pleased to present this "Back to School Guide" for students.The guide contains suggestions for helpful pro-ID books, articles, and websites for students to read when investigating the issue. Additionally, it contains "Answers to Your Professor's Most Common Misinformed Objections to Intelligent Design." Nine answers are given to common but false arguments against ID like "Intelligent Design Proponents Don't Conduct or Publish Scientific Research" or "Intelligent Design Is a Science Stopper" or "Intelligent Design Has Been Refuted by the Overwhelming Evidence for Neo-Darwinian Evolution."

    The massive scientific effort to sequence the human genome is in fact just the beginning of a long journey as the extraordinary genetic diversity that exists between individuals becomes clear. Work in this field is yielding profound insights into the wider implications for understanding biology, human health and history. It promises much: to understand our evolutionary origins, to define us as individuals, to predict our risk of disease and to more effectively understand, treat and prevent illness. Genetics can help us understand both rare inherited disorders and common multifactorial disease like asthma, heart disease and diabetes. Huge investments are being made and great advances have been achived, but the challenges remain daunting. This book provides an authoritative overview of this topical and very rapidly advancing field of biomedical research.Human Genetic Diversity provides a concise, authoritative overview of human genetic diversity. It documents the insights that human genetics have brought to an understanding of human evolution and history, focusing on the implications of human genetic diversity for disease susceptibility and treatment. The book describes the genetic basis for diseases such as HIV, AIDS, Crohn's disease, asthma and type I diabetes. It also examines the emerging field of pharmacogenomics and individualized medicine.Human genetic variation has implications across a broad range of disciplines (both biological and medical) and this text neatly consolidates work in diverse fields to highlight common themes and principles. An accessible style and the extensive use of illustrations promote its relevance to a broad audience ranging from those interested in human and population genetics to molecular biologists, evolutionary biologists, biological anthropologists and individuals working in the health sciences and clinical medicine.

    The approach taken is genuinely cross-disciplinary in scope, and provides a fascinating account of the effects of sexual selection upon human evolution in the light of the latest advances in the field.

    This comprehensive work takes a fresh look at an idea central to the field of biology by tracing its history from antiquity to today. John S. Wilkins explores the essentialist view, a staple of logic from Plato and Aristotle through the Middle Ages to fairly recent times, and considers the idea of species in natural history—a concept often connected to reproduction. Tracing “generative conceptions” of species back through Darwin to Epicurus, Wilkins provides a new perspective on the relationship between philosophical and biological approaches to this concept. He also reviews the array of current definitions. Species is a benchmark exploration and clarification of a concept fundamental to the past, present, and future of the natural sciences.

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    Seeking to understand the conditions that led to the development of a variety of cognitive processes during evolution, it uses evidence from empirical studies and offers theoretical speculations about the evolution of modern thinking as well. The volume draws from the fields of archaeology and neuropsychology, which traditionally have shared little in the way of theories and methods, even though both disciplines provide crucial pieces to the puzzle of the emergence and evolution of human cognition. The twelve essays, written by an international team of scholars, represent an eclectic array of interests, methods, and theories about evolutionary cognitive archaeology. Collectively, they consider whether the processes in the development of human cognition simply made a better use of anatomical and cerebral structures already in place at the beginning of hominization. They also consider the possibility of an active role of hominoids in their own development and query the impact of hominoid activity in the emergence of new cognitive abilities.