Title: The tangled bank : an introduction to evolution /
Authors: Zimmer, Carl, 1966-
Publisher: Roberts,
Year: 2010
Subjects: Evolution (Biology) Popular works.
Abstract: "The Tangled Bank is the first textbook about evolution intended for the general reader. 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."--Publisher's description.
Contents: 1. Evolution: An Introduction -- 2. From Natural Philosophy to Darwin -- 3. What the Rocks Say -- 4. The Tree of Life -- 5. Evolution's Molecules -- 6. The Ways of Change: Mutation, Drift, and Selection -- 7. The History in our Genes -- 8. Adaptation: From Genes to Traits -- 9. The Origin of Species -- 10. Radiations and Extinctions: Biodiversity through the Ages -- 11. Intimate Partnerships: The Evolution of Friends and Enemies -- 12. Sex and Family -- 13. Evolutionary Medicine -- 14. Minds and Microbes: The Evolution of Behavior.