How Evolution Explains Everything About Life: From Darwin¿s brilliant idea to today¿s epic theory

by New Scientist

Overview

How did we get here? All cultures have a creation story, but a little over 150 years ago Charles Darwin introduced a revolutionary new one. We, and all living things, exist because of the action of evolution on the first simple life form and its descendants.

We now know that it has taken 3.8 billions of years of work by the forces of evolution to turn what was once a lump of barren rock into the rich diversity of into plants, animals and microbes that surround us. In the process, evolution has created all manner of useful adaptions, from biological computers (brains) to a system to capture energy from the sun (photosynthesis).

But how does evolution actually work? In Evolution, leading biologists and New Scientist take you on a journey of a lifetime, exploring the question of whether life is inevitable or a one-off fluke, and how it got kick-started. Does evolution have a purpose or direction? Are selfish genes really the driving force of evolution? And is evolution itself evolving?

ABOUT THE SERIES
New Scientist Instant Expert books are definitive and accessible entry points to the most important subjects in science; subjects that challenge, attract debate, invite controversy and engage the most enquiring minds. Designed for curious readers who want to know how things work and why, the Instant Expert series explores the topics that really matter and their impact on individuals, society, and the planet, translating the scientific complexities around us into language that's open to everyone, and putting new ideas and discoveries into perspective and context.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781473629721
Publisher:	John Murray Press
Publication date:	10/19/2017
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Since 1956, New Scientist has established a world-beating reputation for exploring and uncovering the latest developments and discoveries in science and technology, placing them in context and exploring what they mean for the future. Each week through a variety of different channels, including print, online, social media and more, New Scientist reaches over 5 million highly engaged readers around the world.

Follow New Scientist on Twitter: @newscientist

Table of Contents

Series introduction vii

Contributors ix

Introduction xi

1 Darwin's discovery 1

2 But what exactly is evolution? 25

3 Darwin and DNA: How genetics spurred the evolution of a theory 37

4 How life began 67

5 Nature's greatest inventions 95

6 Myths and misconceptions 119

7 Digging deeper 137

8 Evolving questions 165

9 The evolution of selfless behaviour 185

10 On the Origin of Species revisited 211

11 The future of evolution 227

Conclusion 245

Fifty evolutionary ideas 247

Glossary 267

Picture credits 270

Index 272