11/02/2020
Paleontologist Prothero (The Story of the Dinosaurs in 25 Discoveries) introduces the evidence and scientists behind 25 major discoveries in this accessible overview of the history of the idea of evolution. Prothero explains the age of the universe, Darwin’s discoveries, macroevolution in the fossil record, genetics, and ends with a discussion of evolution in humans. He places discoveries in their historical context—for instance, Darwin’s speculation that “species were not fixed and stable” was “considered impossible at the time because most people believed God had created each species,” and Henrietta Swan Leavitt’s 1913 study on stars’ brightness gave scientists “a reliable tool to measure how far away a star or galaxy was from Earth” at a time when “most women were barred from scientific careers completely.” A chapter on horses shows how the animals have contributed to human understanding of evolution, while another shows how the eye—as it evolved from those of light-seeking protozoans to complex vertebrate eyes—is a test case for Darwin’s theory. Prothero is skilled at translating specialist material into entertaining stories. Those well-versed in evolutionary matters will find little new, but curious lay readers will find this to be an engaging introduction. Photos and illus. (Dec.)
Donald Prothero has emerged as our foremost defender of evolutionary theory against creationists and intelligent design theorists and our most articulate expositor of the theory to the general public since Stephen Jay Gould, his mentor. The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries is the best single volume I have read that captures the reality and grandeur of this grand theory of who we are, where we came from, and how we know all this about our species. A tour de force of science and reason.
Don’t Miss ‘The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries.’ [It] is palaeontologist and geologist Donald Prothero’s entertaining guide to the past, present and future of living things – with nature’s more bizarre aspects to the fore.
This compelling presentation of the undeniable evidence for evolution offers stunning and engaging reading for the enormous explanatory power of Darwin’s great idea. Written by Donald R. Prothero, a leading paleontologist of our times, this book promises to enlighten even the staunchest skeptics of the theory of evolution.
A hallmark of a truly great scientific insight is its ability to make sense of wildly different kinds of evidence, even kinds undreamed of when the insight first originated. Evolution is such an insight, and Prothero's survey of the field, in 25 short and lively chapters, illustrates the many lines of evidence for evolution from Darwin's day to our own, debunking misconceptions galore along the way. The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries is a fine introduction for any reader who wants to appreciate the evidence behind the science.
★ 2020-09-10
Compelling lessons by the veteran science writer.
Though he sticks to his traditional 25-chapter layout—e.g., The Story of Life in 25 Fossils, etc.—geologist and paleontologist Prothero usually describes more than one discovery per chapter. He delivers thorough, lucid lessons in evolution so comprehensive that science buffs may skip the most familiar parts but eat up gems such as an entire chapter on the evolution of the elephant and the whale. The author devotes several chapters to astronomy, describing the evolution of the universe and the discovery, barely a century ago, of the Earth’s great age. Darwin makes his entrance in the third chapter and rarely leaves the narrative, both because of his discovery—not evolution, an ancient concept, but natural selection—and his simple charisma as a subject of study. On the Origin of Species, published in 1859, was a bombshell that galvanized his contemporaries and generations of scientists that followed. He sorts out several ancient conundrums. That evolution cannot explain the dazzlingly complex eye is an ancient conundrum, but Prothero explains it. Many readers have seen the smooth progression of horse evolution from the dog-sized eohippus to the modern stallion, but that turns out to be wrong. In the concluding chapters, the author dutifully reviews the human family tree, fossils, and DNA, but he adds spice by emphasizing that we are continuing to evolve—although not into the giant-headed creatures often depicted in science fiction. Evolution, Prothero reminds us, aims for adaptation, not improvement. Brains have changed little in the past few hundred thousand years, but our teeth continue to shrink. White skin evolved about 20,000 years ago, adults acquired the ability to digest milk 8,000 years ago, and we’re becoming more resistant to disease. Like many science writers, Prothero cannot resist the temptation to urge creationists to examine the evidence, a futile effort because creationists believe they possess the truth, and truth—unlike theories such as evolution—doesn’t require evidence.
An outstanding update on evolution.
With 'The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries,' Donald Prothero provides a masterful, lively primer on the abundant evidence for evolution, including the latest fossil findings at digging sites and laboratories around the world—all furthering to close this case, once and for all.
An engaging style that is accessible to anyone.
This book accomplishes a nearly impossible double-task: it conveys enough information to serve as an introductory undergraduate text in evolution while also fascinating the general reader. In the light of Mr. Prothero’s fine book, the reading public is better equipped than ever before to make sense of evolution itself.
This is an informative and engaging work about the discovery process, mainly centered around evolution. Readers will be well informed about why biologists think evolution is not only real but also important for discovering who we are. Prothero provides a useful service in clearing up many misconceptions about evolution.
