Why Evolution is TrueWhy evolution is more than just a theory: it is a fact In all the current highly publicized debates about creationism and its descendant "intelligent design," there is an element of the controversy that is rarely mentioned-the evidence, the empirical truth of evolution by natural selection. Even Richard Dawkins and Stephen Jay Gould, while extolling the beauty of evolution and examining case studies, have not focused on the evidence itself. Yet the proof is vast, varied, and magnificent, drawn from many different fields of science. Scientists are observing species splitting into two and are finding more and more fossils capturing change in the past-dinosaurs that have sprouted feathers, fish that have grown limbs. Why Evolution Is True weaves together the many threads of modern work in genetics, paleontology, geology, molecular biology, and anatomy that demonstrate the "indelible stamp" of the processes first proposed by Darwin. In crisp, lucid prose accessible to a wide audience, Why Evolution Is True dispels common misunderstandings and fears about evolution and clearly confirms that this amazing process of change has been firmly established as a scientific truth. |
Contents
Written in the Rocks | 20 |
Vestiges Embryos and Bad Design | 55 |
The Geography of Life | 86 |
The Engine of Evolution | 111 |
How Sex Drives Evolution | 144 |
The Origin of Species | 168 |
What About Us? | 190 |
Evolution Redux | 221 |
Notes | 235 |
Suggestions for Further Reading | 251 |
Illustration Credits | 271 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
adaptations Africa alleles America amphibians animals apes Archaeopteryx bacteria become behavior biogeography biologists bipedal bones brain chimps chromosomes color common ancestor complex continents creation creationists creature Darwin descendants different species dinosaurs divergence DNA sequences eggs embryos environment evidence for evolution evolutionary biology evolutionary change evolutionary theory evolved example explain eyes feathers females figure fish fossil record Galápagos gametes genes genetic genetic drift genome geographic groups hominin hornet hybrid Illustration by Kalliopi insects intelligent design isolated Kalliopi Kalliopi Monoyios lineage living look males mammals marsupials mating mice million years ago modern birds modern humans mutations natural selection occur oceanic islands offspring organisms Origin pair percent plants polyploid populations predators prediction primates produce protein pseudogenes reproductive reptiles rocks scientific scientists sexual dimorphism sexual selection similar simply skull speciation sperm survive sympatric speciation tail teeth theropod Tiktaalik tion traits tree variation vertebrates vestigial whales wings