University of Chicago Press
99% Ape: How Evolution Adds Up
Key Metrics
- Jonathan Silvertown
- University of Chicago Press
- Paperback
- 9780226757780
- 9.96 X 7.54 X 0.65 inches
- 1.69 pounds
- Science > Life Sciences - Evolution
- English
Secure TransactionBook Description
In his lifetime, Charles Darwin was roundly mocked for suggesting that humans were descended from apes, and even in our own day, the teaching of evolution remains controversial. But in the century and a half since the publication of On the Origin of Species, our increasingly sophisticated understanding of genetics has borne out Darwin's theory: humans share 99% of their genes with chimps (and many even with grapes!).
99% Ape offers an accessible, straightforward introduction to evolution, beginning with Darwin's discoveries and continuing through the latest genetic discoveries. Edited by Jonathan Silvertown, the volume brings together experts in a variety of fields pertinent to evolution, from paleobiology to planetary science, comparative anatomy to zoology, and even--for a discussion of legal battles surrounding the teaching of evolution--law. Interwoven with these varied accounts of evolution and its impact are vignettes from Darwin's life that illustrate the continuity of thought that links Darwin's work to today's cutting-edge research.
Beautifully illustrated, 99% Ape is a perfect companion to the upcoming celebration of Darwin's bicentennial and a bracing reminder of the important role evolution still has to play in our understanding of our origins--and our possible futures.
Author Bio
I joined the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Edinburgh in October 2014 and before that I was at the Open University. My research specialism is plant population biology, covering a large number of topics. My H-index on Google Scholar is 68.
Affiliations and Awards
- Founding Chair of Trustees and now Trustee of the Ecological Continuity Trust
- On the Editorial Board of the New Naturalist library
- Recipient of the British Ecological Society's Ecological Engagement Award, 2011.
Education
- BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences, University of Sussex (1975)
- D.Phil. University of Sussex (1979)
Source:jonathansilvertown.com
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