Neil Shubin’s latest book picks up where his others left off. In typical Shubin style, he does a fantastic job of meshing storytelling with modern science. The overarching theme here is that the evolutionary changes we often associate with new species (e.g., feathers, legs, lungs) were present in creatures much farther back than we realize: “Massive changes came about by repurposing ancient structures for new uses.” The book is filled with examples and the stories of scientists who dedicated their careers to discovering and explaining these changes. Some of the topics were discussed in Shubin’s previous books (e.g., the Sonic hedgehog gene). But we continue to learn more about existing species, and this book provides updated information.
The book features a variety of scientists of different countries, sexes, and scientific backgrounds. Given today’s social climate, I truly appreciate the lengths to which Shubin goes to give credit to some of...
University of California Press