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At the Water's Edge: Fish with Fingers, Whales with Legs, and How Life Came Ashore but Then Went Back to Sea
Everybody Out of the Pond At the Water's Edge will change the way you think about your place in the world. The awesome journey of life's transformation from the first microbes 4 billion years ago to Homo sapiens today is an epic that we are only now beginning to grasp. Magnificent and bizarre, it is the story of how we got here, what we left behind, and what we brought with us. We all know about evolution, but it still seems absurd that our ancestors were fish. Darwin's idea of natural selection was the key to solving generation-to-generation evolution -- microevolution -- but it could only point us toward a complete explanation, still to come, of the engines of macroevolution, the transformation of body shapes across millions of years. Now, drawing on the latest fossil discoveries and breakthrough scientific analysis, Carl Zimmer reveals how macroevolution works. Escorting us along the trail of discovery up to the current dramatic research in paleontology, ecology, genetics, and embryology, Zimmer shows how scientists today are unveiling the secrets of life that biologists struggled with two centuries ago. In this book, you will find a dazzling, brash literary talent and a rigorous scientific sensibility gracefully brought together. Carl Zimmer provides a comprehensive, lucid, and authoritative answer to the mystery of how nature actually made itself.
290 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Carl Zimmer
52 books1,577 followersCarl Zimmer is a columnist for the New York Times and the author of 13 books about science. His latest book, She Has Her Mother's Laugh, will be published in May 2018. Zimmer is a frequent guest on Radiolab and has written hundreds of articles for magazines such as National Geographic, The Atlantic, and Wired. He is, to his knowledge, the only writer after whom a species of tapeworm has been named. Visit him at carlzimmer.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/carlzimmerauthor and on Twitter @carlzimmer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
February 28, 2009
Fabulous. This explication of macroevolution is dense but very clear. There are passages that simply sing. Zimmer is getting to be one of my very favorite science writers. If you have any interest in cetaceans, you should read this book. Highly recommended.
Here's a bit I loved:
"The seeds of a more surprising redemption of some of Haeckel's ideas came from the work of a mathematician named Alan Turing. Scientists who live on the harsh, lifeless plains of the physical sciences sometimes look at biology as a vacation spot - a lush green island they can visit, make a few groundbreaking discoveries, then head back to the quantum steppes. After all, they say to themselves, if you know the laws of electrons and protons, if you can solve differential equations, you already know how Life works. Most of these scientists barely get off the plane before they discover that they were wrong - that biology's island paradise is a sweet-smelling swamp - and they either sink out of sight or catch the next flight out. But a few, such as Alan Turing, have managed to discover some original biological principles."
Here's a bit I loved:
"The seeds of a more surprising redemption of some of Haeckel's ideas came from the work of a mathematician named Alan Turing. Scientists who live on the harsh, lifeless plains of the physical sciences sometimes look at biology as a vacation spot - a lush green island they can visit, make a few groundbreaking discoveries, then head back to the quantum steppes. After all, they say to themselves, if you know the laws of electrons and protons, if you can solve differential equations, you already know how Life works. Most of these scientists barely get off the plane before they discover that they were wrong - that biology's island paradise is a sweet-smelling swamp - and they either sink out of sight or catch the next flight out. But a few, such as Alan Turing, have managed to discover some original biological principles."
August 12, 2017
_At the Water's Edge_ by Carl Zimmer is a fascinating and well-written account of macroevolution, evolution outside of the "generation-by-generation" pace of microevolution. In microevolution, biologists can follow the process of natural selection; as every generation of a species produces a line of variants, some of these variants do better than others and survive to possibly pass on those variant traits to their offspring. Biologists can for instance track the success (and failure) of individual genes or how a particular species of insect adapts to a new pesticide. Macroevolution on the other hand works on much larger, grander scales, a scale in which completely new types of bodies appear.
Zimmer sought to examine macroevolution in the development of tetrapods from fish (which occurred between 380 and 360 million years ago) and whales from land mammals (occurring about 50 million years ago), using these fascinating accounts to introduce to the reader two of the most common features of macroevolution - exaptations of existing features and the correlated progression of many different parts.
Exaptation is a term used to describe the notion of a structure crafted by evolution for one function and later becoming ideal for another, often completely different function. Early in the 20th century this concept was known as preadaptation, a term coined by Alfred Sherwood Romer, though Stephen Jay Gould and Elizabeth Vrba in 1982 offered the term exaptation instead as preadaptation seemed to imply some sort of conscious planning for the future that evolution can never have.
In tetrapod evolution, the production of urea in lobe-fins was an exaptation - originally evolved as a way for an organism to avoid ammonia poisoning, excess salt, and water loss at sea, an excellent system for when tetrapods came ashore. Lungs may have evolved originally not for life on land but to give predatory fish more stamina in chasing prey at sea, this ability helping keep the heart nourished and allowing the fish to swim longer and harder than fish without lungs. Early tetrapods evolved legs to move along shallow, coastal lagoon bottoms and through flooded forests, not to move onto land, an "exaptation of the most dramatic sort." Among whales, _Ambulocetus_, an ancestor with perhaps a crocodile-like lifestyle, may have evolved the ability to hold its breath while it drowned its prey in deep water, an exaptation for later life at sea. Similarly, the ability of _Ambulocetus_ to hear low-frequency sounds traveling through the ground - as it rested its head on the shore, waiting for prey, the sounds traveling up its bony jaw - may have been an exaptation for hearing underwater.
Correlated progression is a bit harder of a concept to explain. Essentially, it is a "choreography of changes" in an animal. The term, originated by Keith Thomson in the 1960s, describes how one change in a particular aspect of an organism cannot take place unless natural selection was also altering the other parts of the organism for other adaptations at the same time; changes in one part of the body can sometimes make other changes more beneficial to an animal. If anatomical features of an animal are tightly linked together, they will change in concert.
The evolution of the tetrapod ear is an excellent example of correlated progression. The stapes in the human ear is homologous with a large bone that supports fish jaws, known as the hyomandibular. The ancestral lobe-fin fish's skull was originally a loose collection of bones held together by ligaments, the hyomandibular serving to brace the upper and lower jawbones against the back of the braincase and also helping to flare open the gill flap to let stale water out of the animal's head. As shown by such fossils as _Acanthostega_, early tetrapods developed a braincase that was fused shut, the jaw being able now to make direct contact with the sturdier skull, the hyomandibular bone no longer needed to support the jaw (and also not needed for working the gills as they became less important for breathing). The hyomandibular shrank and became lodged tightly in the back of the skull, at first locked in so much that it couldn't vibrate freely. Later on other bones of the skull became sturdy enough that the proto-stapes could loosen and begin transmitting sounds to the brain. The stapes could only evolve as a new type of bite was evolving thanks to changes in the skull and in breathing. In turn, the shrinking hyomandibular had its own effects; as the muscles that once connected it to the gill arches now were attached to the jaw to open and shut it and support the head on its shoulders, the dwindling hyomandibular let other bones and muscles create the tetrapod neck. Also, when the shoulders were liberated from the head and from the heavy bone once covering the gills, there was enough room for a bigger, more complex shoulder joint better suited to walking on land.
Similarly, the evolution of whale echolocation was a good example of correlated progression, each incremental change in the head of the whale encouraging other changes. Some whales may have accidentally made noises in their nose that, thanks to their echoes, made it easier to hunt prey. Sound may have inadvertently been focused by nose plugs, with whales with oversized nose plugs being favored (the nose plugs evolving into melons). The nose moved up towards the top of the head for easier breathing, but the jaws expanded back to carry it there, which made the whale's skull more stable as it moved back and creating a reflecting dish on the upper jaw for sounds waves coming from the nose as a well as a platform on which the melon to rest.
In addition to being a book on the concepts of exaptation and correlated progression, the book can simply be read as an excellent illustrated report of the evolution of tetrapods and whales, with the history of research, accounts of the personalities involved, and speculations on the lifestyles and habitats of early tetrapods and whales.
Zimmer sought to examine macroevolution in the development of tetrapods from fish (which occurred between 380 and 360 million years ago) and whales from land mammals (occurring about 50 million years ago), using these fascinating accounts to introduce to the reader two of the most common features of macroevolution - exaptations of existing features and the correlated progression of many different parts.
Exaptation is a term used to describe the notion of a structure crafted by evolution for one function and later becoming ideal for another, often completely different function. Early in the 20th century this concept was known as preadaptation, a term coined by Alfred Sherwood Romer, though Stephen Jay Gould and Elizabeth Vrba in 1982 offered the term exaptation instead as preadaptation seemed to imply some sort of conscious planning for the future that evolution can never have.
In tetrapod evolution, the production of urea in lobe-fins was an exaptation - originally evolved as a way for an organism to avoid ammonia poisoning, excess salt, and water loss at sea, an excellent system for when tetrapods came ashore. Lungs may have evolved originally not for life on land but to give predatory fish more stamina in chasing prey at sea, this ability helping keep the heart nourished and allowing the fish to swim longer and harder than fish without lungs. Early tetrapods evolved legs to move along shallow, coastal lagoon bottoms and through flooded forests, not to move onto land, an "exaptation of the most dramatic sort." Among whales, _Ambulocetus_, an ancestor with perhaps a crocodile-like lifestyle, may have evolved the ability to hold its breath while it drowned its prey in deep water, an exaptation for later life at sea. Similarly, the ability of _Ambulocetus_ to hear low-frequency sounds traveling through the ground - as it rested its head on the shore, waiting for prey, the sounds traveling up its bony jaw - may have been an exaptation for hearing underwater.
Correlated progression is a bit harder of a concept to explain. Essentially, it is a "choreography of changes" in an animal. The term, originated by Keith Thomson in the 1960s, describes how one change in a particular aspect of an organism cannot take place unless natural selection was also altering the other parts of the organism for other adaptations at the same time; changes in one part of the body can sometimes make other changes more beneficial to an animal. If anatomical features of an animal are tightly linked together, they will change in concert.
The evolution of the tetrapod ear is an excellent example of correlated progression. The stapes in the human ear is homologous with a large bone that supports fish jaws, known as the hyomandibular. The ancestral lobe-fin fish's skull was originally a loose collection of bones held together by ligaments, the hyomandibular serving to brace the upper and lower jawbones against the back of the braincase and also helping to flare open the gill flap to let stale water out of the animal's head. As shown by such fossils as _Acanthostega_, early tetrapods developed a braincase that was fused shut, the jaw being able now to make direct contact with the sturdier skull, the hyomandibular bone no longer needed to support the jaw (and also not needed for working the gills as they became less important for breathing). The hyomandibular shrank and became lodged tightly in the back of the skull, at first locked in so much that it couldn't vibrate freely. Later on other bones of the skull became sturdy enough that the proto-stapes could loosen and begin transmitting sounds to the brain. The stapes could only evolve as a new type of bite was evolving thanks to changes in the skull and in breathing. In turn, the shrinking hyomandibular had its own effects; as the muscles that once connected it to the gill arches now were attached to the jaw to open and shut it and support the head on its shoulders, the dwindling hyomandibular let other bones and muscles create the tetrapod neck. Also, when the shoulders were liberated from the head and from the heavy bone once covering the gills, there was enough room for a bigger, more complex shoulder joint better suited to walking on land.
Similarly, the evolution of whale echolocation was a good example of correlated progression, each incremental change in the head of the whale encouraging other changes. Some whales may have accidentally made noises in their nose that, thanks to their echoes, made it easier to hunt prey. Sound may have inadvertently been focused by nose plugs, with whales with oversized nose plugs being favored (the nose plugs evolving into melons). The nose moved up towards the top of the head for easier breathing, but the jaws expanded back to carry it there, which made the whale's skull more stable as it moved back and creating a reflecting dish on the upper jaw for sounds waves coming from the nose as a well as a platform on which the melon to rest.
In addition to being a book on the concepts of exaptation and correlated progression, the book can simply be read as an excellent illustrated report of the evolution of tetrapods and whales, with the history of research, accounts of the personalities involved, and speculations on the lifestyles and habitats of early tetrapods and whales.
July 19, 2015
Carl Zimmer is one of my favorite authors. He brings a freshness and clarity to evolutionary biology. Each time I pick up a general interest science book like this, I think this ground has already been covered by my other reading, but there's always something new to learn from a different approach. If there was some concept in a Darwin, Dawkins, Prothero, Coyne, etc., book that I didn't grasp, Zimmer clears it up. Microevolution versus macroevolution. Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny. What the scientific atmosphere was in Darwin's time and how what we've learned since then ties in with Darwin's theories -- and what other theories have been abandoned and why. How we organize and categorize past and present organisms and figure out their relationships using the incomplete and often conflicting data of fossils, morphology, cladistics, embryology, and molecular phylogeny. It's complicated, but Zimmer's storytelling keeps it interesting.
July 31, 2012
An elegant book that has helped me to understand how macroevolution happens. Fun facts: A blue whale's tongue weighs as much as an elephant. Hippos once climbed the Alps.
May 10, 2023
I really did not like Carl Zimmer's book Parasite Rex, but I decided that much of this was due to my loathing of parasites, and not his writing skills. I picked up this book, because I have been curious on how whales evolved from land animals with legs.
Carl Zimmer writes clearly for the casual reader, and keeps a nice balance of technical jargon throughout the book. The overall story is indeed focused on the animals that returned to the sea, but the story includes the changes in general thinking about evolution from pre-Darwin to modern times with information particularly focused on whales and dolphins. Really a nice read for someone with an interest in biology and evolution.
Carl Zimmer writes clearly for the casual reader, and keeps a nice balance of technical jargon throughout the book. The overall story is indeed focused on the animals that returned to the sea, but the story includes the changes in general thinking about evolution from pre-Darwin to modern times with information particularly focused on whales and dolphins. Really a nice read for someone with an interest in biology and evolution.
December 14, 2018
Odd mix. The beginning is very beginner-oriented but it also goes deep into some genetic science that was a bit dense for me, and it also has a strong historical/biographical thread. Solidly interesting overall.
May 27, 2023
While very difficult to comprehend at times, because of my lack of geology and paleontology in my studies, this book provided me with very interesting takes on evolution. With this book, Zimmer shows not just the way of thinking of scientists in all relevant fields, but also their way of life, through humorous stories of achievement and failure. Honestly, he made dirt and bones into entertainment and education.
The conclusive chapter is exceptionally well written, and makes it very much worth the (sometimes tedious) read.
The conclusive chapter is exceptionally well written, and makes it very much worth the (sometimes tedious) read.
September 10, 2023
This was on my TBR for years and years, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed this one! Fascinating.
November 9, 2017
This was an interesting book, but at some moments I barely could follow Zimmer's story. This has undoubtedly to do with my lack of knowledge about paleontology and embryology, two fields of research that figure prominently in At the Water's Edge.
Zimmer chooses to treat two ideas in one book - the evolution of tetrapods (from lungfish to reptiles) and the evolution of whales (from hooved animals to sperm and baleen whales). Zimmer uses these two cases to illustrate an important biological concept: macroevolution - radical changes in morphology in (evolutionarily speaking) short timespans. These macroevolutions are partly external (changes in the organism's environment such as climate and competition) and partly internal (the bodyplan of building embryos, inherited through its ancestors). In other words: the reason why whales have baleens and reptiles didnt'have them, has to do with the bodyplan of whales (mammal embryology) and the bodyplan of reptiles (reptilian embryology).
I'm neither a paleontologists nor a molecular biologist, so I'm not really up to date on the scientific progress on these discoveries. Zimmer describes the state of events around 1996, and I can only imagine that in the meantime some evolutionary puzzles have been solved (and possibly new ones popped up). When Zimmer writes about the difficulties of drawing trees of descent and the controversies between morphological tree-builders and molecular tree-builders, I can only imagine what the outcome of these issues is going to be.
I like it that Zimmer chooses to start with the founding fathers of biology (Owen, Cuvier, Geoffroy, among others) this helps to put the larger picture in perspective. I also like it that Zimmer throughout the book interviews modern day scientists about the topics involved.
The story of the origin of tetrapods is easy to summarize: about 400 million years ago the first jawed fish appeared; after 50 million years the lineages of amphibians and amniotes split; another 50 million years later the first herbivorous amniotes appeared. The way these tetrapods evolved to adapt themselves to a new environment (land, plant eating) was constrained by their body plan (i.e. ancestral genes).
The story of the origin of whales is somewhat murkier, partly due to the debate about the right ancestral tree. In broad outlines: 50 million years ago the first ruminants appeared; 15 million years later the odontocetes (dolphins, killer whales, etc.) and the mysticetes (blue whales, sperm whales, etc.) originated. Genetic research indicates that the closest living animal of whales is the hippopotamus, while paleontologists dispute this fact and claim whales share a common ancestor with artidactyls (all the animals with even numbered hoofs). The niches these whales picked out to make a living, the ways they communicate and the workings of their respiratory systems all depend on their ancestral mammal body plan. This is the reason whales have to breathe oxygen from the atmosphere, while fish can remain underwater.
Even though at some points it was hard for me (as a layman) to keep up with the story, I truly enjoyed this book. I learned some interesting things along the way - macroevolution, the importance of bodyplans and embryology, the use of convergent methods (genes, bones) to draw up trees of descent, the basic outlines of how fish evolved to land dwellers and how some branches of mammals went back to the sea and became whales - and that is what I look for in books.
Zimmer chooses to treat two ideas in one book - the evolution of tetrapods (from lungfish to reptiles) and the evolution of whales (from hooved animals to sperm and baleen whales). Zimmer uses these two cases to illustrate an important biological concept: macroevolution - radical changes in morphology in (evolutionarily speaking) short timespans. These macroevolutions are partly external (changes in the organism's environment such as climate and competition) and partly internal (the bodyplan of building embryos, inherited through its ancestors). In other words: the reason why whales have baleens and reptiles didnt'have them, has to do with the bodyplan of whales (mammal embryology) and the bodyplan of reptiles (reptilian embryology).
I'm neither a paleontologists nor a molecular biologist, so I'm not really up to date on the scientific progress on these discoveries. Zimmer describes the state of events around 1996, and I can only imagine that in the meantime some evolutionary puzzles have been solved (and possibly new ones popped up). When Zimmer writes about the difficulties of drawing trees of descent and the controversies between morphological tree-builders and molecular tree-builders, I can only imagine what the outcome of these issues is going to be.
I like it that Zimmer chooses to start with the founding fathers of biology (Owen, Cuvier, Geoffroy, among others) this helps to put the larger picture in perspective. I also like it that Zimmer throughout the book interviews modern day scientists about the topics involved.
The story of the origin of tetrapods is easy to summarize: about 400 million years ago the first jawed fish appeared; after 50 million years the lineages of amphibians and amniotes split; another 50 million years later the first herbivorous amniotes appeared. The way these tetrapods evolved to adapt themselves to a new environment (land, plant eating) was constrained by their body plan (i.e. ancestral genes).
The story of the origin of whales is somewhat murkier, partly due to the debate about the right ancestral tree. In broad outlines: 50 million years ago the first ruminants appeared; 15 million years later the odontocetes (dolphins, killer whales, etc.) and the mysticetes (blue whales, sperm whales, etc.) originated. Genetic research indicates that the closest living animal of whales is the hippopotamus, while paleontologists dispute this fact and claim whales share a common ancestor with artidactyls (all the animals with even numbered hoofs). The niches these whales picked out to make a living, the ways they communicate and the workings of their respiratory systems all depend on their ancestral mammal body plan. This is the reason whales have to breathe oxygen from the atmosphere, while fish can remain underwater.
Even though at some points it was hard for me (as a layman) to keep up with the story, I truly enjoyed this book. I learned some interesting things along the way - macroevolution, the importance of bodyplans and embryology, the use of convergent methods (genes, bones) to draw up trees of descent, the basic outlines of how fish evolved to land dwellers and how some branches of mammals went back to the sea and became whales - and that is what I look for in books.
December 27, 2013
This was a man's first book? Now that's impressive. However, this is most decidedly not for the layman, a lesson the author learned because his books that followed are much more readable. He's brave too, selecting as a salvo the one topic most murky with incompleteness and conjecture. It's as if he was saying with his endeavor: "Here's a subject with the most gaps in the field. I'll start with this, write several more interesting books, and see where we stand after I establish an interesting career." It's quite possible he could soon offer a followup version that is more fossil-y complete. After all, there are dozens more dinosaurs roaming the earth now than there were when I was a child.
October 10, 2007
A clear and concise narration of the discovery of fossils that prove that tetrapod life emerged from the water onto the land via the evolutionary process and how one group of mammals returned to the sea and evolved into the whales, dolphins and porpoises we see today. The science demonstrating the connections between the fossils is well explained.
The transitions from fish to land dwelling tetrapods and from mammal to whale are beautifully illustrated. A must read.
The transitions from fish to land dwelling tetrapods and from mammal to whale are beautifully illustrated. A must read.
July 13, 2015
I dunno, I am a geek. Loved this book. Car Zimmer writes with clarity and just enough wit to make his readers feel smart just for following along.
The subtitle really says all you need to know; if you love reading about biology, zoology, evolution (I know someone else does) you will learn and be entertained.
The subtitle really says all you need to know; if you love reading about biology, zoology, evolution (I know someone else does) you will learn and be entertained.
November 25, 2021
While this book was in general interesting and engaging, there were a couple of discussions that seemed inordinately detailed. Zimmer aims to give the reader a closer look at evolution through 2 of the most drastic changes seen from our vantage point, how life first came out of the water and how the mammals that would turn into whales returned to it. Zimmer’s prose shines when he talks about the challenges faced by different organisms in their respective environments and the way they are attuned to those challenges in ways that leave them seemingly unprepared for drastic changes. This sets up the need to account for the way in which certain organisms changed from a marine to a terrestrial existence and vice versa. While the explanations were necessarily grounded in fine details of anatomy and paleontology, Zimmer manages, for the most part, to keep the reader engaged with vivid descriptions of the challenges faced and resolved. Every once in a while though Zimmer will get extremely focused on a particular detail, the exact mechanism for digit formation for example, to the detriment of the flow of the narrative. Likewise, while some historical context on the ebb and flow of scientific discovery was interesting there were more than a few points where the attention paid to the scientific feuds was excessive. Nonetheless, the book as whole is a close and interesting look and just how evolution can make giant changes to the adaptations of an organism.
February 4, 2021
Wow!!! Being a non biology student too this book was not so difficult to read. Although couple of chapters were hard to understand. Zimmer didn't just write about macro evolution he also wrote about the researchers who worked on the same. It was like reading a story rather a science book. Must read for any one who is interested in evolution.
“Our ancestor was an animal which breathed water, had a swim bladder, a great swimming tail, an imperfect skull, and undoubtedly was an hermaphrodite! Here is a pleasant genealogy for mankind.”
“Our ancestor was an animal which breathed water, had a swim bladder, a great swimming tail, an imperfect skull, and undoubtedly was an hermaphrodite! Here is a pleasant genealogy for mankind.”
December 17, 2018
Here is a book that tries to connect the missing link dots in a few species both living and extinct to prove evolution is correct. Perhaps the reader really has to be an evolutionist to really enjoy this book. I found it a a bit slow and technical for my taste. Then I discovered it was published twenty years ago which means it may or may not be hopelessly out of date given the quick changes in scientific theory these days. You might want to read something more current on the subject.
January 14, 2020
Some parts were interesting but the author spent too much time on trivial historical details of paleontologists searching for and taking about their fossils.
Something positive is that the book focuses heavily on the first creatures to leave the ocean and on whales re-entering the ocean. Many books give a broader evolutionary picture and so the specific detail into those two cases was refreshing.
Something positive is that the book focuses heavily on the first creatures to leave the ocean and on whales re-entering the ocean. Many books give a broader evolutionary picture and so the specific detail into those two cases was refreshing.
August 2, 2018
Phenomenal overview of the evolutionary path of tetrapods onto land and back again, with special attention to the whale. The layout is clear and, though some chapters are difficult to digest, very enjoyable to peruse. The addenda; glossary, time line, notes and bibliography, are able to be referenced at any point and help clarify the high-tier terms. I look forward to reading more by Carl Zimmer.
April 12, 2021
An entertaining book walking the reader through two "stories" of macroevolution and the fossils and evidence that has been accumulated to support it. Not the 'newest' book (copyright 1998), but it still does a great job. Just remember that there is still a great deal more to learn beyond this and more still yet to come. Never stop learning. :0)
September 1, 2023
This is a fascinating book, written very readably.
Basically, the theme of evolution as cutting-edge science knows of it, is explored through the physical transformation of the body of species as they move out of water and onto land and visa versa.
I enjoyed reading this book, when I had the time to...
Basically, the theme of evolution as cutting-edge science knows of it, is explored through the physical transformation of the body of species as they move out of water and onto land and visa versa.
I enjoyed reading this book, when I had the time to...
March 7, 2019
Quite well written but only useful to people who are already convinced about macro evolution. I still find it to be a “Just so” story that people are committed to because the biblical creation narrative (which may not be what you think it is - read Hugh Ross’s books) is not an option.
August 9, 2020
More dense than Neil Shubin's "Your Inner Fish..." which I enjoyed more. Somewhat dated due to the rapid advances in the field over the last 20 years. Zimmer includes a strong evolutionary/historical/biographical thread throughout the book. Solidly interesting overall.
October 16, 2020
Very interesting and highly readable.
October 16, 2021
A compilation of scientific ideas and explanations of how and why whales and tetrapods evolved.
January 30, 2022
This was a very well written and often humorous book about macroevolution, including the various slap fights between creationists and people who accept evolution into their hearts.
Read
January 15, 2024Very interesting to learn about how macroevolution actually works
July 26, 2019
Liked it a lot. Read it quickly.
May 21, 2019
What an interesting book.
December 22, 2008
Dec. 21--This book is just outstanding! It is the only book that clearly shows how natural selection and evolution really >work< through macroevolution, or the evolution of large body structures. The story that Zimmer relates of how some critters have gone into the sea, back to the land, and repeated this several times, taught me stuff that even I hadn't heard about (as an eclectic reader of evolutionary biology tomes). There's also a fine amount of the history of paleontology woven into the book, along with a great review of recent paleotological field work and what it means to our understanding of various dead critters. Read this book not only for the pleasure of the reading, but because it will easily supply you with rebuttal points for some of the creationist/ID drivel that still flutters around the US of A. Tom.
February 7, 2012
I enjoyed this book. I confess that I may not have followed every nuance, but I got the main ideas.
The thing I wish Zimmer had dwelt on perhaps just a bit more was the idea of macro-evolution, as the book's blurb indicated.
At one point near the end of the book, maybe even the last chapter, he says (something along the lines of) "Scientist X says, Macro-evolution is just micro-evolution left going for a long time, but is it really?"
But then he doesn't come out and say, in so many words, what else it could be. At least, not that I picked up. Maybe I'm dense. :)
Anyway, I would still recommend it. It's probably one I should read more than once, but I doubt I will, simply because of the number of other books in the world I still haven't read.
The thing I wish Zimmer had dwelt on perhaps just a bit more was the idea of macro-evolution, as the book's blurb indicated.
At one point near the end of the book, maybe even the last chapter, he says (something along the lines of) "Scientist X says, Macro-evolution is just micro-evolution left going for a long time, but is it really?"
But then he doesn't come out and say, in so many words, what else it could be. At least, not that I picked up. Maybe I'm dense. :)
Anyway, I would still recommend it. It's probably one I should read more than once, but I doubt I will, simply because of the number of other books in the world I still haven't read.
January 31, 2012
This is a truly fantastic introduction to the topic of evolution in all its quirkeries, coming as it does from various vantage points - biology, history, palaeontology, taxonomy. The writing is crisp and entertaining, the pictures just regular enough to lighten the mood. I have a degree in science and this keeps me engaged all the way through, multiple reads later; by the same token, I would hazard at guess that it would be easily approachable for entry-level natural history enthusiasts. I can't recommend it highly enough.
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