Why do species change over time? How do new species arise? What can fossils and DNA tell us about the history of life?
Things You Should Know About Evolution presents 150 questions and answers covering the major ideas of evolutionary biology. It explains natural selection, mutation, genetic drift, gene flow, adaptation, speciation, genetics, fossils, evolutionary trees, major events in the history of life, sexual selection, coevolution, human evolution, and evolution happening today.
The book also examines the work of Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace, and other scientists, along with evidence from anatomy, embryology, biogeography, DNA, and the fossil record. Common misunderstandings are addressed, including whether evolution has a goal, whether humans evolved from modern chimpanzees, and what scientists mean when they call evolution a scientific theory.
Written in a question-and-answer format, this book is suited to students, general readers, and anyone interested in how populations change across generations and how scientists reconstruct the history of life on Earth.
