Improbable Destinies

Author: Jonathan B. Losos
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0399184937
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 386

Book Description
A major new book overturning our assumptions about how evolution works Earth’s natural history is full of fascinating instances of convergence: phenomena like eyes and wings and tree-climbing lizards that have evolved independently, multiple times. But evolutionary biologists also point out many examples of contingency, cases where the tiniest change—a random mutation or an ancient butterfly sneeze—caused evolution to take a completely different course. What role does each force really play in the constantly changing natural world? Are the plants and animals that exist today, and we humans ourselves, inevitabilities or evolutionary flukes? And what does that say about life on other planets? Jonathan Losos reveals what the latest breakthroughs in evolutionary biology can tell us about one of the greatest ongoing debates in science. He takes us around the globe to meet the researchers who are solving the deepest mysteries of life on Earth through their work in experimental evolutionary science. Losos himself is one of the leaders in this exciting new field, and he illustrates how experiments with guppies, fruit flies, bacteria, foxes, and field mice, along with his own work with anole lizards on Caribbean islands, are rewinding the tape of life to reveal just how rapid and predictable evolution can be. Improbable Destinies will change the way we think and talk about evolution. Losos's insights into natural selection and evolutionary change have far-reaching applications for protecting ecosystems, securing our food supply, and fighting off harmful viruses and bacteria. This compelling narrative offers a new understanding of ourselves and our role in the natural world and the cosmos.

Improbable Destinies

Author: Jonathan B. Losos
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 052553413X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 386

Sydney Brenner's 10-on-10: The Chronicles Of Evolution

Author: Shuzhen Sim
Publisher: Wildtype Books
ISBN: 9811197164
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 274

Book Description
Humans now wield a greater influence on the planet than any other species in history, and human-developed technologies like genetic engineering and artificial intelligence stand poised to overtake biological evolution. Just how did we arrive at this unique moment in human history, 14 billion years after the birth of the universe Sydney Brenner's 10-on-10: The Chronicles of Evolution brings together 24 prominent scientists and thinkers to trace the story of evolution through ten logarithmic scales of time. Through expert insights, this unique volume considers how humans found our place in the cosmos, and imagines what lies ahead.Published by Wildtype Books and distributed by World Scientific Publishing Co.

Tangled Destinies

Author: Johanna Garrison
Publisher: Insight Publishing Group
ISBN: 9781890900939
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 192

Book Description
"If God really loved me, why did this happen?" Have you ever felt that way? Henk certainly did after his father was a victim of the Holocaust and his mother and sister were killed in a bombing raid later described as a mistake. Clenching his fist toward the sky, he cursed God. Jan, raised in Indonesia by a Chinese couple who worshipped Buddha and practiced witchcraft, met Henk after he left Holland as a member of the Royal Dutch Army and was wounded during a revolution. Their marriage was improbable, their life together truly a clash of two cultures-tangled destinies! But when something appears hopeless, miracles can happen! Johanna Garrison shares the captivating story of her parents: the wonders and woes of their marriage, an unlikely path to Christ, and a journey that brings them to America. But just when everything seems wonderful, tragedy strikes again. Their hope-filled story will inspire you to conquer adversity, walk in forgiveness, and become a victor instead of a victim. "I urge you to keep some tissue with you as you read this book. There are moments when you will cry over the adversity described, and then later you will cry with joy over what the Lord did. You will read of trial and tragedy, but you will also experience miracles of God's grace and power. Tangled Destinies is not fiction-it's the real story of how God is always for us, even when life turns against us!" -Dr. George O. Wood. General Superintendent, Assemblies of God. Johanna Garrison has served as a teacher, administrator, conference speaker, and mentor. She is a graduate of Evangel University. In addition, she has partnered with her husband, Alton, in multiple ministry positions including evangelist and pastor as well as serving with him in his offices as Executive Director of U.S. Missions and Assistant General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God. The Garrisons have one daughter, Lizette. They reside in southwest Missouri.

Chemical Evolution and the Origin of Life

Author: Horst Rauchfuss
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3540788239
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 354

Book Description
How did life begin on the early Earth? We know that life today is driven by the universal laws of chemistry and physics. By applying these laws over the past ?fty years, en- mous progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms that are the foundations of the living state. For instance, just a decade ago, the ?rst human genome was published, all three billion base pairs. Using X-ray diffraction data from crystals, we can see how an enzyme molecule or a photosynthetic reaction center steps through its catalytic function. We can even visualize a ribosome, central to all life, translate - netic information into a protein. And we are just beginning to understand how molecular interactions regulate thousands of simultaneous reactions that continuously occur even in the simplest forms of life. New words have appeared that give a sense of this wealth of knowledge: The genome, the proteome, the metabolome, the interactome. But we can’t be too smug. We must avoid the mistake of the physicist who, as the twentieth century began, stated con?dently that we knew all there was to know about physics, that science just needed to clean up a few dusty corners. Then came relativity, quantum theory, the Big Bang, and now dark matter, dark energy and string theory. Similarly in the life sciences, the more we learn, the better we understand how little we really know. There remains a vast landscape to explore, with great questions remaining.

Origin and Evolution of Biodiversity

Author: Pierre Pontarotti
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319959549
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 358

Book Description
The book includes 19 selected contributions presented at the 21st Evolutionary Biology Meeting, which took place in Marseille in September 2017. The chapters are grouped into the following five categories: · Genome/Phenotype Evolution · Self/Nonself Evolution · Origin of Biodiversity · Origin of Life · Concepts The annual Evolutionary Biology Meetings in Marseille serve to gather leading evolutionary biologists and other scientists using evolutionary biology concepts, e.g. for medical research. The aim of these meetings is to promote the exchange of ideas to encourage interdisciplinary collaborations. Offering an up-to-date overview of recent findings in the field of evolutionary biology, this book is in invaluable source of information for scientists, teachers and advanced students.

Some Assembly Required

Author: Neil Shubin
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 1101871342
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 289

Book Description
An exciting and accessible new view of the evolution of human and animal life on Earth. From the author of national bestseller, Your Inner Fish, this extraordinary journey of discovery spans centuries, as explorers and scientists seek to understand the origins of life's immense diversity. “Fossils, DNA, scientists with a penchant for suits of armor—what’s not to love?”—BBC Wildlife Magazine Over billions of years, ancient fish evolved to walk on land, reptiles transformed into birds that fly, and apelike primates evolved into humans that walk on two legs, talk, and write. For more than a century, paleontologists have traveled the globe to find fossils that show how such changes have happened. We have now arrived at a remarkable moment—prehistoric fossils coupled with new DNA technology have given us the tools to answer some of the basic questions of our existence: How do big changes in evolution happen? Is our presence on Earth the product of mere chance? This new science reveals a multibillion-year evolutionary history filled with twists and turns, trial and error, accident and invention. In Some Assembly Required, Neil Shubin takes readers on a journey of discovery spanning centuries, as explorers and scientists seek to understand the origins of life's immense diversity.

Why Evolution is True

Author: Jerry A. Coyne
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 019164384X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 416

Book Description
For all the discussion in the media about creationism and 'Intelligent Design', virtually nothing has been said about the evidence in question - the evidence for evolution by natural selection. Yet, as this succinct and important book shows, that evidence is vast, varied, and magnificent, and drawn from many disparate fields of science. The very latest research is uncovering a stream of evidence revealing evolution in action - from the actual observation of a species splitting into two, to new fossil discoveries, to the deciphering of the evidence stored in our genome. Why Evolution is True weaves together the many threads of modern work in genetics, palaeontology, geology, molecular biology, anatomy, and development to demonstrate the 'indelible stamp' of the processes first proposed by Darwin. It is a crisp, lucid, and accessible statement that will leave no one with an open mind in any doubt about the truth of evolution.

Great Adaptations

Author: Kenneth Catania
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691209553
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 224

Book Description
"The irresistible enthusiasm of Great Adaptations couldn’t come at a better time."—David P. Barash, Wall Street Journal "Be very amazed."—Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words and Becoming Wild How one scientist unlocked the secrets behind some of nature’s most astounding animals From star-nosed moles that have super-sensing snouts to electric eels that paralyze their prey, animals possess unique and extraordinary abilities. In Great Adaptations, Kenneth Catania presents an entertaining and engaging look at some of nature’s most remarkable creatures. Telling the story of his biological detective work, Catania sheds light on the mysteries behind the behaviors of tentacled snakes, tiny shrews, zombie-making wasps, and more. He shows not only how studying these animals can provide deep insights into how life evolved, but also how scientific discovery can be filled with adventure and fun. Beginning with the star-nosed mole, Catania reveals what the creature’s nasal star is actually for, and what this tells us about how brains work. He explores how the deceptive hunting strategy of tentacled snakes leads prey straight to their mouths, how eels use electricity to control other animals, and why emerald jewel wasps make zombies out of cockroaches. He also solves the enigma of worm grunting—a traditional technique in which earthworms are enticed out of the ground—by teaming up with professional worm grunters. Catania demonstrates the merits of approaching science with an open mind, considers the role played by citizen scientists, and illustrates that most animals have incredible, hidden abilities that defy our imagination. Examining some strange and spectacular creatures, Great Adaptations offers a wondrous journey into nature’s grand designs.

Experimental Evolution and the Nature of Biodiversity

Author: Professor and University Research Chair in Experimental Evolution Rees Kassen
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780192898678
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Draws on more than three decades of research in microbial experimental evolution to provide a sketch of a general, empirically grounded theory of biodiversity and the first synthetic treatment of experimental evolution.