15 cool books on evolution

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Find out how life began, why fish came to land and why modern monkeys never turned into humans.

1. “The reaching link. Book 1. Monkeys and everything, everything, everything ", Stanislav Drobyshevsky

Stanislav Drobyshevsky, associate professor of Moscow State University, popularizer of science and creator of the scientific and educational portal Antropogenesis.ru, talks about the evolutionary path that we took to where we are now. And he gives at the same time extremely unexpected examples. So, one of his hypotheses suggests that the Neanderthals became extinct because they snored loudly, thereby attracting predators.

What role did honey play in changing the human foot, why our brain is smaller than that of our ancestors, and why do we still wave our arms when walking - the author clearly and humorously answers these and many other questions.

2. “Sapiens. A Brief History of Humanity ", Yuval Noah Harari

Twice laureate of the Yakov Polonsky Prize for creativity and originality, historian, vegan and animal rights activist Harari shows the close connection between biology and culture. Why did Homo sapiens become its masters out of the six species of people who inhabited the planet? Perhaps because of the ability to collaborate and unite around abstract things that cannot be seen or touched, such as religion, the state, or human rights.

He examines the history of mankind from an unexpected angle, explaining why our ancestors were happier than us and what a catastrophe for the environment our development turned out to be.

3. “Domestication. 10 Species That Changed the World, Alice Roberts

For many years, the ancestors of modern people limited themselves to collecting the gifts that nature presented them, without making significant changes to the ecosystem. And then they began to domesticate animals and domesticate plants, subordinating everything around them.

The result was an increase in the population, which every year consumes more and more resources and depletes them. In addition, agriculture damages the planet by artificially changing its landscape and endangering the existence of those cultures that are not interesting to humans and are not suitable for consumption. Anthropologist Alice Roberts undertook to investigate why it is dangerous for the planet.

4. "Human Evolution", Alexander Markov

The book, which won the Enlightener award, asks not only questions about when and why we became human, but also what it actually means to be human. And to answer the last question, you need to understand what role our big brains and creativity play in "humanity".

Markov dispels the most common doubts of those who still do not believe in the reality of evolution. For example, he tells why modern monkeys never turned into humans. The accessible presentation of the complex and the latest theories and methods of analysis make the book ideal for those who do not read science pop, but really want to get started.

5. “The logic of the case. On the nature and origin of biological evolution ", Evgeny Kunin

When talking about evolution, it is impossible not to turn to a multitude of very different sciences. Therefore, Kunin makes references to genetics, showing what our ancestors were like. He also turns to physics, which helps in the study of genes, and even resorts to theories of modern cosmology, allowing for the possibility of spontaneous emergence of life.

Therefore, to a reader without baggage of basic knowledge about evolution, the book may not seem the easiest, but this does not make it less exciting. The author discusses the ways of transmitting hereditary information, the role of viruses in evolution and the influence of unforeseen circumstances on the course of history.

6. “The sixth extinction. An Unnatural Story, "Elizabeth Colbert

Evolution is not only the origin of life and the change in its form. It is also extinction and extinction. Those individuals that could not adapt to the changing world and new circumstances, unfortunately, become only part of history.

Our planet has already experienced as many as five mass extinctions, the last of which destroyed the dinosaurs. The journalist Elizabeth Colbert claims that right now the sixth wave is covering us, and sends the reader to those parts of the planet where it is most obvious.

7. “Evolution on the fingers. For children and parents who want to explain to children ", Alexander Nikonov

If boring biology lessons have completely discouraged the desire to plunge into the depths of this science, then Nikonov's book will return an indescribable feeling of delight from knowing and, most importantly, understanding the world around.

The author did not dwell on biological processes, showing that evolution occurs in everything - from psychology to mechanics. The book will be interesting not only for children, but also for adults who want to understand evolution and not fall into a stupor, receiving question after question from their little why.

8. "Matter of Life" by Nick Lane

British biochemist Nick Lane published a scientific work that became the book of the year according to the Times, Independent and New Scientist, delighted Bill Gates and was recommended for reading by the Royal Society of Biology.

In it, he showed the close relationship of everything in nature and how a change in one thing inevitably leads to a chain of metamorphoses in another. And the author considers energy to be the main engine of evolution. And no matter how simple or complex an organism is: it is she who determines its evolutionary path.

9. "The Blind Watchmaker" by Richard Dawkins

Dawkins is loved for his consistency, accessibility and subtle humor, which he skillfully screwed into his scientific books. In The Blind Watchmaker, the scientist lays out Darwin's theory and natural selection on the shelves, and also smashes the arguments of all opponents of evolution to smithereens.

His unusual judgments make you think about the most unexpected things. For example, about whether the world is as our eyes see it. Or, more correctly, it is perceived by bats through echolocation.

10. History of the Earth by Robert Hazen

One of the few books that focuses not only on living organisms, but also on the inanimate elements of our planet. They can also tell a lot - for example, that the planet was inhabited by giant mushrooms earlier, and the magnetic poles changed places more than once.

And before life began, there were planets, comets and stars. Therefore, in order to understand modern processes, the study of history must begin with the appearance of the Universe, which is what the geologist Hazen does.

11. "Inner Fish", Neil Shubin

A PhD from Harvard University looks for connections in the most unpredictable places, such as between human hands and the wings of a butterfly. And he finds them.

He invites the reader to embark on an amazing journey several million years ago in order to understand what the fish were saving from by getting out on land, what we still have in common with them, when we got rid of the gills and why our body now looks like that.

12. “Amazing paleontology. History of the Earth and Life on It ", Kirill Eskov

Russian paleontologist Eskov is known in the scientific world for his research works, and the general public loves him for his ability to convey information to everyone whose knowledge in biology is limited to the school curriculum.

In this book, he collected all theories about the origin of the Earth and life on it, touched upon the reasons for the movement of lithospheric plates, which changed the landscape of the planet and the life of its inhabitants, and also explained how dinosaurs appeared and why they became extinct. There is a glossary of scientific terms at the end of the book.

13. “Darwin Prize. Evolution in Action, Wendy Northcutt

Darwin gave his surname not only to the famous theory, but also to the equally popular virtual anti-award. It began as an Internet joke and then spread worldwide.

The laureates of the sarcastic prize are people who in the most ridiculous way lost the opportunity to pass on their "stupid" genes to their descendants, thus making a kind of contribution to the collective evolution of man. Molecular biologist Wendy Northcutt has taken it upon herself to record the most interesting and absurd stories of those who received this dubious award.

14. "Neanderthal. In search of disappeared genomes ", Svante Peabo

Reading about the findings and research results, we rarely ask ourselves how difficult it was for scientists to achieve this or that discovery. However, the Swedish geneticist Peabo was not afraid to honestly tell you what price the researchers are paying. In addition to scientific difficulties such as the lack of biological material from ancient remains to extract DNA, they have to wage diplomatic wars with each other, bypass bureaucratic delays and fight for funding.

15. "Cats and Genes", Pavel Borodin

To anyone who cannot understand the human obsession with cats, Borodin, Doctor of Biological Sciences, offers one of the reasons: people with them have similar genes. Perhaps we are so drawn to these animals because we feel an ancient kinship.

Using cats as an example, the author explains evolution, gene mutation and how they can be artificially influenced. He also touches on the burning topic of cloning. And when asked why he decided to use cats, Borodin honestly replies that studying evolution on a charming object is much more exciting.