Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters

by Donald R. Prothero

Book Overview

Over the past twenty years, paleontologists have made tremendous fossil discoveries, including fossils that mark the growth of whales, manatees, and seals from land mammals and the origins of elephants, horses, and rhinos. Today there exists an amazing diversity of fossil humans, suggesting we walked upright long before we acquired large brains, and new evidence from molecules that enable scientists to decipher the tree of life as never before...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0231139624
• ISBN13: 9780231139625
• Release Date: November 2007
• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Length: 408 Pages
• Weight: 2.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 7.3" x 10.2"

Customer Reviews

A fascinating whirlwind tour through the fossil record

This is, simply, a stunning book. It accomplishes two tasks which, it seems to me, are too seldom done in the same work. First, the book is a thorough, devastating and decisive critique of creationism. Prothero does not settle for summarizing the creationists' main points and announcing, in broad and general terms, why those points fail. He destroys creationist arguments "root and branch," with patient and careful attention to detail, from flood geology to the history of religion, from misconceptions about the Cambrian explosion to the verbal shell-game of so-called "intelligent design" creationism; the result is a veritable evolutionary deluge, which leaves no creationist argument living. Second, this is the most thorough and fascinating treatment of the fossil evidence for a wide range of evolutionary transformations I have ever seen in a book addressed to a general readership. The origins of the major phyla; the evolution of birds from dinosaurs; the origin of mammals from non-mammalian ancestors; all of these and more are treated in detail, with many clear and helpful drawings by Carl Buell to guide those of us who are not so adept at understanding anatomical lingo. "Everyone knows" that the fossil record is woefully inadequate to inform us much on these subjects; and what everyone knows is wrong. We all know archaeopteryx, for example, but most popular articles and books which address it fail to mention that archaeopteryx is only one of a whole range of interesting dinosaurian/avian transitional fossils; Prothero treats us to a glimpse of the real richness of the fossil record in this and other areas. Often, books which address creationism in detail lack deep and detailed treatment of real science; and often, books which deal well with biological issues ignore or give only summary discussion of creationism. This book is well worth reading either for its treatment of creationism or for its treatment of the wonders of the fossil record; and these two go hand in hand because ultimately, of course, the best answer to creationism's negative arguments is the positive evidence for evolution. Somewhere out there is a creationist who is looking for a good read. Would you like to better understand geology, paleontology and biology, whether it's to "know your enemy" or just to improve your general state of knowledge? Have you heard it said that there are no transitional forms in the fossil record? Would you like to see for yourself? I can think of no better book to read.

Another Smoking Gun

Every once in a while, a book is written that completely changes how one thinks about life. This book is a MUST for every child or adult who has ever been captivated about dinosaurs and fossils. The Palentological evidence also relates to the current difference of opinion between science and certain fundamentalistic religion. This book is another "smoking gun", distinctly pointing out how Paleontology complements the evidence of Molecular Biology. The first part of the book is devoted to understanding the issue. Chapter 5 "Systematics and Evolution" is very relevant in understanding the evidence in Part 2 of the book. Plus one gets a really good explanation of the "Flood Geology" perspective and the evidence that does not support that illusion. The second part of this book is exquisite: One sees the evidence, learning how to do so by the expertise of the author (been there as opposed to just reading about it). The excellent drawings and recommended readings at the end of each chapter just encourages one to learn more. Another objective of the book is clearly spelled out by explicit examples of how people with a particular fundamental religious agenda would abandon honor and reason, redefine science, to arrive at a predetermined conclusion. In other words, I think the author is really annoyed at the "there-are-no-transitional-fossils" from non-scientists who make big bucks on the talking-head circuit. Cool...those jerks irritate me too. In summary, I LOVE this book - The climb up the cladistic tree of life is so well done. I want to learn more...

Excellent

The earth is old, and animals and plants have changed over time. If you know somebody who doubts these two well-established propositions, this is the book to share with them. I remember, as a teenager, in the early 1980s, reading Duane Gish's "Evolution: The Fossils Say No," as well as the other standard texts of creationism, and Prothero's book would have helped me think through (and past) creationism a lot quicker than I did. Prothero's book might have been aptly titled, "Evolution: The Fossils Say Yes." It is a lavishly illustrated, thoroughly readable, and authoritative dismantling of creationism. Because of the patient work of contemporary scientists writing accessible popular texts on evolution, no thoughtful 21st century young person need be intellectually derailed by creationist literature. Dr. Prothero's is perhaps the best of the current spate of these types of books. I especially liked the chapter on the origins of life, and the chapter on the Grand Canyon. One of the strengths of this book is that Dr. Prothero does not dodge difficult questions, but attempts to address them directly. It is always refreshing to read somebody who does not obfuscate or downplay contrary lines of evidence, and who is willing to say "I don't know" when something is uncertain. The book is thus, in addition to its overt purpose, also an excellent model of sane and measured reflection. A good companion volume to Dr. Prothero's book might be "The Counter-Creationism Handbook," by Mark Isaak, recently published by the University of California Press.

The best popular resouce on the importance of the fossil record to evolution to date

A cursory look at the science section of any bookstore will reveal a current glut of books about evolution and creationism, some works being excellent reviews of the debate while others are not worth the paper they're printed on. Prothero's book falls into the former category, being the best popular resource I've come across to date about evolution and the evidence from the fossil record. One of the most important (and appealing) aspects of Prothero's book is that he takes a "gloves off" approach to creationism, not waffling on the subject like other recent works (i.e. Whitham's "Where Darwin Meets the Bible"). This more up-front tone allows Prothero to look at the claims of creationists and ID advocates in depth, his excellent review of the formation of the Grand Canyon (the only one I know of in the popular literature) being a fantastic example of melding positive scientific evidence with a thorough refutation of pseudoscience. Still, while Prothero takes a more aggressive approach than other recent authors the book is hardly a long diatribe against creationism; Prothero combines personal experience debating YEC stalwarts like Duane Gish with his extensive knowledge of paleontology, geology, and evolution, delivering a successful one-two punch that is informative on more than just one level. If I have any complaint about this book, it is only that some of the sections require a little more fine-tuning or focus to bring out the important evolutionary trends. The chapter on Dinosaurs is a good example of this; while Prothero provides a good review of important fossil finds, the origin and diversification of sauropod dinosaurs, ceratopsians, and dromeosaurs could use some further clarification as there is certainly more to the story than was given room for discussion. This is a minor point, though, as the book proceeds at breakneck speed through geologic time, providing an overview of various transitional fossils and important evolutionary changes. Indeed, while this treatment might not entirely satisfy a reader looking for excruciating detail, it is an excellent primer for those largely unfamiliar with the fossil record. As Prothero himself notes in the book, the fossil record is incredibly rich and paleontologists continue to accumulate knowledge with every new day in the lab and the field, but up until now many writers have avoided listing many of the important fossils with unfamiliar and tongue-twisting names in popular works. Fortunately for us, Prothero breaks from the older approach and acts as a guide to the diversity of the fossil record, recognizing that it is no longer sufficient to place a group of fossils in a straight line in an attempt to convince the reader that evolution has occurred without illuminating the "bushiness" the evolution produces. In summary, Prothero's book is a joy to read and provides an excellent summary of the current richness of the fossil record for specialist and layman alike, with the