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Remarkable as much for the insight into our earliest ancestors as the controversies it has engendered, the concept of evolution has garnered much attention since Charles Darwin first published his theory of natural selection. Notwithstanding its detractors, evolutionary science has anticipated modern genetic research and continued to illuminate mysteries about our past and our connectedness to the species around us. Detailing the evolutionary process and speciation as well as the continuing debates about evolution's inherent validity, this engrossing volume considers all aspects of this exciting field of study.

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• Introduction(p. 10)
• Chapter 1 Understanding Evolution(p. 19)
• The Evidence for Evolution(p. 21)
• The Fossil Record(p. 22)
• Structural Similarities(p. 27)
• Embryonic Development and Vestiges(p. 28)
• Biogeography(p. 29)
• Molecular Biology(p. 31)
• History of Evolutionary Theory(p. 34)
• Early Ideas(p. 34)
• Lamarckism(p. 38)
• Modern Conceptions(p. 41)
• Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker(p. 42)
• The Cultural Impact of Evolutionary Theory(p. 53)
• Scientific Acceptance and Extension to Other Disciplines(p. 53)
• Religious Criticism and Acceptance(p. 58)
• Intelligent Design and Its Critics(p. 64)
• Chapter 2 The Process of Evolution(p. 72)
• Evolution as a Genetic Function(p. 72)
• Genetic Variation in Populations(p. 74)
• The Origin of Genetic Variation: Mutations(p. 79)
• Industrial Melanism(p. 80)
• The Dynamics of Genetic Change(p. 87)
• Genetic Equilibrium: The Hardy-Weinberg Law(p. 87)
• The Processes of Gene-Frequency Change(p. 90)
• The Operation of Natural Selection in Populations(p. 95)
• Natural Selection as a Process of Genetic Change(p. 95)
• Analogy(p. 105)
• Homology(p. 106)
• Types of Selection(p. 108)
• Chapter 3 Species and Speciation(p. 121)
• The Origin of Species(p. 123)
• Reproductive Isolation(p. 124)
• A Model of Speciation(p. 129)
• Geographic Speciation(p. 132)
• Adaptive Radiation(p. 135)
• Quantum Speciation(p. 138)
• Polyploidy(p. 139)
• Genetic Differentiation During Speciation(p. 141)
• Patterns and Rates of Species Evolution(p. 145)
• Evolution Within a Lineage and by Lineage Splitting(p. 146)
• Convergent and Parallel Evolution(p. 148)
• Gradual and Punctuational Evolution(p. 152)
• Diversity and Extinction(p. 158)
• Evolution and Development(p. 162)
• Chapter 4 Reconstruction of Evolutionary History(p. 166)
• DNA and Protein as Informational Macromolecules(p. 167)
• Evolutionary Trees(p. 169)
• Distance Methods(p. 170)
• Maximum Parsimony Methods(p. 174)
• Maximum Likelihood Methods(p. 176)
• Evaluation of Evolutionary Trees(p. 176)
• Molecular Evolution(p. 177)
• Molecular Phylogeny of Genes(p. 177)
• Multiplicity and Rate Heterogeneity(p. 180)
• The Molecular Clock of Evolution(p. 183)
• The Neutrality Theory of Molecular Evolution(p. 186)
• Chapter 5 Notable Evolutionary Thinkers(p. 189)
• Charles Darwin(p. 189)
• Early Life and Education(p. 191)
• The Beagle Voyage(p. 193)
• Evolution by Natural Selection: The London Years, 1836-42(p. 197)
• The Squire Naturalist in Downe(p. 202)
• On the Origin of Species(p. 204)
• The Patriarch in His Home Laboratory(p. 208)
• The Private Man and the Public Debate(p. 210)
• Richard Dawkins(p. 213)
• Theodosius Dobzhansky(p. 217)
• Sir Julian Huxley(p. 220)
• T.H. Huxley(p. 221)
• Student Life(p. 222)
• The Rattlesnake Voyage(p. 223)
• ôDarwin's Bulldogö(p. 225)
• Power and ôPope Huxleyö(p. 227)
• The Old Lion(p. 230)
• Jean-Baptiste Lamarck(p. 232)
• Early Life and Career(p. 233)
• Professorship at the National Museum of Natural History(p. 234)
• The Inheritance of Acquired Characters(p. 235)
• Ernst Mayr(p. 238)
• George Gaylord Simpson(p. 239)
• George Ledyard Stebbins, Jr.(p. 242)
• Hugo de Vries(p. 243)
• Alfred Russel Wallace(p. 244)
• Early Life and Work(p. 245)
• The Career of a Naturalist(p. 247)
• Chapter 6 Related Evolutionary Concepts(p. 252)
• Acquired Character(p. 252)
• Adaptation(p. 252)
• Adaptive Radiation(p. 255)
• Cephalization(p. 256)
• Darwinism(p. 256)
• Dispersion(p. 257)
• Effective Population Size(p. 260)
• Emergence(p. 260)
• Extinction(p. 262)
• Mass Extinction Events(p. 263)
• Human-Induced Extinctions(p. 265)
• Kin Selection(p. 266)
• Mosaic Evolution(p. 268)
• Natural Selection(p. 268)
• Orthogenesis(p. 270)
• Parallel Evolution(p. 270)
• Polymorphism(p. 271)
• Selection(p. 271)
• Speciation(p. 273)
• Species(p. 274)
• Taxonomy(p. 275)
• Speciation(p. 276)
• Identifying and Cataloging Species(p. 277)
• Glossary(p. 279)
• For Further Reading(p. 281)
• Index(p. 283)

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Booklist Review

The science is comprehensive, densely detailed, and up to date in these titles from the 21st Century Science series, which also discusses urgent sociopolitical and ethical issues that are in the news right now. Starting with Darwin, New Thinking about Evolution looks in depth at the contributions of leading scientists up to current times and includes discussion of creationism and intelligent design. The heavy technical detail makes these titles best for research or presenting in chunks as a way to spark discussion. The series' textbooklike design includes lots of subheads, occasional background screens, and black-and-white photos and diagrams. Back matter includes a glossary and up-to-date bibliography.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2010 Booklist