On the origin of evolution : Tracing 'Darwin's dangerous idea' from Aristotle to DNA By John Gribbin and Mary Gribbin.

By:

Gribbin, John & Gribbin, Mary

Material type: Text

TextPublication details: London: William Collins, 2020.Description: i-xi+288PISBN:

9780008333362

Subject(s):

Evolution (Biology) -- History

DDC classification:

576.8 GRI-O

Contents:

Part one. Ancient times -- 1. Through a glass, darkly -- 2. A false dawn -- 3. The gift of time -- Part two. The Middle Ages -- 4. From Darwin to Darwin -- 5. Wallace and Darwin -- 6. Darwin and Wallace -- Part three. Modern time -- 7. From wrinkly peas to chromosomes -- 8. Crystallising the role of DNA -- 9. The new Lamarckism.

Summary: The theory of evolution by natural selection did not spring fully formed and unprecedented from the brain of Charles Darwin. Rather it has been examined and debated by philosophers the world over for thousands of years. This lively history traces the evolution of the idea of evolution, showing how it has changed and been changed by different societies over time. It will put 'Darwin's Dangerous Idea' into its proper context, showing how it built on what went before and how it was developed in the twentieth century, through an understanding of genetics and the biochemical basis evolution. None of this diminishes the achievement of Darwin himself in perceiving the way evolution works at the level of individuals and species, but his contribution was one link in a chain that extends back into antiquity, and is still being forged today.

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Holdings
Item type	Current library	Home library	Call number	Status	Date due	Barcode
Book	Dept. of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Processing Center	Dept. of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics	576.8 GRI-O (Browse shelf(Opens below))	Available		DCB3953

A Waterstones Best Book of 2020 The theory of evolution by natural selection did not spring fully formed and unprecedented from the brain of Charles Darwin. Rather it has been examined and debated by philosophers the world over for thousands of years.

Part one. Ancient times --
1. Through a glass, darkly --
2. A false dawn --
3. The gift of time --
Part two. The Middle Ages --
4. From Darwin to Darwin --
5. Wallace and Darwin --
6. Darwin and Wallace --
Part three. Modern time --
7. From wrinkly peas to chromosomes --
8. Crystallising the role of DNA --
9. The new Lamarckism.

The theory of evolution by natural selection did not spring fully formed and unprecedented from the brain of Charles Darwin. Rather it has been examined and debated by philosophers the world over for thousands of years. This lively history traces the evolution of the idea of evolution, showing how it has changed and been changed by different societies over time. It will put 'Darwin's Dangerous Idea' into its proper context, showing how it built on what went before and how it was developed in the twentieth century, through an understanding of genetics and the biochemical basis evolution. None of this diminishes the achievement of Darwin himself in perceiving the way evolution works at the level of individuals and species, but his contribution was one link in a chain that extends back into antiquity, and is still being forged today.

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