This clever approach to our extended family tree should prove a natural hit with science readers. The book's accessibility is crucial to its success, helping to convince readers that, given a time span of millions of years, unlikely events, like animals passing from one continent to another, become practically inevitable. These passages maintain an erudite yet conversational voice whether discussing the genetic similarities between hippos and whales (a fact "so shocking that I am still reluctant to believe it") or the existence of prehistoric rhino-sized rodents.
The peacock, for example, offers a familiar opportunity to discuss sexual selection, which is soon freshly applied to the question of why humans started walking upright. As the path reaches points where humanity's ancestors converge with those of other species-primates, mammals, amphibians and so on-various creatures have tales that carry an evolutionary lesson.
, etc.) works his way narratively backward through time. Taking his cue from Chaucer, noted Oxford biologist Dawkins ( The Selfish Gene Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks and podcasts. The diversity of the earth's plant and animal life is amazing-especially when one considers the near certainty that all living things can trace their lineage back to a single ancestor-a bacterium-that lived more than three billion years ago. The Ancestor's Tale By: Richard Dawkins Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins 4.5 (165 ratings) Try for 0.00 Pick 1 title (2 titles for Prime members) from our collection of bestsellers and new releases.
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