The Tangled Bank: An Introduction to Evolution

Zimmer, Carl

About this Title

About the Author

Carl Zimmer is one of the country's leading science writers. A regular contributor to the New York Times and magazines like Scientific American and Discover, he is the author of six books, including Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea and Microcosm: E. coli and the New Science of Life. He has won numerous awards from institutions including the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Institute of Biological Sciences. You can learn more at the author’s website: www.carlzimmer.com.

About the Scientific Advisors

Carl Zimmer worked closely with four scientific advisors in the development of The Tangled Bank: Joel Kingsolver at the University of North Carolina, Kevin Padian at the University of California, Berkeley, Gregory Wray at Duke University, and Marlene Zuk at the University of California, Riverside. 

Table of Contents

1. Evolution: An Introduction

2. From Natural Philosophy to Modern Biology

3. What the Rocks Say

4. The Tree of Life

5. Evolution’s Molecules

6. The Ways of Change: Mutation, Drift, and Selection

7. The History in our Genes

8. Adaptation: From Genes to Traits

9. The Origin of Species

10. Radiations and Extinctions: Biodiversity through the Ages

11. Intimate Partnerships: The Evolution of Friends and Enemies

12. Sex and Family

13. Evolutionary Medicine

14. Minds and Microbes: The Evolution of Behavior

Glossary

References

Photo and illustration credits

Acknowledgments

Index

Teaching Materials

For qualified instructors, we are pleased to offer all of the figures and photos in TIFF format for teaching purposes. Please contact the editor, Ben Roberts, at bwr@roberts-publishers.com for a link to download the images. We can also send a CD-ROM.

Praise

“The Tangled Bank is the best written and best illustrated introduction to evolution of the Darwin centennial decade, and also the most conversant with ongoing research. It is excellent for students, the general public, and even other biologists.” —Edward O. Wilson, Harvard University, and author of Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge

“The best textbook I’ve seen for a non-majors introductory biology course about evolution.... The Tangled Bank is well-produced, up-to-date, readable, and exceptionally well illustrated. At no point does it falter.” —Randy Moore, CBE—Life Sciences Education Book Review

“Zimmer weaves cutting edge findings and essential concepts around the personalities and adventures of the biologists themselves. The result is superb: an up-to-date, articulate, and gorgeously illustrated introduction to modern evolutionary biology." —Douglas J. Emlen, Professor of Biology, University of Montana

"With his prose and color diagrams by leading artists produced specially for this volume, The Tangled Bank will be a powerful tool to introduce students to the explanatory power of evolution and the way that it integrates different fields of knowledge.” —Neil Shubin, Robert R. Bensley Professor of Organismal Biology and Anatomy at the University of Chicago, Provost of The Field Museum, and author of Your Inner Fish

“Carl Zimmer's excursion through the evolutionary epic is without equal. His gift for the scientific narrative is on full display through The Tangled Bank, and he leads his readers onward with an energy and delight that never disappoints. This marvelous text is an extraordinary introduction to the depth and richness of evolutionary science.” —Kenneth R. Miller, Professor of Biology, Brown University, and author of Only a Theory: Evolution and the Battle for America's Soul

“One rarely says of a textbook, 'I couldn't put it down," but that was how I felt reading Carl Zimmer's The Tangled Bank. Zimmer has applied his award-winning communication skills to produce a readable yet up-to-date and thorough treatment of evolutionary biology.” —Eugenie C. Scott, Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education, and author of Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction

“The book is remarkably up-to-date, seamlessly moving from discussion of fossils to genomes, and nicely illustrates that evolutionary biology is a vigorous field that increasingly takes an experimental approach.” —Jonathan Losos, Harvard University, and author of Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree: Ecology and Adaptive Radiation of Anoles

“Carl Zimmer’s The Tangled Bank is a joy to read. He draws readers into the excitement of the rapidly expanding science of evolutionary biology, as he explains why life on earth is so diverse and how the web of life evolved to be so entangled. He explains, through elegant prose and beautiful illustrations, the remarkable progress that has been made in recent years in understanding the evolutionary process.” —John N. Thompson, Distinguished Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz