Some Assembly Required: Decoding Four Billion Years of Life, from Ancient Fossils to DNA

“The conundrum that has puzzled philosophers and scientists across the ages is the story of how man appeared, his relationship to other organisms, along with the mystery of evolution. These are the questions that Paleontologist Neil Shubin, covers in this absorbing account of the quest to understand how life evolved. Clues from fossil evidence led to studies of relationships among species, then onto the study of embryos in their developmental stages. Comparisons indicated the presence of precursor structures in fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals that resulted in fins, appendages, wings, and fingers, these structures hidden in snakes. With the discovery of chromosomes and the unraveling of DNA, the master key to the process of development with chance modification was uncovered. And remarkably, the DNA of the differing phyla was found to be similar. This epic saga of how evolution can be examined and even perhaps manipulated at the genetic level is chronicled in this engrossing tale. In this scientific scramble across the ages, the author embraces the stories of the involved investigators, revealing their passions along with some of their quirks and habits, their conflicts, and primarily their brilliant determination to master their curiosity. Take advantage of this charmingly accessible book to follow the fossils into the submicroscopic world of genes and inspect their molecular chicanery to gain some views as to how change and time interact. And if you like mysteries, here is an unparalleled scientific thriller.”