Elaine Morgan suggests that humans evolved from an ape ancestor who lived in an aquatic environment. This explains the recession of hair on the skin, bipedal motion, large brain development, and other unique features. Check out Morgan’s TED talk here. Its interesting but there is little support in the academic community.
Category: animals (Page 4 of 4)
Origins of Order, by Stuart Kauffman, provides a new look at evolution through natural selection. Instead of holding that the main creator of order is genetic drift with Natural Selection, Kauffman explores the idea that order can spontaneously form under various conditions in the natural world. Kauffman also emphasizes the importance of co-evolution among organisms in creating complex evolutionary systems. All of these ideas are explored through the mathematical tool of fitness landscapes.
The book, although long and dense, provides deep insights into the nature of life and evolution. The concepts presented involve mathematics, computer science, chemistry, and biology. I would recommend this book if the reader likes these topics and has enough time (or is fast reader). (ISBN-13: 978-0195079517)
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan stands as a testament to their brilliance as synthesizers of facts into story. Sagan and Druyan piece together myriads of biological facts to recreate the narrative of natural creation accessible to the non-scientific reader. Starting from the birth of the solar system and ending with the rise of apes, the reader will be left in awe at the beauty of life. The only requirement before reading this book is a curiosity about the natural world and a desire for understanding. (ISBN-13: 978-0345384720)
Sadly, Sagan passed away before the duo could complete a sequel.
A great summary of the human endeavor: Cosmos. Carl Sagan does a wonderful job outlining the history of the universe. After watching the series, a viewer will have gained a deep insight into everything. This series would be a perfect choice for high-school students; I am surprised I only heard of it recently. It’s a must see for everyone.
I ran across this website, Stuck In Customs, a few years ago. The website’s creator, Trey Ratcliff posts HDR photographs of many different places around the world. His pictures are stunning and he allows anyone to download the hi-res versions of his photographs. Check it out!
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