The Ancestor’s Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution PDF
Preview The Ancestor’s Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution
Second Mariner Books edition 2016 Copyright © 2004 by Richard Dawkins New and revised material copyright © 2016 by Richard Dawkins and Yan Wong First published in Great Britain in 2016 by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, an imprint of The Orion Publishing Group, in 2004 All rights reserved For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to [email protected] or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016. www.hmhco.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available. ISBN 978-0-544-85993-7 Cover design © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Cover illustration and title typography © Bernard Maisner eISBN 978-0-547-52512-9 v1.0816 Contents Title Page Copyright Dedication Preface to the Second Edition Acknowledgements The Conceit of Hindsight The General Prologue 0 ALL HUMANKIND The Tasmanian’s Tale Epilogue to the Tasmanian’s Tale Prologue to the Farmer’s Tale The Farmer’s Tale The Cro-Magnon’s Tale ARCHAIC HOMO SAPIENS Prologue to Eve’s Tale Eve’s Tale Epilogue to Eve’s Tale Prologue to the Denisovan’s Tale The Denisovan’s Tale Epilogue to the Denisovan’s Tale ERGASTS The Ergast’s Tale HABILINES The Handyman’s Tale APE-MEN Ardi’s Tale Epilogue to Ardi’s Tale 1 CHIMPANZEES Prologue to the Chimpanzee’s Tale The Chimpanzee’s Tale Epilogue to the Chimpanzee’s Tale The Bonobo’s Tale 2 GORILLAS The Gorilla’s Tale 3 ORANG UTANS The Orang Utan’s Tale 4 GIBBONS The Gibbon’s Tale Epilogue to the Gibbon’s Tale 5 OLD WORLD MONKEYS 6 NEW WORLD MONKEYS The Howler Monkey’s Tale 7 TARSIERS 8 LEMURS, BUSHBABIES AND THEIR KIN The Aye-Aye’s Tale THE GREAT CRETACEOUS CATASTROPHE 9 & 10 COLUGOS AND TREE SHREWS The Colugo’s Tale 11 RODENTS AND RABBITKIND The Mouse’s Tale Epilogue to the Mouse’s Tale The Beaver’s Tale 12 LAURASIATHERES The Hippo’s Tale Epilogue to the Hippo’s Tale The Seal’s Tale 13 XENARTHRANS AND AFROTHERES Prologue to the Sloth’s Tale The Sloth’s Tale 14 MARSUPIALS The Marsupial Mole’s Tale PHOTOS 15 MONOTREMES The Duckbill’s Tale What the Star-Nosed Mole Said to the Duckbilled Platypus MAMMAL-LIKE REPTILES 16 SAUROPSIDS The Lava Lizard’s Tale Prologue to the Galapagos Finch’s Tale The Galapagos Finch’s Tale The Peacock’s Tale The Dodo’s Tale The Elephant Bird’s Tale 17 AMPHIBIANS The Salamander’s Tale The Narrowmouth’s Tale The Axolotl’s Tale 18 LUNGFISH The Lungfish’s Tale 19 COELACANTHS The Coelacanth’s Tale 20 RAY-FINNED FISH The Leafy Sea Dragon’s Tale The Pike’s Tale The Cichlid’s Tale The Blind Cave Fish’s Tale The Flounder’s Tale 21 SHARKS AND THEIR KIN 22 LAMPREYS AND HAGFISH The Lamprey’s Tale 23 SEA SQUIRTS 24 LANCELETS The Lancelet’s Tale 25 AMBULACRARIANS 26 PROTOSTOMES The Ragworm’s Tale The Brine Shrimp’s Tale The Leaf Cutter’s Tale The Grasshopper’s Tale The Fruit Fly’s Tale The Rotifer’s Tale The Barnacle’s Tale The Velvet Worm’s Tale Epilogue to the Velvet Worm’s Tale 27 ACOELOMORPH FLATWORMS 28 CNIDARIANS The Jellyfish’s Tale The Polypifer’s Tale 29 CTENOPHORES 30 PLACOZOANS 31 SPONGES The Sponge’s Tale 32 CHOANOFLAGELLATES The Choanoflagellate’s Tale 33 FILASTEREANS 34 DRIPs 35 FUNGI 36 UNCERTAIN 37 AMOEBOZOANS 38 LIGHT HARVESTERS AND THEIR KIN The Cauliflower’s Tale The Redwood’s Tale The Humped Bladderwort’s Tale The Mixotrich’s Tale THE GREAT HISTORIC RENDEZVOUS 39 ARCHAEA 40 EUBACTERIA The Rhizobium’s Tale Taq’s Tale CANTERBURY THE HOST’S RETURN Further Reading Notes to the Phylogenies and Reconstructions Bibliography Illustration Credits Index About the Authors John Maynard Smith (1920–2004) He saw a draft and graciously accepted the dedication, which now, sadly, must become In Memoriam ‘Never mind the lectures or the “workshops”; be blowed to the motor coach excursions to local beauty spots; forget your fancy visual aids and radio microphones; the only thing that really matters at a conference is that John Maynard Smith must be in residence and there must be a spacious, convivial bar. If he can’t manage the dates you have in mind, you must just reschedule the conference . . . He will charm and amuse the young research workers, listen to their stories, inspire them, rekindle enthusiasms that might be flagging, and send them back to their laboratories or their muddy fields, enlivened and invigorated, eager to try out the new ideas he has generously shared with them.’ It isn’t only conferences that will never be the same again.
Description:The list of books you might like
