When did human evolution begin? The question may make you think of primitive apes and cave men, but in Your Inner Fish paleontologist Neil Shubin answers the question very simply. Human evolution began at the beginning.
Shubin starts the story with a detailed description of his adventures in the Canadian Arctic, leading to the discovery of Tiktallik, a now fossilized fish with hands and a neck that was one of the first terrestrial vertebrates about 375 million years ago. He goes on to review much of human anatomy and physiology to reveal that, if you look closely enough, you can find traces of all of Homo sapiens' evolutionary ancestors - not just fish, but worms, bacteria, sharks, jellyfish, reptiles and sea anemones. Without an understanding of our evolutionary history, the details of the human body don't make much sense.
He includes one other underlying theme, emphasizing the conservative nature of evolution. Nature always uses structures that are already in place - maybe serving an entirely different function - to create new structures. The middle ear bones of mammals were derived from the extraneous jaw bones of the reptiles and the gill structures of the sharks were used to create our larynx, to mention just a few of the many similar accounts he presents.
The author displays an impressive expanse of knowledge, remarkably combining paleontology with anatomy and molecular genetics. Despite the seemingly daunting amount of information he covers, he writes in a clear and entertaining style that made the 200 pages fly by quickly.
I've read many other books about evolution, but found that this work presented the topic in ways I'd never considered before. At the same time, Shubin writes in a way that makes the topic accessible for someone new to this branch of science. Now that I'm done with it, I have passed it on to my teen-age son. He's interested in the natural sciences and Shubin's enthusiastic demeanor is proving infectious, boosting his biological acumen further.
Your Inner Fish tells the history of human evolution from a unique and passionate perspective. I found Shubin's approach to be a powerful tool that allows for a deeper understanding of the human body and its many idiosyncrasies.