Book description
Darwin's theory was for more than a century dogged by a major
problem: the evidence proving the connections between the main groups
of organisms were nowhere to be found. By the 1970s this absence of
'transitional fossils' was hotly debated; some palaeontologists
wondering if the these 'missing links' had been so quick that no trace
of them was left. However, during the past three decades fossils of
walking whales from Pakistan, feathered dinosaurs from China, fish
with feet from the Arctic Circle, ape-like humans from Africa, and
many more bizarre creatures that fill in crucial gaps in our
understanding of evolution have all been unearthed. These discoveries
have revolutionised the way in which the fossil record is read to make
sense of life on Earth, including the evolution of human beings.
WRITTEN IN STONE - a hugely compelling scientific history by an
up-and-coming star of popular science - is the first account of the
remarkable discovery of these gap fossils and of the new stories they
tell about the evolution of life.
Brian Switek writes a blog for Wired magazine which has been
featured in the Guardian, Daily Mail, New Scientist, The New York
Times and The Times ('Brilliant writing about palaeontology and
evolution, with great daily photos'). He has been a guest on BBC Radio
4's Material World and written for The Times and the Guardian.
