Check nearby libraries
Buy this book
![Loading indicator](/images/ajax-loader-bar.gif)
A Harvard museum curator draws on the latest breakthroughs in evolutionary biology to examine how tiny, random convergences, from mutations to butterfly sneezes, have triggered remarkable evolutionary changes.
"Earth's natural history is full of fascinating instances of convergence: phenomena like eyes and wings and tree-climbing lizards that have evolved independently, multiple times. But evolutionary biologists also point out many examples of contingency, cases where the tiniest change--a random mutation or an ancient butterfly sneeze--caused evolution to take a completely different course. What role does each force really play in the constantly changing natural world? Are the plants and animals that exist today, and we humans ourselves, inevitabilities or evolutionary flukes? And what does that say about life on other planets? Jonathan Losos reveals what the latest breakthroughs in evolutionary biology can tell us about one of the greatest ongoing debates in science. He takes us around the globe to meet the researchers who are solving the deepest mysteries of life on Earth through their work in experimental evolutionary science. Losos himself is one of the leaders in this exciting new field, and he illustrates how experiments with guppies, fruit flies, bacteria, foxes, and field mice, along with his own work with anole lizards on Caribbean islands, are rewinding the tape of life to reveal just how rapid and predictable evolution can be. Improbable Destinies will change the way we think and talk about evolution. Losos's insights into natural selection and evolutionary change have far-reaching applications for protecting ecosystems, securing our food supply, and fighting off harmful viruses and bacteria. This compelling narrative offers a new understanding of ourselves and our role in the natural world and the cosmos."--Jacket.
Check nearby libraries
Buy this book
![Loading indicator](/images/ajax-loader-bar.gif)
Showing 2 featured editions. View all 2 editions?
Edition | Availability |
---|---|
1
Improbable Destinies: Fate, Chance, and the Future of Evolution
Aug 07, 2018, Riverhead Books
paperback
052553413X 9780525534136
|
zzzz
Libraries near you:
WorldCat
|
2
Improbable destinies: fate, chance, and the future of evolution
2017, Riverhead Books
in English
0399184929 9780399184925
|
aaaa
Libraries near you:
WorldCat
|
Book Details
Table of Contents
Edition Notes
Includes bibliographical references (pages 343-353) and index.
Classifications
The Physical Object
ID Numbers
Community Reviews (0)
Feedback?History
- Created May 23, 2019
- 5 revisions
Wikipedia citation
×CloseCopy and paste this code into your Wikipedia page. Need help?
March 8, 2023 | Edited by MARC Bot | import existing book |
January 14, 2023 | Edited by ImportBot | import existing book |
December 19, 2022 | Edited by MARC Bot | import existing book |
December 17, 2022 | Edited by ImportBot | import existing book |
May 23, 2019 | Created by MARC Bot | Imported from marc_openlibraries_sanfranciscopubliclibrary MARC record |