The Story of Life in 25 Fossils

June 22, 2015
Despite his title, paleontologist Prothero (Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters) eschews a narrow focus on 25 critical fossils to instead examine sets of fossils that demonstrate the bridges between divergent groups. As he makes clear, “fossils that do not fit into modern groups, but are squarely between them, are true transitional fossils, sometimes called (improperly) ‘missing links.’ ” Prothero presents a wealth of information about the origins of various lineages. In each case, he demonstrates the depth of the fossil record and shows that scientists have developed a deep understanding of the evolutionary changes that have occurred over time. At the same time, Prothero points out that there is still much to be learned in situations where the evidence is not completely clear. After demonstrating “that snakes did evolve from four-legged ancestors,” he notes that “the mystery of the nearest relatives of snakes is still unresolved.” The text’s only flaw is Prothero’s assertion, in the face of ample recent genomics research demonstrating otherwise, that “about 60 to 80 percent of our DNA is ‘junk’ that is never read or used, but is carried around passively generation after generation.” Still, this is an accessible, well-done book that will better enable general readers to understand the fossil record and how paleontologists interpret it.

June 1, 2015
How the discoveries of 25 fossils provide links in the chain of evolution that confirm Charles Darwin's primary thesis. Paleontologist and geologist Prothero (Abominable Science: Origins of the Yeti, Nessi and Other Famous Cryptids, 2013, etc.) uses the discovery of a feathered dinosaur and 24 other fossils of missing links to make a strong case for the evolution of life from simple one-celled "mats of bacteria and (much later) algae, growing in the shallow waters of the shorelines and coating the rocks." As the author notes, "when Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859, the fossil record was a weak spot in his argument." Some of the 25 finds occurred by chance. In 1860, the discovery in a limestone quarry of the impression of a single feather (and the subsequent find nearby of a nearly complete reptilian skeleton) provided evidence of a missing link between dinosaurs and birds. Tracing the history of life on Earth over the past 3.5 billion years was more complex, requiring advances in science and technology and a new field of research, "biogeosynthesis." Not only did the condition of ancient rocks make discovery of fossils problematic, but microscopic fossil traces were difficult to decipher. Politics entered the picture in the 1970s, when the Pakistani government allowed access to American paleontologists on fact-finding missions. They were able to collect fossils of primitive land mammals that resembled whales, thus confirming Darwin's prescient hypothesis that whales were land mammals that had returned to the sea. The author convincingly attributes the controversy over the African origins of humans-anticipated by Darwin in 1871 but rejected by later proponents of a Eurasian origin-to "a deeply held racism that regarded African peoples as sub-human." A guide to museums where the original fossils or high-quality reproductions are housed and more than 150 illustrations accompany Prothero's lively account of the science and politics that shaped the rich history of these discoveries.

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from June 15, 2015

Prothero (geology, California Polytechnic Univ. Pomona; Bringing Fossils to Life) relates the story of evolution from the earliest pre-Cambrian fossils of stromatolites to Australopithecus afarensis, better known as Lucy. Along the way, he corrects the mistaken impression that major gaps in the fossil record still exist, discussing artifacts that are now recognized to be the earliest forms of both yesterday's dinosaurs and today's plants and animals. He describes how land animals came into being and how whales and dolphins returned to water and lost their legs again. He also uses the fossil record to prove that the Loch Ness Monster, mermaids, and Mokele Mbembe cannot possibly exist, and explains what the Jurassic Park movies got wrong--and right. Prothero writes in a conversational, humorous style, creating a text that will be as engaging and accessible to the layperson as to those with science backgrounds. Each chapter is full of illustrations and includes a guide to museums around the world, where the fossils covered in that chapter can be seen by the public. VERDICT Of particular appeal to those who enjoy the writings of Stephen Jay Gould but ideal for anyone interested in the origins of life on earth.--Rachel Owens, Daytona State Coll. Lib., FL

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.