Biology is viewed as a bipartisan field, with molecular level genetics guiding us into the future and natural history chaining us to a scientific past. This work bridges this divide, revealing how natural history make sense of fresh genomic discoveries. It also gives anecdotes to explore how researchers detect natural selection acting on genes.

1. The Baby with the Baboon Heart: Why Evolution Still Matter ; 2. Why Intelligent Design Is Not Science ; Interlude 1: Natural Selection ; 3. Negative Selection and the Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution ; 4. Detecting Positive Selection ; 5. Balancing Selection and Disease ; Interlude 2: Human Origins and Evolution ; 6. Finding Our Roots: Did "Eve" Know "Adam"? ; 7. Who were the Neanderthals? ; 8. Are We the Third Chimpanzee? ; 9. What are the Genetic Differences that Made Us Human? ; 10. Clicks, Genes, and Languages ; 11. Who Let the Dogs in? The Domestication of Animals and Plants. ; 12. Size Matters: Toward Understanding the Natural History of Genomes

"Just about every topic under the banner "why genetics is important to understand and still amazing to many professional biologists" is covered in this compact book. What a delight to read about some well-chosen examples, glittering in succinct detail and presented in a manner designed to intrigue and captivate a general audience."--Reports of the National Center for Science Education "Along with addressing issues like ID and creation science, Johnson goes on to show how molecular biology confirms and extends the conclusions that scientists have used to support evolution. This is why this book is such a good read. Through his antidotal way of writing, Johnson is able to explain how researchers have discovered the ways natural selection work on gene, but he does it in a way that one just starting in their study of evolutionary biology can understand."--The American Biology Teacher "This volume is a worthwhile update for anyone who wants to see where comparative genomics is taking us."--Quarterly Review of Biology

This is the first book geared to the general public that explores how biologists use DNA information to address questions about the processes of evolution, and in particular natural selection. Other books (see below) have addressed how biologists can determine the dates of when humans and chimps split and like questions about our evolutionary history, but this is the first that goes into detail about how we detect the action of natural selection and other evolutionary forces acting on genes. This is also the first book that discusses what we can learn from examining the chimpanzee genome in addition to that of our species. The last chapter (chapter 12) is devoted to properties of the genome (size, in particular). This is the first book for general audiences that addresses this subject in depth. The book is very current with many 2005 and 2006 references. These include discussions of the recent work on avian flu, the chimpanzee genome studies, the dog genome studies, recent dating of Neanderthal samples, and the Kitzmiller/Dover Intelligent Design trial and decision (from December 2005). Current "Event" Topics covered: Chapter 1 contains a discussion of the H5N1 bird flu strain and its potential to cause a flu pandemic in humans. Chapter 1 in its entirety outlines the practical importance of evolutionary studies, using timely examples to present the case. Chapter 2 is a discussion about the Intelligent Design movement, dealing both the scientific critique of ID as well as the political and religious underpinnings of the movement. The recent discovery of the Flores "Hobbit Man" in the Interlude on Human Evolution, as well as at the end of the Chapter 7 (on Neanderthals). Chapter 7 is about Neanderthals, and whether they should be considered a separate species from humans or just a subspecies. Johnson presents several very recent studies that are not included in the other books about this subject. Research based on the recent sequencing of the chimp genome is discussed in Chapters 8 and 9.

Norman A. Johnson, an evolutionary geneticist, is the author of numerous research publications, mainly in the genetics and evolution of reproductive isolation between nascent species. Johnson has taught at the University of Chicago, University of Texas at Arlington, and the University of Massachusetts, where he is currently an Adjunct Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences.

This is the first book geared to the general public that explores how biologists use DNA information to address questions about the processes of evolution, and in particular natural selection. Other books (see below) have addressed how biologists can determine the dates of when humans and chimps split and like questions about our evolutionary history, but this is the first that goes into detail about how we detect the action of natural selection and other evolutionary forces acting on genes. This is also the first book that discusses what we can learn from examining the chimpanzee genome in addition to that of our species. The last chapter (chapter 12) is devoted to properties of the genome (size, in particular). This is the first book for general audiences that addresses this subject in depth. The book is very current with many 2005 and 2006 references. These include discussions of the recent work on avian flu, the chimpanzee genome studies, the dog genome studies, recent dating of Neanderthal samples, and the Kitzmiller/Dover Intelligent Design trial and decision (from December 2005). Current "Event" Topics covered: Chapter 1 contains a discussion of the H5N1 bird flu strain and its potential to cause a flu pandemic in humans. Chapter 1 in its entirety outlines the practical importance of evolutionary studies, using timely examples to present the case. Chapter 2 is a discussion about the Intelligent Design movement, dealing both the scientific critique of ID as well as the political and religious underpinnings of the movement. The recent discovery of the Flores "Hobbit Man" in the Interlude on Human Evolution, as well as at the end of the Chapter 7 (on Neanderthals). Chapter 7 is about Neanderthals, and whether they should be considered a separate species from humans or just a subspecies. Johnson presents several very recent studies that are not included in the other books about this subject. Research based on the recent sequencing of the chimp genome is discussed in Chapters 8 and 9.