Why Evolution is True
Why Evolution is True is a popular science book by American biologist Jerry Coyne. It was published in 2009, dubbed "Darwin Year" as it marked the bicentennial of Charles Darwin and the hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the publication of his On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection. Coyne examines the evidence for evolution, some of which was known to Darwin (biogeography) and some of which has emerged in recent years (molecular biology). The book was a New York Times bestseller, and reviewers praised the logic of Coyne's arguments and the clarity of his prose. It was reprinted as part of the Oxford Landmark Science series. Summary Chapter One, What is Evolution?, gives a brief overview of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection as theory and fact. He writes that the "process is remarkably simple. It requires only that individuals of a species vary genetically in their ability to survive and reproduce in their environment. Given this, natural selection—and evolution—are inevitable." Chapter Two, Written in the Rocks, examines evidence of evolution from paleontology. Coyne highlights several transitional fossils, notably Tiktaalik, a transitional form between lobe-finned fish and amphibians discovered by his University of Chicago colleague Neil