At the Water’s Edge : Macroevolution and the Transformation of Life

At the Water's Edge delves into evolution's most dramatic transitions -- the journey of animal life from water to land, and the return of some land creatures to the sea. In a story that encompasses four billion years, Carl Zimmer describes the changes -- in bodies, minds, and living habits -- that occurred as descendants of fish evolved to become a dynasty of animals ranging from dinosaurs and snakes to elephants and human beings. He then tells the mirror tale of how wolf-like mammals took to the sea and became today's whales and dolphins.

With first-person accounts by scientists in the forefront of these macroevolutionary studies, and detailed drawings of fossils, this entertaining, accessible book demonstrates how newly discovered ecological, developmental, and behavioral evidence is shedding new light on the patterns and processes of nature. Like The Song of the Dodo and The Beak of the Finch, At the Water's Edge presents fascinating and authoritative answers to age-old questions.