The Evolving Story of Life from Darwin to DNA

The Evolving Story of Life from Darwin to DNA outlines the growth of evolutionary thought since 1859 when Charles Darwin published his The Origin of Species. Evolution has come a long way since Darwin’s day. New microbes, plants, animals and fossils have come to light, and the new disciplines of microscopy, genetics, microbiology, plate tectonics, socio-biology, evolutionary psychology, genomics, and informatics, have sprung up. The molecular revolution has turbo-charged evolutionary studies, giving Darwin new wings.

Since Darwin’s day, his ideas have divided public opinion. Most scientists and some of the public believe his theory to be as well established as any scientific theory. On the other hand, most of the world’s people dismiss evolution as “only a theory”, unproven, improbable, heretical, blasphemous, or the work of the Devil. Opinion is as divided today as it was in Darwin’s day.

Author Dr. Bob Brockie’s colourful life has included many years as a DSIR scientist. He was a leading New Zealand authority on hedgehogs and possums.  As well as writing a guide to the plants and animals of NZ cities and towns, he wrote for a number of years a popular weekly science column for Wellington’s Dominion-Post.

He was also National Business Review’s editorial cartoonist for four decades.