We hardly ever consider ourselves animals with the advances in civilization. As humans, we see ourselves as special because we have consciousness. The most humbling part, that gene is found in every animal from chickens to rats to humans. This research is important in that it finds the gene that is essentially the start button to the process of bones and tissues in a chicken which has anatomy equivalent to our hands. A fellow colleague is introduced in this chapter who conducts research on chicken embryos. He starts off by asking questions to get the reader thinking about the topic. One of my favorite sections from the book was “Making Hands” located in chapter three which dove into the mechanics of how hands develop. His writing is factual without being textbook bland. Features such as hair and walking upright would not have been possible otherwise.ĭr. The functions of our bodies are seen developing throughout history in our very earliest ancestors.

However, mammals adapted glands and hair follicles to stay warm and cool down as needed. The similarity between us and scaly friends is our waterproof skin. They have dry skin and lay out in the sun to stay warm. Our skin is much different than that of a reptile. In the book, Shubin covers a section of the evolution of skin. From reptiles to mammals, the anatomy changed again. Once on land, these fish evolved into amphibians and reptile-like animals. It had bones and muscles that allowed it to move on land. This fish had fins, but the anatomy showed that it was capable of more. Shubin’s big discovery was of the intermediate fish, Tiktaalik, was a missing key in the evolution of fish to land creatures. Shubin has led expeditions in Pennsylvania and unmarked Canadian territory.ĭr. He is known for discovering Tiktaalik, a prehistoric fish. With a wide range of specialties, Shubin has uncovered pieces of evolutionary history. Neil Shubin is a writer, paleontologist, evolutionist, and director of anatomy at the University of Chicago.

Fascinated by fish, the author, Neil Shubin, has spent his career hunting for ancient fish fossils that connect the evolutionary history of land-living animals. A book about a man’s greatest passion and his creative insight. It made me think about a book I read at the beginning of the summer, Your Inner Fish. There were many in the water which my friend made apparent by yelling “Gar!” every time she saw one.

While kayaking down a creek this past weekend, I became fascinated by my friend’s fascination with this fish I have never heard of before, a gar.

The inner fish book