Darwin’s Fossils: The Collection That Shaped the Theory of Evolution

When Charles Darwin returned to England after five years on the HMS Beagle, he brought back more than the outline of the theory of evolution, as Lister elucidates in this well-researched look at an aspect of Darwin scholarship. As Lister, a scientist in the Earth Sciences Department at the Natural History Museum, London, so well explains, Darwin was also responsible for delivering a huge array of fossils to England that both shaped his ideas on evolution and influenced the thinking of the scientific community at large. Lister also demonstrates that many of Darwin’s original hypotheses based on the fossils, such as the geological origin of southern South America and the origin of atolls, continue to prove useful. The range of fossils discussed—from some of the largest mammals ever found in South America (such as the Notiomastodon platensis) to microscopic algae, as well as pieces of petrified wood—speaks to the breadth of Darwin’s interests and his ability to meld such divergent data into a coherent whole. This is a welcome addition to the ever-growing body of literature dealing with the life and work of Darwin. (Apr.)