Understanding Evolution

Current books on evolutionary theory all seem to take for granted the fact that students find evolution easy to understand when actually, from a psychological perspective, it is a rather counterintuitive idea. Evolutionary theory, like all scientific theories, is a means to understanding the natural world. Understanding Evolution is intended for undergraduate students in the life sciences, biology teachers or anyone wanting a basic introduction to evolutionary theory. Covering core concepts and the structure of evolutionary explanations, it clarifies both what evolution is about and why so many people find it difficult to grasp. The book provides an introduction to the major concepts and conceptual obstacles to understanding evolution, including the development of Darwin's theory, and a detailed presentation of the most important evolutionary concepts. Bridging the gap between the concepts and conceptual obstacles, Understanding Evolution presents evolutionary theory with a clarity and vision students will quickly appreciate.

Prolegomena; Acknowledgements; 1. An evolving world; 2. Religious resistance to accepting evolution; 3. Conceptual obstacles to understanding evolution; 4. Charles Darwin and the Origin of Species: a historical case study of conceptual change; 5. Common ancestry; 6. Evolutionary change; Concluding remarks; References; Glossary; Index.

Kostas Kampourakis is a researcher at the University of Geneva, where he is presently working on projects relevant to the teaching and the public understanding of genetics. His main areas of interest are evolution and genetics education, as well as the teaching of science concepts and nature of science in the context of the history and philosophy of science.