Beyond Primates: New Essays on Darwin and Evolution

Taking a fresh look at animal behavior research, at the reproductive talents of insects, birds, microorganisms, and mammals, and at Charles Darwin's own marriage, BEYOND PRIMATES reveals how Darwin's theories have fared over the years and throughout the plant and animal kingdoms. Do baby animals know mother love? Why do some male spiders try to die after sex? What about yeast procreation would have surprised Darwin? What does the fact that some wasps quickly evolved the ability to recognize each others' faces suggest about human cognitive evolution? Are human couples who claim to be monogamous but "cheat" acting . . . hmmm . . . like swans and seahorses? How might Darwin's own love life have tripped him up a bit in his scientific reasoning? Fourteen essays by science journalist (and humorist and novelist) Rebecca Coffey examine aspects of evolutionary theory, some of them long forgotten.