Book review of Edmund Russell’s ‘Evolutionary History’ We often
think about the ways in which evolution has shaped this world,
from the amazing diversity of cichlid fishes in the African
Great Lakes, to Australian marsupials that seem to replicate
strategies that placental mammals have evolved elsewhere (e.g.,
Tasmanian tiger and the North American wolf). We even look at
our own bodies or behaviors to find evolution’s imprint –why do
I have a non-functional appendix attached to my intestine?
However, we seldom look to important events in human history to
examine the effects of evolution, yet, according to Edmund
Russell, human history can be better understood through
evolution –like my appendix. Russell is advocating for a new
field of inquiry within the study of human history –namely,
evolutionary history. When I first read the book jacket, I must
admit that I was skeptical. However, this book makes the
compelling case that historians gain a much fuller understanding
past events by including evolution. Russe