May 1, 2012
"Living fossil" is a term that might well have been calculated to
drive evolutionary biologists insane. Evolution has stopped for no
organism on Earth--except those that have gone extinct. However,
some plants and animals have proved resilient enough that they
still live on our planet in roughly the same forms they wore
millions of years ago. Richard Fortey is a distinguished writer and
a BBC presenter. He is also a palaeontologist who is fascinated by
the idea of seeing ancient history in our modern world. His latest
book, Horseshoe Crabs and Velvet Worms: The Story of the Animals
and Plants That Time Has Left Behind (in the UK, Survivors: The
Animals and Plants That Time Has Left Behind) details and
communicates that fascination, as does the BBC series Survivors:
Nature's Indestructible Creatures, which Fortey presented. This
Sunday, join us on Atheists Talk as Richard Fortey shares that
fascination with us.