Why does Evolution Matter? The Importance of Understanding Evolution

This historical documentation of the scientific discussions that took place in the Galapagos, 178 years after Charles Darwin visited the islands, attests to the legacy of a Voyage that transformed Darwin’s own understanding of nature; the discoveries that awakened humanity to accept the mutability of species, and later face the reality of evolution by means of natural selection. Evolution is true, it has always been. And this book adds powerful evidence in its support, from a social, environmental, molecular and public health perspectives…

Cambridge Scholars has just released (October 1, 2014) the book “Why does Evolution Matter? The Importance of Understanding Evolution,” edited by Dr. Gabriel Trueba, from the Microbiology Institute at University San Francisco of Quito (USFQ), in Ecuador. The volume is conceptualized in four sections (Evolution and Society, Environmental Change, Molecular Evolution, Evolution and Public Health) and includes twelve chapters written by international researchers.

Most of the chapters summarize the keynote addresses presented by the authors at the Galapagos III World Evolution Summit, which was organized by USFQ and its Galapagos Institute for the Arts and Sciences (GAIAS), in June 2013. “This historical documentation [the book] of the scientific discussions that took place in the Galapagos, 178 years after Charles Darwin visited the islands [September 1835], attests to the legacy of a Voyage that transformed Darwin’s own understanding of nature; the discoveries that awakened humanity to accept the mutability of species, and later face the reality of evolution by means of natural selection. Evolution is true, it has always been. And this book adds powerful evidence in its support, from a social, environmental, molecular and public health perspectives… An ideal compilation of material for a broad audience, particularly researchers in academia, and those seeking a volume for a graduate seminar on evolutionary topics.”

Under the scope “Why Does Evolution Matter,” the 200-attendee Galapagos III World Evolution Summit took place at the Charles Darwin Center in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristobal Island. At the Summit, USFQ and GAIAS launched officially the Lynn Margulis Center for Evolutionary Biology and showcased the Galapagos Science Center, an impressive research facility at the USFQ Galapagos campus. — © 2014 Evolution Literacy all rights reserved.

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Paz-y-Miño-C., G. & Espinosa A. 2013. Galapagos III world evolution summit: why evolution matters. Evolution: Education and Outreach, 6:28. [PDF]. Open Access.

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