Carl Zimmer Quotes (9 Quotes)

Evolution is a large political controversy as to what should be taught in the schools. But there is no scientific controversy that we evolved when we talk about evidence from fossils and DNA.

I'm really interested in the history of life in general. How life began to how birds evolved to what our ancestors looked like.

I read a lot of scientific papers on the history of evolution and spent time talking to scientists. I started to write it in the spring of 2004 and wanted the book to look at the biggest questions people have about human origins, such as what were the first hominids and how did our ancestors evolve to walk upright.

I have been waiting to fly out of here (Jackson), but the flight times never worked until now. When the connections work out, it's a shorter time than driving to Memphis.

I wish I took more scientific classes, because I've always been interested in science. Most of what I have learned I've learned on the job. It's a really neat opportunity to learn by calling up scientists, some of which are world-renowned, ask them questions.

There is so much being discovered about human origins. Five years ago, the oldest fossils of hominids were four and a half million years old. There has been a series of discoveries that pushed fossils back to six or seven million years old, which adds a couple of years to evolution history.

I started fact checking and copy-editing, basic stuff. Then I started writing books and articles, and left in 1999. I've been working freelance ever since and moved here three years ago.

The people that domesticated cattle and started drinking milk learned how to digest it as adults. Normally, creatures after they grow up cannot digest milk easily. For instance, a kitten will nurse and digest milk, but then will grow up, stop drinking it, and start catching mice.

Our species evolved in Africa 200,000 years ago. We didn't move out until 100,000 years ago, and there were several waves. The oldest evidence of species outside of Africa was in Europe about 40,000 years ago, and in Australia 50,000 years ago.