The rise and fall of the dinosaurs
Stephen Brusatte
A working paleontologist mixes field stories with clear explanations, much as Shubin does with Tiktaalik, tracing how dinosaurs arose, diversified and gave rise to birds.
11 books to read next
Books Like Your Inner Fish
If you loved Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin
Readers love Your Inner Fish for the way Neil Shubin turns anatomy into detective work. He moves between Arctic fossil digs, the dissection lab and genetics to show how our hands, heads, teeth and even hiccups carry traces of fish, worms and ancient ancestors. The tone is warm and conversational, the chapters are short and concrete, and the big idea of deep evolutionary history lands through everyday body parts rather than jargon.
More from the fossil record
Otherlands
Thomas Halliday
Vivid snapshots of ancient ecosystems built from fossil evidence. It suits readers who enjoyed picturing the shallow streams where Shubin's fishapod lived.
Your body as history
Story of the Human Body
Daniel E. Lieberman
Lieberman explains how our evolutionary past shapes modern health. It extends Shubin's idea that ancient ancestry explains everyday bodily quirks and ailments.
Human errors
Nathan H. Lents
A witty catalogue of our body's design flaws, from sinuses to knees, rooted in evolutionary history. It has the same playful, anatomy-first spirit as Shubin.
Some Assembly Required
Neil Shubin
Shubin's own follow-up on how genetic tinkering builds new forms. It brings the same enthusiasm and storytelling to the DNA side of his argument.
The grand evolutionary story
The Ancestor's Tale
Richard Dawkins
A pilgrimage back through time meeting each group of relatives we share ancestors with. It is ideal if you loved Shubin's family-tree view of humanity.
Why Evolution Is True
Jerry A. Coyne
A clear tour of the evidence for evolution, from fossils to embryos to genes. It gathers the kinds of proof Shubin uses into one persuasive case.
The Greatest Show on Earth
Richard Dawkins
Dawkins lays out the evidence for evolution with transitional fossils and anatomy. It pairs naturally with the Tiktaalik discovery story.
Genes and deep life
Endless Forms Most Beautiful
Sean B. Carroll
The accessible story of evo-devo and the toolkit genes Shubin mentions, showing how the same genes build flies, fish and people.
I Contain Multitudes
Ed Yong
Yong explores the microbes living within all animals. It suits readers struck by Shubin's point that bacteria and worms are part of our story.
The vital question
Nick Lane
A bolder dive into how complex cells arose. Go here if Shubin left you wanting the earliest chapters of our inner history.
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