Lowly Origin

Imagine growing up in Africa, in the wild heart of what is now Tanzania and your mother, the artist, spurs your career as an Audubon-worthy portraitist of the continent's most exotic mammals. An intimate knowledge and love of natural history prompts a life-long pursuit of some of science's most elusive insights into early man: how, when, and why our evolutionary ancestors first stood up.

Zoologist, artist, and celebrated British evolutionary biologist, Jonathan Kingdon, takes on exactly those questions in his new book, "Lowly Origin." Americans may still be swinging somewhere between evolution and creationism, but Jonathan Kingdon embraces and illuminates evolution as the story of our past and the path to a better homo sapient future.

Click the "Listen" to hear author and biologist Jonathan Kingdon's view that without understanding our evolutionary past, our future as humans looks grim.

Guests:

Jonathan Kingdon, zoologist, artist, evolution expert and author of the new book, "Lowly Origin: Where, When, and Why Our Ancestors First Stood Up"

Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst and a senior editor at The Atlantic