In the Blink of an Eye : How Vision Sparked the Big Bang of Evolution

An accomplished young scientist solves one of the greatest mysteries of evolution: What caused the dramatic explosion of life half a billion years ago?;List of Illustrations; Preface; 1 Evolution's Big Bang; 2 The Virtual Life of Fossils; 3 The Infusion of Light; 4 When Darkness Descends; 5 Light, Time and Evolution; 6 Colour in the Cambrian?; 7 The Making of a Sense; 8 The Killer Instinct; 9 The Solution; 10 End of Story?; Index. A talented young scientist unlocks the secrets of nature's "Big Bang" 550 million years ago, speculating that the ability to see created a proliferation of life--and variety of life--across the planet. Reprint. 25,000 first printing.