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A panoramic view of the evolution of life on our planet, from its origins to humanity’s future. In A History of Bodies, Brains, and Minds, Francisco Aboitiz provides a brief history of life, the brain, and cognition, from the earliest living beings to our own species. The author proceeds from the basic premise that, since evolution by natural selection is the process underlying the origin of life and its evolution on earth, the brain—and thus our minds—must also be the result of biological evolution. The aim of this book is to narrate how animal bodies came to be built with their nervous systems and how our species evolved with culture, technology, language, and consciousness. The book is organized in four parts, each delving into a different aspect of evolutionary development: Definitions lays the groundwork by discussing the principles of biological evolution and explores the definition and mechanisms of life itself. Beginnings describes the origins of life, starting from the emergence of the first cells to the development of neurons as the building blocks for brain networks. The Rise of Bodies and Brains examines the evolution of animals with bilateral symmetry, the emergence of chordates and vertebrates, and the expansion and diversification of the vertebrate brain. A Singular Ape explores Homo sapiens and our species’ unique traits, such as bipedality, tool use, culture, language, communication, and consciousness. Comprehensive and deeply insightful, this book helps us understand our place in the natural world and the cosmos—as well as what the future might hold for life on earth. Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction The Book in Parts Definitions What Is Evolution? A Theory of Change Heredity Phylogeny and Ontogeny Perspective What Is Life? From Soul to Molecules The Living State Maintenance and Responsiveness Self-Producing Lineages Perspective Beginnings: From Cells to Neurons The Birth of Cells Genesis Early Cells The Spark of Life Perspective Sticking Together Strength in Numbers Predators Guts and Neurons Perspective The Butterflies of Mind A Unique Cell Type The Assembly of a Brain Plasticity The Role of Stimuli (and Behavior) Perspective The Rise of Bodies and Brains Heads, Mouths, and Anuses Body Elongation Body Patterns Philosophical Bugs Perspective Tails, Bones, Jaws, and Limbs Swimming Worms Great Innovations The Life of Fishes Out of Water Perspective A Masterpiece of Evolution The Stem The Emergence of the Cerebral Hemispheres Hemispheric Memories A Neuroanatomical Puzzle Is Bigger Better? Perspective Mesozoic Eden Living with Dinosaurs The World According to Mammals Multimodal Memories Assembling the Neocortex The Sheet Expands Long Connections Perspective The Symphony of Cognition Global versus Local Perception (from the Outside and from the Inside) Action and Thought Brain Pulses Cognition without a Cortex Perspective A Singular Ape Homo From Climbing to Walking Featherless Bipeds Eighty Billion Neurons Hands, Toolmaking, and Culture Love Thy Neighbor Perspective Voices from the Past The Speech Instinct Making Voices A Brain for Speech Voice and Gestures Perspective Sharing the World Look Me in the Eye Words Who Did What to Whom? Homo Loquens Perspective Consciousness Unexplained The Scala Conscientia Models of the Mind Natural Minds Perspective Quo Vadis? Ongoing Evolution The Rise of Technology Beyond Humanity The Anthropocene Perspective Final Thoughts Cosmic Life Notes Final Thoughts Index