Curated by Rajiv Mehrotra

 

What Darwin Never Knew (60 min; 2009; dvd; English)

Directors: John Rubin, Rushmore Denooyer, Serena Davies, Sarah Holt

 

What Darwin Never Knew offers answers to riddles that Darwin couldn't explain. Breakthroughs in a brand-new science - nicknamed "evo devo" are linking the enigmas of evolution to another of nature's great mysteries, the development of the embryo. The film takes viewers on a journey from the Galapagos Islands to the Arctic, and from the explosion of animal forms half a billion years ago to the research labs of today. Scientists are finally beginning to crack nature's biggest secrets at the genetic level. The results are confirming the brilliance of Darwin's insights while revealing clues to life's breathtaking diversity in ways the great naturalist could scarcely have imagined