Deep Homology?
Uncanny Similarities of Humans and Flies Uncovered by Evo-Devo

'Deep Homology? explores a deep truth. There is a kinship between human bodies and the bodies of flies. Way down at the level of the genes, our family likenesses are incredibly intricate, interesting, and instructive. To trace these resemblances is to discover (among other things) the ghostly image of our lost common ancestor, which lived six hundred million years ago. Lewis Held, Jr lays out all of the details, the nuts and bolts of what we know and what we don't, with great charm and enthusiasm. The picture is complex. It is also beautifully simple, as William Blake understood when he wrote 'The Fly.' 'Am not I /a fly like thee? /Or art not thou /a fly like me?' Jonathan Weiner, Author of Time, Love, Memory

‘Rarely has a technical concept been brought so vividly to life as 'deep homology' is in Lewis I. Held, Jr’s most recent Devo-Evo manifesto. Deep homology is real, as real as the bilaterian ancestor was alive some 600Mio years ago, that is the conclusion of this eminently readable, informative and entertaining book.’ Gunter Wagner, Yale University, Connecticut

'… fun and informative.' Christopher J. Percival, Evolutionary Anthropology

'Held is an honest, excited, and entertaining writer … [he] has delivered an essay that can be a valuable tool for future evo-devotees seeking to probe the deepest dark depths of deep homology. His work has cataloged and organized the key works of the field and the brains that were behind them. It has outlined the questions that still perplex us - and some of the directions we must go to refine our answers.' David M. Linz and Armin P. Moczek, Evolution and Development

'… this is a valuable reference work. That said, it is not a long book, more a monograph, but it is densely packed with information and discussion. I found it surprisingly accessible, despite the state-of-the-art content.' Les Rose, The Biologist

‘I am a major fan of Lewis I. Held’s evo-devo books. In each I’ve encountered material that pushes me to, and sometimes over, the edge of my own understanding – but to me, that’s what education is all about. Reading them and using them in my classes, I felt privileged to benefit from the insights of a scholar seriously devoted to his own teaching.’ Mark Terry, American Biology Teacher