On Fertile Ground Author:Peter T. Ellison Reproduction is among the most basic of human biological functions, both for our distant ancestors and for ourselves, whether we live on the plains of Africa or in a North American suburb. Our reproductive biology unites us as a species, but it has also been an important engine of our evolution. In the way our bodies function today w... more »e can see both the imprint of our formative past and implications for our future. It is the infinitely subtle and endlessly dramatic story of human reproduction and its evolutionary context that Peter T. Ellison tells in On Fertile Ground. "Ellison grips your attention from his opening contrast between a difficult birth in central Africa … and a successful delivery in the U.S. … He isn't sensationalist. Fascination comes from following the progress from conception to maturity in minute detail … On Fertile Ground is enjoyable and Ellison has an individual voice." —Roy Herbert, New Scientist "On Fertile Ground provides the finest available integration of detailed information on human reproductive physiology with evolutionary explanations … An excellent read that significantly advances our understanding of human reproduction." —Hillard S. Kaplan, Science« less