The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Life is a science book by Richard Dawkins and Yan Wong that delves into the topic of evolution.

The book adopts a unique approach, retracing the path of humans in reverse chronological order through evolutionary history.

Along the way, it introduces readers to various species, referred to as humanity's cousins, as they converge on shared common ancestors.

Drawing on scientific principles and research, "The Ancestor's Tale" offers an accessible and thought-provoking exploration of life's origins and the intricate relationships that connect all living beings.

The book's structure is inspired by Geoffrey Chaucer's late-14th century work The Canterbury Tales and its pilgrims.

For instance, how new species come about, how the axolotl never needs to mature, how hard it is to classify animals, and why our fish-like ancestors moved to the land.

The authors use the term concestor, coined by Nicky Warren,[1]: 11  for the most recent common ancestor at each rendezvous point.

The Ancestor's Tale is written from an animal's perspective, following the family tree of human backwards in time.

Prokaryotes can move genetic material between unicellular and multicellular organisms other than by the ("vertical") transmission of DNA from parent to offspring by way of horizontal gene transfer.

[5] Matt Ridley at The Guardian liked the approach of a Chaucer Pilgrim traveling backwards and the perspective of not seeing other animals as failures.