In "A Short History of Nearly Everything," Bill Bryson reflects on human perceptions of diversity in evolution, suggesting that we often overestimate our significance. He points out that real evolutionary diversity occurs primarily on a smaller scale, highlighting that major developments may be mere anomalies rather than central to the evolutionary process.

This perspective challenges the notion of human exceptionalism by implying that large-scale evolutionary events are not as pivotal as they seem. Bryson's assertion encourages a humble recognition of our place in the natural world and an appreciation for the countless smaller, yet significant, evolutionary changes that shape life as we know it.