The Structure of Evolutionary Theory

The Structure of Evolutionary Theory
Author: Stephen Jay Gould
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 1099
Release: 2002-03-21
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0674417933

The world's most revered and eloquent interpreter of evolutionary ideas offers here a work of explanatory force unprecedented in our time--a landmark publication, both for its historical sweep and for its scientific vision. With characteristic attention to detail, Stephen Jay Gould first describes the content and discusses the history and origins of the three core commitments of classical Darwinism: that natural selection works on organisms, not genes or species; that it is almost exclusively the mechanism of adaptive evolutionary change; and that these changes are incremental, not drastic. Next, he examines the three critiques that currently challenge this classic Darwinian edifice: that selection operates on multiple levels, from the gene to the group; that evolution proceeds by a variety of mechanisms, not just natural selection; and that causes operating at broader scales, including catastrophes, have figured prominently in the course of evolution. Then, in a stunning tour de force that will likely stimulate discussion and debate for decades, Gould proposes his own system for integrating these classical commitments and contemporary critiques into a new structure of evolutionary thought. In 2001 the Library of Congress named Stephen Jay Gould one of America's eighty-three Living Legends--people who embody the "quintessentially American ideal of individual creativity, conviction, dedication, and exuberance." Each of these qualities finds full expression in this peerless work, the likes of which the scientific world has not seen--and may not see again--for well over a century.

Punctuated Equilibrium

Punctuated Equilibrium
Author: Stephen Jay GOULD
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 408
Release: 2009-06-30
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0674037847

In 1972 Stephen Jay Gould took the scientific world by storm with his paper on punctuated equilibrium. Challenging a core assumption of Darwin's theory of evolution, it launched the controversial idea that the majority of species originates in geological moments (punctuations) and persists in stasis. Now, thirty-five years later, Punctuated Equilibrium offers his only book-length testament on a theory he fiercely promoted, repeatedly refined, and tirelessly defended.

Biology of the Springtails

Biology of the Springtails
Author: Stephen P. Hopkin
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Total Pages: 346
Release: 1997-02-27
Genre: Science
ISBN: 019158925X

Springtails are the most numerous and wide-spread insects in terrestrial ecosystems. They are important ecotoxicological test organisms and have been used extensively to indicate the effects of environmental pollutants and different agricultural regimes on biodiversity in soils. This comprehensive work by the co-author of The biology of millipedes is the only single-volume review of the biology of springtails in the English language to appear this century. The book covers classification, behaviour, physiology, evolution, ecology, and ecotoxicology. An extensive reference section with more than 2500 entries is included together with a complete list of all Collembola genera, a list of studies on the effects of chemicals on springtails, and reference to species checklists for most countries of the world.

Evolutionary Theory and Processes: Modern Perspectives

Evolutionary Theory and Processes: Modern Perspectives
Author: Solomon P. Wasser
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 503
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9401148309

This volume consists of papers written by evolutionary, molecular and organismal biologists, geneticists, ecologists, behavioural ecologists, morphologists, mathematicians, theoreticians and experimentalists, in honour of Professor Eviatar (Eibi) Nevo on the occasion of his seventieth birthday. The contributors are only a small subset of Eibi's many friends, collaborators and students (not that one can distinguish these categories among Eibi's colleagues). His widespread influence and activity, both in Israel and more generally, as a leading evolutionary biologist is indicated by his many co-authors on books and papers, and by his many students integrated in teaching and research. This volume presents some of the most recent dramatic results of molecular, genomic, and organismal evolutionary processes. It represents analyses, experiments, observations, reviews, discussions and forecasts of evolutionary theory comprising both novel methods and results, reanalyzed and reviewed data sets based on comparative, experimental, and theoretical studies utilizing model organisms across phylogeny, including bacteria, fungi, plants, animals and humans. It elucidates the revolution in molecular biology that ushered in our understanding of the evolutionary process over time and space. The topics discussed include major problems of evolutionary theory concerning origins, phylogeny, relative importance of evolutionary forces, structure and function, adaptation and speciation in space and time in changing and stressful environments. A major emerging generalization is the nonrandomness of genome structure highlighting the importance of natural selection as a major organizing evolutionary force not only at the phenotypic level, but most importantly at the interlinked genotypic molecular level. The integration between the molecular and organismal levels unifies life which is subjected to the mechanism of natural selection as a major orienting evolutionary force.

Multilingual Thesaurus of Geosciences

Multilingual Thesaurus of Geosciences
Author: G. N. Rassam
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 569
Release: 2013-10-22
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1483286894

This thesaurus is presented in six languages, English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish, and sponsored by the International Council for Scientific and Technical Information (ICSTI) and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). There is a main list of approximately 5000 key terms together with indexes and translations which include a specific linguistic index and a field index in which key terms have been classified by field.

Biology of the Tapeworm Hymenolepis Diminuta

Biology of the Tapeworm Hymenolepis Diminuta
Author: Hisao Arai
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 747
Release: 2012-12-02
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0323142761

Biology of the Tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta covers the physiological and biochemical aspects of the tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta. This book relates past and present knowledge in the field of parasitology. This reference is organized into 12 chapters, starting with a brief discussion on life history and taxonomy of the species. This is followed by the developmental biology of the fertilized ovum to the formation of the cysticercoids in an insect host. Discussions on the embryological, biochemical, and physiological aspects of H. diminuta, the intestinal helminth infections, and procedures for in vitro cultivation of various tapeworm species are provided. Chapter 7 presents a review of molecular DNA and RNA of H. diminuta and the results of isolation and characterization of these macromolecules. This is followed by a discussion on energy metabolism of adult H. diminuta in chapter 8. The latter four chapters focus on biochemical aspects of H. diminuta, including its membrane biology, immunity, and migratory and chemotherapeutic activities. This book encourages diversity among future studies in helminth ecology, physiology, immunology, and biochemistry. It will serve its purpose and ensure that parasitology field continues.

Predators with Pouches

Predators with Pouches
Author: Menna Jones
Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING
Total Pages: 504
Release: 2003-04-30
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0643099484

Predators with Pouches provides a unique synthesis of current knowledge of the world’s carnivorous marsupials—from Patagonia to New Guinea and North America to Tasmania. Written by 63 experts in each field, the book covers a comprehensive range of disciplines including evolution and systematics, reproductive biology, physiology, ecology, behaviour and conservation. Predators with Pouches reveals the relationships between the American didelphids and the Australian dasyurids, and explores the role of the marsupial fauna in the mammal community. It introduces the geologically oldest marsupials, from the Americas, and examines the fall from former diversity of the larger marsupial carnivores and their convergent evolution with placental forms. The book covers all aspects of carnivorous marsupials, including interesting features of life history, their unique reproduction, the physiological basis for early senescence in semelparous dasyurids, sex ratio variation and juvenile dispersal. It looks at gradients in nutrition—from omnivory to insectivory to carnivory—as well as distributional ecology, social structure and conservation dilemmas.