What Evolution Is
From Theory to Fact
Published on 20. March 2014
192 pages
978-1-78022-768-9 (ISBN)
Description
What we do and do not know about evolution, by one of the field's pioneering thinkers.
Evolution is the most important idea in biology, with implications that go far beyond science. But despite more than a century's progress in understanding, there is still widespread confusion about what evolution is, how it works and why it is the only plausible mechanism that can account for the remarkable diversity of life on Earth.
Now, for the first time in a book aimed at a general audience, one of the founding fathers of modern biology tells us what we know - and what we do not know - about evolution. In showing how evolution has gone from theory to fact, he explores various controversial fads and fallacies such as punctuated equilibrium, the selfish-gene theory and evolutionary psychology. He ends by looking at what we know about human evolution and how, in turn, this knowledge has affected the way in which we view ourselves and the world.
Evolution is the most important idea in biology, with implications that go far beyond science. But despite more than a century's progress in understanding, there is still widespread confusion about what evolution is, how it works and why it is the only plausible mechanism that can account for the remarkable diversity of life on Earth.
Now, for the first time in a book aimed at a general audience, one of the founding fathers of modern biology tells us what we know - and what we do not know - about evolution. In showing how evolution has gone from theory to fact, he explores various controversial fads and fallacies such as punctuated equilibrium, the selfish-gene theory and evolutionary psychology. He ends by looking at what we know about human evolution and how, in turn, this knowledge has affected the way in which we view ourselves and the world.
More details
Edition
Digital original
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Orion Publishing Co
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
Digital original
File size
2,63 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-78022-768-9 (9781780227689)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
12/2002
Weidenfeld & Nicolson
€16.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Ernst Mayr was born in Kempten, Germany, in 1904. He was one of the main architects of the modern synthesis of genetic and evolutionary theory whose career has spanned fields as diverse as ornithology, systematics, zoo-geography, evolutionary theory, and the philosophy and history of science. He has written 13 books, and published more than 700 scientific papers. Since 1953 he has been on the faculty of Harvard University, and, at the age of 96, continues to make the trip into work several days a week.
