Beyond Natural Selection

Beyond Natural Selection

Author: Robert G. Wesson

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 382

ISBN-13: 9780262731027

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proposes an approach to evolution that is more in harmony with modern science than Darwinism or neo-Darwinism


Natural Selection and Beyond

Natural Selection and Beyond

Author: Charles Hyde Smith

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 509

ISBN-13: 0199239177

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Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 - 1913) was one of the late nineteenth century's most potent intellectual forces. His link to Darwin as co-discoverer of the principle of natural selection alone would have secured him a place in history, but he went on to complete work entitling him to recognition as the 'father' of modern biogeographical studies, as a pioneer in the field of astrobiology, and as an important contributor to subjects as far-ranging as glaciology, land reform, anthropology and ethnography, and epidemiology. Beyond this, many are coming to regard Wallace as the pre-eminent field biologist, collector, and naturalist of tropical regions. Add to that the fact that he was a vocal supporter of spiritualism, socialism, and the rights of the ordinary person, and it quickly becomes apparent that Wallace was a man of extraordinary breadth of attention. Yet his work in many of these areas is still not well known, and still less recognized is his relevance to current day research almost 100 years after his death. This rich collection of writings by more than twenty historians and scientists reviews and reflects on the work that made Wallace a famous man in his own time, and a figure of extraordinary influence and continuing interest today.


Darwin's Blind Spot

Darwin's Blind Spot

Author: Frank Ryan

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 328

ISBN-13: 9780618118120

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In Ryan's view, cooperation, not competition, lies at the heart of human society.".


Beyond Evolution

Beyond Evolution

Author: Anthony O'Hear

Publisher: Clarendon Press

Published: 1997-10-09

Total Pages: 231

ISBN-13: 0191519669

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Anthony O'Hear takes a stand against the fashion for explaining human behaviour in terms of evolution. He maintains, controversially, that while the theory of evolution is successful in explaining the development of the natural world in general, it is of limited value when applied to the human world. Because of our reflectiveness and our rationality we take on goals and ideals which cannot be justified in terms of survival-promotion or reproductive advantage. O'Hear examines the nature of human self-consciousness, and argues that evolutionary theory cannot give a satisfactory account of such distinctive facets of human life as the quest for knowledge, moral sense, and the appreciation of beauty; in these we transcend our biological origins. It is our rationality that allows each of us to go beyond not only our biological but also our cultural inheritance: as the author says in the Preface, 'we are prisoners neither of our genes nor of the ideas we encounter as we each make our personal and individual way through life'.


Adaptation and Natural Selection

Adaptation and Natural Selection

Author: George Christopher Williams

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2018-10-30

Total Pages: 335

ISBN-13: 0691185506

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Biological evolution is a fact—but the many conflicting theories of evolution remain controversial even today. When Adaptation and Natural Selection was first published in 1966, it struck a powerful blow against those who argued for the concept of group selection—the idea that evolution acts to select entire species rather than individuals. Williams’s famous work in favor of simple Darwinism over group selection has become a classic of science literature, valued for its thorough and convincing argument and its relevance to many fields outside of biology. Now with a new foreword by Richard Dawkins, Adaptation and Natural Selection is an essential text for understanding the nature of scientific debate.


Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection

Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection

Author: Peter Godfrey-Smith

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2009-03-26

Total Pages: 218

ISBN-13: 0191609552

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In 1859 Darwin described a deceptively simple mechanism that he called "natural selection," a combination of variation, inheritance, and reproductive success. He argued that this mechanism was the key to explaining the most puzzling features of the natural world, and science and philosophy were changed forever as a result. The exact nature of the Darwinian process has been controversial ever since, however. Godfrey-Smith draws on new developments in biology, philosophy of science, and other fields to give a new analysis and extension of Darwin's idea. The central concept used is that of a "Darwinian population," a collection of things with the capacity to undergo change by natural selection. From this starting point, new analyses of the role of genes in evolution, the application of Darwinian ideas to cultural change, and "evolutionary transitions" that produce complex organisms and societies are developed. Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection will be essential reading for anyone interested in evolutionary theory


Divine Action and Natural Selection

Divine Action and Natural Selection

Author: Joseph Seckbach

Publisher: World Scientific

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 1122

ISBN-13: 9812834338

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The debate between divine action, or faith, and natural selection, or science, is garnering tremendous interest. This book ventures well beyond the usual, contrasting American Protestant and atheistic points of view, and also includes the perspectives of Jews, Muslims, and Roman Catholics. It contains arguments from the various proponents of intelligent design, creationism, and Darwinism, and also covers the sensitive issue of how to incorporate evolution into the secondary school biology curriculum. Comprising contributions from prominent, award-winning authors, the book also contains dialogs following each chapter to provide extra stimulus to the readers and a full picture of this ?hot? topic, which delves into the fundamentals of science and religion.


Phenotypic Plasticity

Phenotypic Plasticity

Author: Massimo Pigliucci

Publisher: JHU Press

Published: 2001-08-17

Total Pages: 356

ISBN-13: 9780801867880

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"The author begins by defining phenotypic plasticity and detailing its history, including important experiments and methods of statistical and graphical analysis. He then provides extended examples and discussion of the molecular basis of plasticity, the plasticity of development, the ecology of plastic responses, and the role of costs and constraints in the evolution of plasticity. A brief epilogue looks at how plasticity studies shed light on the nature/nurture debate in the popular media.".


Human Evolution Beyond Biology and Culture

Human Evolution Beyond Biology and Culture

Author: Jeroen C. J. M. van den Bergh

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2018-10-18

Total Pages: 575

ISBN-13: 1108470971

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A complete account of evolutionary thought in the social, environmental and policy sciences, creating bridges with biology.


Natural Selection

Natural Selection

Author: Dave Freedman

Publisher: Hachette Books

Published: 2006-06-06

Total Pages: 395

ISBN-13: 1401384587

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A shocking biological discovery. A previously unknown predatory species. Evolving just like the dinosaurs. Now. Today. Being forced out of its world and into man's for a violent first encounter. Weaving science and thriller in a way not seen since Jurassic Park, Natural Selection introduces a phenomenally dangerous new species that is rapidly adapting in a way never before seen. A mystery. A chase. A vast expansive puzzle. A team of marine scientists is on the verge of making the most stunning discovery in the history of man. In their quest for answers, they engage a host of fascinating characters. The world's premier neurology expert. A specialist on animal teeth. Flight simulation wizards, evolution historians, deep sea geologists, and so many more. Along the way, the team of six men and women experience love, friendship, loyalty and betrayal. Together, they set off to exotic locales. Literally to the bottom of the ocean. To a vast and mysterious redwood forest. To an unknown complex of massive caves. When people start dying, the stakes are upped even further. Then the real hunt begins. . . . Loaded with astonishing action sequences, Natural Selection is that rare breed of thriller, filled with intricately layered research, real three-dimensional characters, and tornado pacing.