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BookmarkGathering insights from his seven-decade career, the renowned biologist Ernst Mayr argues that evolution is now to be considered not a theory but a fact--and that "there is not a single Why? question in biology that can be answered adequately without a consideration of evolution." Mayr, emeritus professor of zoology at Harvard University, has long been one of the world's foremost researchers in genetic and evolutionary theory.
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In this overview of past and current scientific thought, he discusses key concepts and terms, among them the origin of species, the (somewhat metaphorical) "struggle for existence," and agents of micro- and macroevolution.
Somewhat against the grain, he argues against reduction and for the study of evolution at the phenotypic, not genetic, level.
In his concluding pages, Mayr offers a careful overview of human evolution, adding his view that humankind is indeed unique--though "it has not yet completed the transition from quadrupedal to bipedal life in all of its structures." Advanced students of the life sciences, as well as readers looking for a survey of current evolutionary theory, will find Mayr's book a useful companion.
--Gregory McNamee.
For more information about the title What Evolution Is, read the full description at Amazon.com, or see the following related books:
Evolutionary Dynamics: Exploring the Equations of Life — At a time of unprecedented expansion in the life sciences, evolution is the one theory that transcends all of biology. Any observation of a living ... > read more
The Making of the Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution — Throw out your fossils—the best evidence for evolution is now found in DNA.DNA is the genetic blueprint of all creatures. Scientists have only ... > read more
Glorified Dinosaurs: The Origin and Early Evolution of Birds — The last few years have witnessed an unparalleled rate of discoveries of early birds and their dinosaurian predecessors. Written by a recognised ... > read more
