Evolution / Evolutionary biology Books

Book SynopsisWhat is the historical and evolutionary relationship between man and animal? In this classic text, based on the anthroposophical science founded by Rudolf Steiner, Poppelbaum, trained in Biology, compares the outer forms of man and animal, revealing their essential differences and contrasting inner experiences. Drawing a bold and clear delineation between the fundamental nature of man and that of the animal, Poppelbaum argues that human beings are not the accidental outcome of animal development, but the hidden source of evolution itself. He goes on to discuss the true relationship of both man and animal to their environment, and develops a critique of contemporary theories regarding human and animal evolution. He argues that, rather than a simple reflex of the nervous system, the human spirit is a microcosmic reflection of the spiritual macrocosm, and our individual consciousness is a crucial seed for future evolution. 'To be man is to know the animals and all the creatures of the earth; it is to recognize our responsibility towards these beings, once of the same order as ourselves, but now obliged to live beside us in an incompleteness that never ceases its appeal to human beings - warning us to make ourselves worthy of the trust invested in us.' - Hermann PoppelbaumTrade ReviewHERMANN POPPELBAUM, Dr Phil. (1891 - 1979) was an anthropologist, psychologist, philosopher, anthroposophist, teacher and author of numerous books. An expert on the works of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861 - 1925), Poppelbaum was a visiting lecturer in anthropology and psychology at Alfred University, New York. In 1949 he became director of the Education Section at the Goetheanum, Switzerland, and in 1963 the Department of Natural Sciences.

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Book SynopsisRaff tells how and why he became an evolutionary biologist and describes some of the vibrant and living science of evolutionTrade ReviewAt once a cri de coeur from an eminent scientist on behalf of his profession, Raff's work is also an engaging and informative jaunt through the richly diverse history of evolution as a phenomenon and a course of study. * Publishers Weekly *Science teachers and students, as well as working scientists and laypersons with some knowledge of biology, will find this an interesting and inspiring book, not only about the life and work of a scientist, but the importance of science to society as well. * Foreword Reviews *Raff's book is . . . a fascinating story of how a young boy interested in natural history became a scientist . . . and also a polemic arguing about the importance of science and its defense against the powers of ignorance. * www.skepticblog.org *This is an excellent introduction to evolutionary thinking and an inspiration to those who may be just starting on their career (or those in need of a bit of encouragement to keep plugging along). . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *Once We All Had Gills strikes just the right balance of drama, humor, good stories, and science that makes not only for entertaining reading, but also delivers important insights into evolutionary biology research. * Quarterly Review of Biology *Table of ContentsPreface AcknowledgmentsPart I: Becoming a Naturalist1. Space-Time2. Layers of the Past3. An Age of Dinosaurs4. A School a Minute5. In the Natural World6. Transformations7. Going South8. Learning to Love the Bomb9. On the Road to Chiapas10. The Masked MessengerPart II: Finding Evolution, Founding Evo-Devo11. Evolution as Science12. Dining with Darwin13. Life with Sea Urchins14. Embryos Evolving15. Evolution in the Tasman Sea16. An Alternate Present17. Biology Meets Fossils Part III: Strange New World18. Darwin's Day in Court19. Creationist Makeovers20. Evolution MattersSelected BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisShows how ancient trace fossils directly relate to modern traces and tracemakers, among them, insects, grasses, crabs, shorebirds, alligators, and sea turtlesTrade ReviewThis book provides a hefty summary of [Martin's] research; it is scientifically rigorous but still tells a good story, and is often quite humorous. Detailed descriptions of plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate traces are accompanied by many photos and diagrams. . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *Anthony Martin has done an excellent job in presenting the field of ichnology in an engaging and entertaining way that will hopefully inspire a new generation of ichnologists. * Priscum *For a teacher who takes students to beaches or barrier islands, this is an excellent comprehensive guide that reveals the surface and depths of traces found in maritime forests, dunes, beaches and tidal flats. Martin's book is not just a low country boil, it is a feast salted with humor and insights. * This View of Life *This tour de force is of far greater general interest than the title might suggest...[It] provides a hefty summary of [Martin's] research; it is scientifically rigorous but still tells a good story, and is often quite humorous. Detailed descriptions of plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate traces are accompanied by many photos and diagrams....Highly recommended.Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments1. Introduction to Ichnology of the Georgia Coast2. History of the Georgia Coast and Its Ichnology3. Tracemaker Habitats and Substrates4. Marginal-Marine and Terrestrial Plants5. Terrestrial Invertebrates6. Marginal-Marine Invertebrates7. Terrestrial Vertebrates, Part I: Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles8. Terrestrial Vertebrates, Part II: Birds and Mammals9. Marginal-Marine and Marine Vertebrates10. Trace Fossils and the Georgia Coast11. Future Studies, Future TracesAppendixBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisDeals with the iconic dinosaur Iguanodon and its worldTrade Review[T]here is much to be delved into here, and dinosaur scholars will be especially well served by a swathe of welcome reviews of some lesser-known Cretaceous localities, and unexpected gems . . . This book warrants a place on the shelf of researchers interested in terrestrial ecosystems, especially dinosaurs, and is a good addition to the ongoing Life of the Past series from Indiana University Press. * Quarterly Review of Biology *Although some of the chapters are more technical than others, the way in which [this book] is compiled offers a nice flow of information and can be used as a great reference for Early Cretaceous research. I would suggest this book to anyone who has not only an interest in vertebrate paleontology but also in geology. Well done! * Priscum *Table of ContentsPreface by David B. NormanPart 1. New Investigations into the Iguanodon Sinkhole at Bernissart and Other Early Cretaceous Localities in the Mons Basin (Belgium)1. Bernissart and the Iguanodons: Historical Perspective and New Investigations2. The Attempted Theft of Dinosaur Skeletons during the German Occupation of Belgium (1914–1918) and Some Other Cases of Looting Cultural Possessions of Natural History3. A Short Introduction to the Geology of the Mons Basin and the Iguanodon Sinkhole, Belgium4. 3D Modeling of the Paleozoic Top Surface in the Bernissart Area and Integration of Data from Boreholes Drilled in the Iguanodon Sinkhole5. The Karstic Phenomenon of the Iguanodon Sinkhole and the Geomorphological Situation of the Mons Basin during the Early Cretaceous6. Geodynamic and Tectonic Context of Early Cretaceous Iguanodon-Bearing Deposits in the Mons Basin 7. Biostratigraphy of the Cretaceous Sediments Overlying the Wealden Facies in the Iguanodon Sinkhole at Bernissart 8. On the Age of the Bernissart Iguanodons9. The Paleoenvironment of the Bernissart Iguanodons: Sedimentological Analysis of the Lower Cretaceous Wealden Facies in the Bernissart Area 10. Mesofossil Plant Remains from the Barremian of Hautrage (Mons Basin, Belgium), with Taphonomy, Paleoecology, and Paleoenvironment Insights 11. Diagenesis of the Fossil Bones of Iguanodon bernissartensis from the Iguanodon Sinkhole 12. Histological Assessment of Vertebrate Remains in the 2003 Bernissart Drill 13. Early Cretaceous Dinosaur Remains from Baudour (Belgium) 14. Geological Model and Cyclic Mass Mortality Scenarios for the Lower Cretaceous Bernissart Iguanodon Bonebeds Part 2. The Bernissart Iguanodons and Their Kin15. Iguanodontian Taxa from the Lower Cretaceous of England and Belgium16. The Brain of Iguanoian Taxa (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) from the Lower Cretaceous of England and Belgium16. The Brain of Iguanodon and Mantellisaurus: Perspectives on Ornithopod Evolution17. Hypsilophodon foxii and Other Smaller Bipedal Ornithischian Dinosaurs from the Lower Cretaceous of Southern England18. The African Cousins of the European Iguanodontids 19. Anatomy and Relationships of Bolong yixianensis, an Early Cretaceous Iguanodontoid Dinosaur from Western Liaoning, China20. A New Basal Hadrosauroid Dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Kazakhstan Part 3. Early Cretaceous Terrestrial Ecosystems In and Outside Europe21. Dinosaur Remains from the "Sables Verts" of the Eastern Paris Basin22. Dinosaur Faunas from the Early Cretaceous (Valanginian–Albian) of Spain23. New Early Cretaceous Multituberculate Mammals from the Iberian Peninsula24. Danish Dinosaurs: A Review25. The Age of Lycoptera Beds (Jehol Biota) in Transbaikalia (Russia) and Correlation with Mongolia and China26. A New Basal Ornithomimosaur (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation, Northeast China 27. Australia's Polar Early Cretaceous Dinosaurs28. Assessment of the Potential for a Jehol Biota–like Cretaceous Polar Fossil Assemblage in ictoria, Australia 29. Freshwater Hybodont Sharks in Early Cretaceous Ecosystems: A Review Part 4. Cretaceous Vertebrate Faunas after the Bernissart Iguanodon30. The Late Cretaceous Continental Vertebrate Fauna from Iharkút: A Review31. First Discovery of Maastrichtian Terrestrial Vertebrates in Rusca Montană Basin32. First Late Maastrichtian Vertebrate Assemblage from Provence33. Reassessment of the Posterior Brain Region in Multituberculate Mammals Index

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Book SynopsisDesigned for use in a broad range of courses in the humanities, Darwin''s theory is laid out in a concise general Introduction and followed up in short chapter introductions. Each chapter concludes with an excerpt from Darwin''s correspondence, commenting on the work in question, and its significance, impact, and reception. Two short appendixes are includedthe first three chapters from Malthus, On Population, which gave Darwin the idea for natural selection and the paper by Wallace that motivated Darwin to abandon the Big Species Book and write Origin of Species.Trade ReviewProvides a magisterial overview of all of Darwin's ideas in a brief and useful format. This book will become the mainstay of the courses I teach related to Darwin. --Timothy Lenoir, Stanford UniversityAn excellent selection. There is nothing else like it available in print, and the price makes it very attractive for use in courses. . . . overall the editors did a superb job of choosing those excerpts from Darwin's published works and his correspondence and notebooks that will give the reader a sense of the full range of his interests and the substance of his ideas. The editorial remarks are . . . perceptive and directly relevant to the content. --Gene Cittadino, New York UniversityThis is simply an outstanding volume . . . exactly what I was looking for. I especially appreciate the inclusion of the Malthus and Wallace, plus the notebook selections. I don't know of another Darwin anthology that does this. It fills a real need. --Lynn K. Nyhart, University of Wisconsin

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Book SynopsisDesigned for use in a broad range of courses in the humanities, Darwin''s theory is laid out in a concise general Introduction and followed up in short chapter introductions. Each chapter concludes with an excerpt from Darwin''s correspondence, commenting on the work in question, and its significance, impact, and reception. Two short appendixes are includedthe first three chapters from Malthus, On Population, which gave Darwin the idea for natural selection and the paper by Wallace that motivated Darwin to abandon the Big Species Book and write Origin of Species.Trade ReviewProvides a magisterial overview of all of Darwin's ideas in a brief and useful format. This book will become the mainstay of the courses I teach related to Darwin. --Timothy Lenoir, Stanford UniversityAn excellent selection. There is nothing else like it available in print, and the price makes it very attractive for use in courses. . . . overall the editors did a superb job of choosing those excerpts from Darwin's published works and his correspondence and notebooks that will give the reader a sense of the full range of his interests and the substance of his ideas. The editorial remarks are . . . perceptive and directly relevant to the content. --Gene Cittadino, New York UniversityThis is simply an outstanding volume . . . exactly what I was looking for. I especially appreciate the inclusion of the Malthus and Wallace, plus the notebook selections. I don't know of another Darwin anthology that does this. It fills a real need. --Lynn K. Nyhart, University of Wisconsin

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive account of basic and advanced material in phylogeny estimation, focusing on computational and statistical issues. No background in biology or computer science is assumed, and there is minimal use of mathematical formulas, making the book accessible to students from biology, computer science, statistics, and applied mathematics.Table of ContentsPreface; Glossary; Notation; Part I. Basic Techniques: 1. Brief introduction to phylogenetic estimation; 2. Trees; 3. Constructing trees from true subtrees; 4. Constructing trees from qualitative characters; 5. Distance-based tree estimation methods; 6. Consensus and agreement trees; 7. Supertrees; Part II. Molecular Phylogenetics: 8. Statistical gene tree estimation methods; 9. Multiple sequence alignment; 10. Phylogenomics: constructing species phylogenies from multi-locus data; 11. Designing methods for large-scale phylogeny estimation; Appendix A. Primer on biological data and evolution; Appendix B. Algorithm design and analysis; Appendix C. Guidelines for writing papers about computational methods; Appendix D. Projects; References; Index.

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Book SynopsisRecently there has been a major revival of interest in the connections between evolutionary theory, especially that of Darwin, and moral reasoning and action. This wide-ranging and clearly written book traces the history of evolutionary ethics and takes readers through the arguments involved.Trade Review'No comprehensive understanding of where the debates over evolutionary ethics currently lie would be possible without The Cambridge Handbook. It is an indispensable guide to critical philosophical disputes.' Scott M. James, MetascienceTable of ContentsIntroduction Michael Ruse and Robert J. Richards; Part I. Historical: 1. Ethics, evolution and the a priori: Ross on Spencer and the French sociologists Hallvard Lillehammer; 2. Nietzsche's rejection of nineteenth-century evolutionary ethics Jeffrey O'Connell; 3. American pragmatism, evolution, and ethics Trevor Pearce; 4. The path to the present Abraham H. Gibson; 5. Social Darwinism and market morality: a modern-day view for evolutionary ethics Naomi Beck; Part II. For Evolutionary Ethics: 6. Darwinian evolutionary ethics Michael Ruse; 7. Human morality: from an empirical puzzle to a metaethical puzzle Richard Joyce; 8. Evolution and the epistemological challenge to moral realism Justin Horn; 9. Evolutionary naturalism and valuation Richard A. Richards; 10. Evolutionary ethics, a theory of moral realism Robert J. Richards; 11. Moral mismatch and abolition Ben Fraser; Part III. Against Debunking Arguments: 12. Moral realism and evolutionary debunking arguments Russ Shafer-Landau; 13. Why Darwinism does not debunk objective morality William J. FitzPatrick; 14. Debunking arguments: mathematics, logic, and modal security Justin Clarke-Doane; 15. Evolution and the missing link (in debunking arguments) Uri D. Leibowitz and Neil Sinclair; 16. Better than our nature? Evolution and moral realism, justification and progress Michael Vlerick; Part IV. Elaborations: 17. Darwinian ethics: biological individuality and moral relativism Frédéric Bouchard; 18. Evolutionary psychology, feminist critiques thereof, and the naturalistic fallacy Lynn Hankinson Nelson; 19. A theological evaluation of evolutionary ethics Michael L. Peterson.

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Book SynopsisWould you ask a honeybee to point at a screen and recognise a facial expression? Or ask an elephant to climb a tree? While humans and non-human species may inhabit the same world, it''s likely that our perceptual worlds differ significantly. Emphasising Uexküll''s concept of ''umwelt'', this volume offers practical advice on how animal cognition can be successfully tested while avoiding anthropomorphic conclusions. The chapters describe the capabilities of a range of animals - from ants, to lizards to chimpanzees - revealing how to successfully investigate animal cognition across a variety of taxa. The book features contributions from leading cognition researchers, each offering a series of examples and practical tips drawn from their own experience. Together, the authors synthesise information on current field and laboratory methods, providing researchers and graduate students with methodological advice on how to formulate research questions, design experiments and adapt studies to diTrade Review'Field and Laboratory Methods in Animal Cognition, edited by Bueno-Guerra and Amici, manages also to implicitly teach some of the fundamentals of cognition in the way it showcases methods. By illuminating how similar cognitive principles need to be tested differently across species, the existence of the volume itself proves the importance of the 'Umwelt' concept it champions. With a star-studded lineup of authors, the book serves as a snapshot of who is doing what and how in the field of comparative cognition.' Alison L. Greggor, The Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of ContentsForeword Josep Call; Introduction: the concept of umwelt in experimental animal cognition Nereida Bueno-Guerra and Federica Amici; 1. Ants – individual and social cognition Zhanna Reznikova; 2. Bats – using sound to reveal cognition Yossi Yovel and Stefan Greif; 3. Bees – the experimental umwelt of honeybees Randolf Menzel; 4. Carib grackles – field and lab work on a tame, opportunistic island icterid Simon Ducatez, Sarah E. Overington, Jean-Nicolas Audet, Marine Battesti and Louis Lefebvre; 5. Chicken – cognition in the poultry yard Cinzia Chiandetti and Giorgio Vallortigara; 6. Chimpanzees – investigating cognition in the wild Roman M. Wittig and Catherine Crockford; 7. Dolphins and whales – taking cognitive research out of the tanks and into the wild Volker B. Deecke; 8. Elephants – studying cognition in the African Savannah Lucy A. Bates; 9. Fish – how to ask them the right questions Catarina Vila Pouca and Culum Brown; 10. Hermit crabs – information gathering by the hermit crab, pagurus bernhardus Robert W. Elwood; 11. Hyenas – testing cognition in the umwelt of the spotted hyena Lily Johnson-Ulrich, Kenna D. S. Lehman, Julie W. Turner and Kay E. Holekamp; 12. Lizards – measuring cognition in lizards: practical challenges and the influence of ecology and social behaviour Martin J. Whiting and Daniel W. A. Noble; 13. Meerkats – identifying cognitive mechanisms underlying meerkat coordination and communication: experimental designs in their natural habitat Marta Manser; 14. Octopuses – mind in the waters Jennifer A. Mather and Michael J. Kuba; 15. Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) – cognitive and communicative abilities Irene M. Pepperberg; 16. Sharks – elasmobranch cognition Tristan L. Guttridge, Kara E. Yopak and Vera Schluessel; 17. Spiders – hints for testing cognition and learning in jumping spiders Elizabeth M. Jakob, Skye M. Long and Margaret Bruce; 18. Tortoises – cold-blooded cognition: how to get a tortoise out of its shell Anna Wilkinson and Ewen Glass; Epilogue Nereida Bueno-Guerra.

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Book SynopsisBoth natural and cultural selection played an important role in shaping human evolution. Since cultural change can itself be regarded as evolutionary, a process of gene-culture coevolution is operative. The study of human evolution - in past, present and future - is therefore not restricted to biology. An inclusive comprehension of human evolution relies on integrating insights about cultural, economic and technological evolution with relevant elements of evolutionary biology. In addition, proximate causes and effects of cultures need to be added to the picture - issues which are at the forefront of social sciences like anthropology, economics, geography and innovation studies. This book highlights discussions on the many topics to which such generalised evolutionary thought has been applied: the arts, the brain, climate change, cooking, criminality, environmental problems, futurism, gender issues, group processes, humour, industrial dynamics, institutions, languages, medicine, music, Trade Review'This is a timely book, helping us to move out of equilibrium-based approaches that served well in the twentieth century towards a view of the contemporary world as complex, dynamic, emergent and evolutionary. Jeroen C. J. M. van den Bergh invites the reader into an exciting adventure applying an evolutionary approach to social, environmental and policy sciences. In an impressive manner, the book collects theoretical and empirical insights from diverse fields on the role of evolutionary thinking in understanding and acting on all kinds of real-world complex systems and their dynamics. But the book is more than a comprehensive synthesis, it is visionary and talks about evolutionary policies and transitions towards sustainability, innovations to curb climate change, reconnecting to the biosphere, as well as possible evolutionary futures for the human population. Human Evolution beyond Biology and Culture is exciting, inspiring and forward looking. Highly recommended!' Carl Folke, Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Sweden'Van den Bergh's book is an outstanding, long-missing synthesis of current strands of evolutionary theorizing in the natural, social and cultural sciences. It fascinates the reader by its thought-provoking claim of a unity of the evolutionary approach across disciplinary boundaries and by the practical implications derived for better understanding environmental problems, climate change, economic development, technology evolution and many more present day topics.' Ulrich Witt, Max Planck Institute of Economics, GermanyTable of ContentsPart I. Prevue: 1. Making the improbable probable; 2. The world according to evolution; Part II. Evolutionary Biology: 3. Pre-Darwinism, Darwinism and neo-Darwinism; 4. Advanced ideas in evolutionary biology and genetics; Part III. Bridging Natural and Social Sciences: 5. Evolution of social behaviour in animals and humans; 6. Group selection in biology and the social sciences; Part IV. Evolutionary Social Sciences: 7. Evolutionary theories of human culture; 8. Evolutionary economics; 9. Evolution of organisations and institutions; 10. Technological evolution; Part V. Evolutionary Cultural History: 11. Pre-history until the rise of agriculture; 12. Industrialisation and technological history; Part VI. Evolutionary Environmental and Policy Sciences: 13. Survival of the greenest; 14. Evolving solutions for climate change; 15. Evolutionary policy and politics; 16. Evolutionary futures.

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Book SynopsisThis volume is part of the definitive edition of letters written by and to Charles Darwin, the most celebrated naturalist of the nineteenth century. Notes and appendixes put these fascinating and wide-ranging letters in context, making the letters accessible to both scholars and general readers. Darwin depended on correspondence to collect data from all over the world, and to discuss his emerging ideas with scientific colleagues, many of whom he never met in person. The letters are published chronologically: volume 27 includes letters from 1879, the year in which Darwin completed his manuscript on movement in plants. He also researched and published a biography of his grandfather Erasmus. The Darwins spent most of August on holiday in the Lake District. In October, Darwin''s youngest son, Horace, became officially engaged to Ida Farrer, after some initial resistance from her father, who, although an admirer of Charles Darwin, thought Horace a poor prospect for his daughter.Trade Review'What makes the volumes such fun is how one learns more and more of the everyday life of being a scientist, and this brings me back to the politicking with which I opened this review … I love the Darwin Correspondence. I learn important things about Darwin's religious beliefs. I learn gossipy things about the sociology of science …' Michael Ruse, The Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of ContentsList of illustrations; List of letters; Introduction; Acknowledgments; List of provenances; Note on editorial policy; Darwin/Wedgwood genealogy; Abbreviations and symbols; The Correspondence; Appendixes: I. Translations; II. Chronology; III. Diplomas; IV. Presentation list for Erasmus Darwin; V. Reviews of Erasmus Darwin; Manuscript alterations and comments; Biographical register and index to correspondents; Bibliography; Notes on manuscript sources; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe rapidly increasing human pressure on the biosphere is pushing biodiversity into the sixth mass extinction event in the history of life on Earth. The organisms being exterminated are integral working parts of our planet''s life support system,and their loss is permanent. Like climate change, this irreversible loss has potentially devastating consequences for humanity. As we come to recognise the many ways in which we depend on nature, this can pave the way for a new ethic that acknowledges the importance of co-existence between humans and other species. Biological Extinction features chapters contributed by leading thinkers in diverse fields of knowledge and practice, including biology, economics, geology, archaeology, demography, architecture and intermediate technology. Drawing on examples from various socio-ecological systems, the book offers new perspectives on the urgent issue of biological extinction, proposing novel solutions to the problems that we face.Trade Review'Many policy makers, especially those trained in economics, can describe the management of environmental systems as if we (humans) are best suited to be in the 'driver's seat', making all the decisions to assure our wellbeing is the sole consideration. They should all read the chapters in this volume! Extinction is an irreversible externality whose full impact is uncertain. By combining the insights of social and natural scientists, Dasgupta, Raven, and McIvor have assembled essays that will change this view. They are accessible, engaging, and important.' V. Kerry Smith, Emeritus Regents Professor, Arizona State University'Partha Dasgupta, unexcelled among economists for his contributions to ecological economics, and Peter Raven, revered for his leadership in biodiversity science, have combined to assemble a collection of papers by a virtual who's who of experts on the subject of biodiversity loss and sustainability. This volume, the product of an obviously remarkable meeting at the Vatican, will be a touchstone for all those concerned with our declining biodiversity, and the implications for the future welfare of humanity.' Simon A. Levin, James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University'This volume provides an informative reference for policy makers and practitioners, offering new perspectives on biological extinction that adopt principles of social justice and sustainability.' R. A. Delgado, Jr, ChoiceTable of ContentsIntroduction Partha Dasgupta and Peter Raven; Prologue. Extinction: what it means to us Martin Rees; 1. Extinction in deep time: lessons from the past? Neil Shubin; 2. Biodiversity and global change: from creator to victim Timothy Lenton; 3. The state of the world's biodiversity Stuart Pimm and Peter Raven; 4. Extinction threats to life in the ocean and opportunities for their amelioration Jenna Sullivan, Vanessa Constant and Jane Lubchenco; 5. Out of the soil: soil (dark matter biodiversity) and societal 'collapses' from Mesoamerica to the Mesopotamia and beyond Timothy Beach, Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach and Nicholas Dunning; 6. The Green Revolution and crop biodiversity Prabhu Pingali; 7. Population: the current state and future prospects John Bongaarts; 8. Game over? Drivers of biological extinction in Africa Calestous Juma; 9. Why we're in the sixth great extinction and what it means to humanity Partha Dasgupta and Paul Ehrlich; 10. The consequences of biodiversity loss for human well-being Charles Perrings and Ann Kinzig; 11. Terra incognita: in search of the disconnect Mathis Wackernagel; 12. How do we stem biodiversity loss? Gretchen Daily and Stephen Polasky; 13. Can smart villages help to stem biodiversity loss? Brian Heap, John Holmes and Bernie Jones; 14. The new design condition: planetary urbanism + resource scarcity + climate change John Hoal.

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Book SynopsisAs our closest primate relatives, chimpanzees offer tantalizing clues about the behavior of early human ancestors. This book provides a rich and detailed portrait of chimpanzee social life in the wild, synthesizing hundreds of thousands of hours of research at seven long-term field sites. Why are the social lives of males and females so different? Why do groups of males sometimes seek out and kill neighboring individuals? Do chimpanzees cooperate when they hunt monkeys? Is their vocal behaviour like human speech? Are there different chimpanzee ''cultures''? Addressing these questions and more, Adam Arcadi presents a fascinating introduction to the chimpanzee social universe and the challenges we face in trying to save this species from extinction. With extensive notes organized by field site and an appendix describing field methods, this book is indispensable for students, researchers, and anyone else interested in the remarkable and complex world of these intelligent apes.Trade Review'… the first book to compile the available information about field studies of wild chimpanzees. To do so has required an immense effort on the part of the author, Adam Clark Arcadi. The long-term field studies at Gombe, Kibale, Budongo, Mahale, Bossou, and Tai, together with a large number of shorter term studies, are synthesised on a topic by topic basis. This gives the reader an overall perspective of wild chimpanzees which has hitherto been lacking. We see many features of behaviour and social organisation that all chimps have in common. And we also see ecological and cultural differences between different chimp communities across Africa. … a good book for all those seeking to understand our closest relatives in the animal kingdom: undergraduates in particular will benefit from this synthesis of all that is known at the present time. [Simultaneously], the author writes well so his book is accessible to the general reader.' Vernon Reynolds, University of Oxford'Wild Chimpanzees is a superbly original and incisive overview of the behavior, ecology and conservation of a critically important species. Arcadi provides a broad primate context for his synthesis, presents a rich history of the main field-sites and the behavioral differences associated with them, and explores the evolutionary significance of numerous types of cooperation, competition and communication. Arcadi's clarity of exposition, systematic consideration and crisp thinking make this an invaluable source for students and professionals alike.' Richard Wrangham, Harvard University, Massachusetts'Arcadi's Wild Chimpanzees weaves new research on the social behavior of wild chimpanzees into an accessibly written account of our closest relatives. Highly recommended for the library of anyone interested in new frontiers of great ape research.' Craig Stanford, University of Southern California'… along with the clear explanations that are rooted in theory, makes this a perfect volume to assign in undergraduate courses in primatology. In fact, I used this book for an undergraduate seminar on chimpanzee behavioral ecology. One reason that the students enjoyed this volume was that Arcadi provides an objective voice … I think this is very well suited for an academic's bookshelf …' Zarin Machanda, The Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of ContentsPreface; 1. Primates, apes, and the study of chimpanzee social behavior; 2. Seven long-term field studies; 3. Chimpanzee fission-fusion social organization and its conservation implications; 4. Sex differences in ranging and association patterns; 5. Female social relationships and the defining influence of offspring care; 6. Male social relationships and the dynamic interplay of competition and cooperation; 7. Sexual behavior: conflicting strategies of males and females; 8. Coalitionary lethal aggression between and within communities; 9. Hunting, eating, and sharing meat; 10. Communication: the form and content of signals; 11. Community differences in grooming postures and tool use: innovation, social learning, and the question of 'culture'; Epilogue; Appendix: field methods for studying wild chimpanzees.

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Book SynopsisA biomarker is a biochemical, cellular, physiological or behavioral variation that can be measured in tissue or body fluid samples or at the level of whole organisms that provides evidence of exposure to and/or effects of one or more chemical pollutants or radiations. Based on the facts related to the existence of contaminant stressors, an understanding of chemical modes of toxicity can be incorporated with diagnostic markers of aquatic animal physiology to help understand the health status of aquatic organisms in the field. New approaches in functional genomics and bioinformatics can help discriminate individual chemicals, or groups of chemicals among complex mixtures that may contribute to adverse biological effects. By using these recent methodologies, it could be useful to shed light on the molecular evolution of the biomarkers, and which role and functionality can be better understood based on exploring the relative evolution pathways in several aquatic organisms. PhD students and scientists with interests on physiology, ecotoxicology, biochemistry, molecular biology, molecular evolution and aquatic science disciplines will find this book very useful, based on the concepts and the relative biomarkers study cases, analyzed from the evolutionary point of view.Table of ContentsFor more information, please visit our website at:https://novapublishers.com/shop/molecular-evolution-of-aquatic-organisms-biomarkers/

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Book SynopsisThe Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, published in 1859 sold out on its first day. It is considered to be the foundation of evolutionary biology and is based on Darwins experiences while onboard the H. M. S. Beagle. The sixth edition is often considered the definitive work and contains many additions and corrections to the original book.

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Book SynopsisOur species origin has its roots in ancestral habits, behaviors and survival drive, through changing environmental conditions, and crystallized during millennia in basic neurobehavioral circuits, be it as predators or potential prey: we were not born in a mother-of-pearl cradle and protected by magic agents. Placed on the thread of time, modern cultural contexts: norms, priorities, values -- appear as "newly born". This bio-cultural interaction and "dystopia" carved our identity, genetic expression and the possible origin of beliefs, resulting in an arch of possible behaviors and cultural phenotypes. This book offers evidence -- as a way to acquire conscience -- of evolutive grounds and socio-cultural ecology upon which our brain organisation and behavioral constructs derived. Among those, shared basic behavioral drives with non-human primates. The biological nature of our construction drags millenniums of species trials with variable rates of survival times. They provide traces of a variable and multiple evolutive chains. The emergence of humans with a sophisticated language allowed the development of complex virtual constructs based on symbolism and the instruments of culture, which has enhanced cognitive capacity and emotional interaction supported by processes anchored in neural networks distributed within cortical and subcortical levels. Basic, essential neural connectivities were preserved during the evolutionary development of the species. Which and how much of our current drives -- individually and as a global community- are driven by ancestral, inherited traits imprinted in our animal condition? This issue pertains to our identity as a species, our social constructions, and ecological interaction. The biological (animal) matrix and inheritance are usually segregated from the social and cultural construction. Although sophistication of our cultural development tends to "set up a divisive fault" from our animal condition, primitive foundations of non-human animal behavior (survival, territory, reproduction, prevalence, access to nutrients) are basic templates and underlie essential individual and group basic drives and cultural constructs. Humans have not ceased from being territorial (whether applied to virtual or material dimensions). In our time and through human history various forms of social inequities were expressed. On evolutive terms, the notion of individual "social status" within the social structure (rights, priorities) in a gregarious community with hierarchical organization, generated the probability of an individual ascending or descending the hierarchy within the said organization: the potential figure of leader or the subordinate or marginalized. Is there an evolutive antecedent for human social inequities? How to construct a different future? Post-industrial societies became increasingly dependent on material consumerism and technological cultures to the point of "embraining" them, conceptually becoming technological hybrids. It represents a developmental "must" or an uncontrolled "spin-off" of human inventiveness, affecting our future? It ought to be taken conscience of, at the social and political level. Construction of supernatural agents played a significant role in socialization/domestication processes. Agents with intentionality flourished through altered states of conscience or under fear from natural phenomena, or attributed to supposed inhabitants of the Natural Kingdom or virtual beings. This imaginary universe, reinforced by ritual behaviors, contributed to control personal/collective distress of various possible origins, and conditioned our "degrees of emotional and cognitive freedom".Table of ContentsFor more information, please visit our website at:https://novapublishers.com/shop/our-animal-condition-and-social-construction/

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Book SynopsisOur planet is crowded with a spectacular diversity of living creatures. As a most peculiar fact, the oldest of these are in general the most primitive whereas the most recent are the most advanced. This counterintuitive observation raises the question of the direction of evolution. Is it proceeding progressively and, if so, how can such a direction be compatible with natural selection? A central feature of the evolutionary process has come about as a result of continuous modifications of individual developmental programs. The author of this book has made the original discovery that there is a temporal correlation between the processes of development and evolution. The analysis of this correlation has led to several fresh ideas of the mechanisms of evolution embracing biological as well as human cultural evolution; ideas that have initiated an analysis of evolution discussed at length in this book. The author suggests an operational definition of the concept of complexity and a method by means of which it can be measured. The analysis of complexity has led to the notion of the evolutionary process characterized progressively though stepwise increasing complexity all over its biological and human cultural manifestations. A general conclusion proposed by many theorists is that adaptive natural selection is unable to explain the progressive evolution of life. However, the present author has introduced an alternative selection mechanism that works independently of environmental conditions. Within this frame of explanation, the concept of progress is promoted. In this book, we embark on an innovative, exploratory and interdisciplinary adventure, step-by-step following the author towards his quest of investigating evolution, its mechanismsTable of ContentsFor more information, please visit our website at:https://novapublishers.com/shop/mechanisms-of-evolution/

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Book SynopsisCharles Darwin's On The Origin of Species, in which he writes of his theories of evolution by natural selection, is one of the most important works of scientific study ever published.This unabridged edition also includes a rich selection of primary source material: substantial selections from Darwin's other works (Autobiography, notebooks, letters, Voyage of the Beagle, and The Descent of Man) and selections from Darwin's sources and contemporaries (excerpts from Genesis, Paley, Lamarck, Spencer, Lyell, Malthus, Huxley, and Wallace).Trade Review“This edition of The Origin of Species is a welcome addition to the field. This volume brings together all the important primary material necessary to understanding Darwin and his milieu, giving students of Victorian science and the history of evolutionary biology a wonderful resource. Carroll combines Darwin's own work—including excerpts from his notebooks and letters, as well as appropriate passages from The Descent of Man—with excerpts from important precursors, supporters, and fellow scientists. The edition, in bringing all these materials together for the first time, is invaluable.” - Lesley B. Cormack, University of Alberta“A pioneer in applying Darwinian thought to the analysis of literary texts, Joseph Carroll makes the Darwinian revolution beautifully intelligible in this edition by providing both a fine introduction and an illuminating collection of historical materials.” - Don Brown, University of California, Santa Barbara"Joseph Carroll, a pre-eminent Darwinian in the humanities and a world-class scholar, has produced a definitive edition of The Origin of Species, with a generous selection of other writings by Darwin and related authors. The critical and historical introduction—almost a small book in itself—is a major accomplishment, so well written, well informed, and altogether intelligent. The volume as a whole will be invaluable." - Harold Fromm, University of ArizonaTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsIntroduction The Classic Status of The Origin of Species Plan of the Introduction Darwin’s Subject The Historical Moment of The Origin of Species Darwin’s Intellectual Character The Lamarckian and Spencerian Alternative to Darwinism The Inception and Gestation of Darwin’s Theory Darwin’s Evolutionary Psychology The Nature of the Darwinian Revolution Recommendations for Further Reading Works Cited and Source Texts Charles Darwin: A Brief ChronologyA Note on the TextOn the Origin of Species by Means of Natural SelectionAn Historical Sketch of the Progress of Opinion onthe Origin of SpeciesContentsTextGlossary of the Principal Scientific Terms Usedin the Present VolumeIndexAppendix A: From The Autobiography of Charles DarwinAppendix B: From Voyage of the Beagle: Excerpts from Journal of Researches into the Geology and Natural History of the Various Countries Visited by H.M.S. Beagle (1839; 2nd ed. 1845)Appendix C: From Darwin’s NotebooksAppendix D: From the 1844 Manuscript Francis Darwin’s Description of the Manuscript Extract from a Chapter on Natural Selection Appendix E: LettersAppendix F: From The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex (1871)Appendix G: Contextual Materials Creationism and Natural Theology The First Book of Moses called GENESIS William Paley, from Natural Theology; or, Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity, collected from the appearances of nature (1802) Pre-Darwinian Speculations on Evolution: Lamarck and Spencer Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, from Zoological Philosophy (1809) Herbert Spencer From Social Statics (1851) From First Principles (1862) From Principles of Biology (1864), vol. 1, part 3, chapter 12 From Autobiography (1904) Thomas Malthus, from An Essay on the Principle of Population (6th ed., 1826) Charles Lyell, from Principles of Geology (1830-33) The Co-Discovery of Natural Selection: Alfred Russel Wallace, “On the Tendency of Varieties to Depart Indefinitely from the Original Type” (1858) Thomas Henry Huxley on the Historical Situation of The Origin of Species From “Evolution in Biology” (1878) From The Origin of Species (1860) From “Criticisms on The Origin of Species” (1864) From “Charles Darwin” (1882) From “On the Reception of The Origin of Species” (1887) Register of NamesIndex to the Introduction, Darwin’s Historical Sketch, and the Appendices

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Book SynopsisIn evolution, natural selection is the gradual, non-random, process by which biological traits become either more or less common in a population as a function of differential reproduction of their bearers. In this book, the authors present current research in the biological processes, theory and role in evolution of natural selection. Topics include evolutionary transitions in mathematical modelling complexity using evolutionary systemic modelling; natural selection applications for algorithmic computation; allozymes, and DNA and natural selection in the mollusc population.

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Book SynopsisAfter Isaac Newton''s great success in celestial mechanics, a world view of determinism was held by many scientists in the 1700 and 1800''s. This ended with the development of quantum mechanics, which introduced randomness at a fundamental level of our understanding of nature. In this book, the author introduces basic mathematical concepts for deterministic and random evolution. Among these are stability, bifurcation, hysteresis, time scales, expected value and variance. The gambler''s ruin problem, growth processes in biology, and Ehrenfest''s urn model illustrate random evolutions. The author also uses mathematical concepts to briefly discuss the arrow of time, determinism and free will, and creation vs. evolution.

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Book Synopsis"Shot-gun marriages between evolution and faith have never worked, despite the tradition of pointing the barrel at evolution''s head. The truth is that evolution likes it single. Free, with no stoppers of thought or restrains on logic. And when lured unknowingly into the altar by those who see facts and fiction compatible, evolution has consistently stood belief up and walked away, sometimes run, toward its secular turf [The] dream of arranging evolution''s wedding with belief will remain dormant for as long as evolution is awake". Provocative, intriguing, a contemporary and concise analysis of the clashes between science and faith: In this book, Guillermo Paz-y-Miño-C examines the societal sequels in public education, the future of America''s science and academia of believing in a deity. For this evolutionary biologist, educator and public speaker, "science is [the only] refined device for resolving ordinary curiosity and a powerful liberator of superstition. He thinks of science as "the subsistence kit to defeat re-emerging fundamentalism" in the world. This open-ended book concludes: "Once embraced by all, this truly universal language -- scientific rationalism/empiricism and evolution -- shall lead us to a more cohesive understanding of nature and of our amazingly diverse human condition. Humanity''s ultimate challenge will be to collectively embrace reality, with no stoppers of thought or restrains on logic.

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Book SynopsisIn Gobekli Tepe'' near Urfa, an ancient city in south-eastern Turkey, stand 11,000 year old concentric rings of old massive T shaped pillars. The carvings by prehistoric, pre-agricultural people emphasise predators, and vultures in particular are even more prominent. Archaeologists and anthropologists believe that the vultures represented the aspiration of humans to reach high into the heavens. If the scientific thought and technological output is a measure, science has been in the same pursuit along with religion or perhaps before it, even in Gobekli Tepe. While scientific topics remain at the core of human curiosity and spirituality even today, modern science has advanced tremendously, particularly over the last two centuries, leaving the general public unconnected with science. While, the public have benefited increasingly from the technological fruits of science and science has become an integral part of their life, they have been increasingly unaware that science provides real and accessible answers to personal and societal questions. In some circles, this has bred distrust of science and its process, where personal questions are concerned. To those involved closely with science, the scientific knowledge and effort are inspirational and the scientific understanding of Nature creates a sense of awe. This book attempts to give a sense of this scientific knowledge in basic science topics while providing a social and religious context. It demonstrates to the readers that science progresses with integrity in methodology and arrives at conclusions that are robust and yet open to modification. By familiarising the readers on the science discoveries in major areas, the book is intended to persuade the reader that science takes the high road to finding knowledge and therefore is to be trusted in its conclusions, when one is confronted by apparent contradictions or denials from personal, cultural and religious perspectives. Even for the section of people who are very religious, it is shown that, in most areas, religions are not against science and do not deny scientific conclusions.

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Book SynopsisIs the traditional understanding of cause and effect in aetiology so certain that Arthur Eddington therefore proposed in 1927 "the arrow of time, or time''s arrow" involving "the ''one-way direction'' or ''asymmetry'' of time", such that "a cause precedes its effect: the causal event occurs before the event it affects. Thus causality is intimately bound up with time''s arrow"? (WK 2014) This certain view on cause and effect can be contrasted with an opposing view by Michael Dummett, who suggested instead, back in 1957, that "there was no philosophical objection to effects preceding their causes", or what is now known as "retrocausality". (WK 2014a) Contrary to these opposing views (and other ones as will be discussed in the book), aetiology (in relation to cause and effect) are neither possible (or impossible) nor desirable (or undesirable) to the extent that the respective ideologues (on different sides) would like us to believe. Of course, this questioning of different opposing views on cause and effect does not mean that the study of aetiology is useless, or that those diverse fields (related to aetiology) -- like physics, engineering, biology, philosophy, medicine, epidemiology, government, geography, spatial analysis, psychology, statistics, mathematics, economics, management, history, law, sociology, theology, and so on -- are worthless. (WK 2014b & 2014c) In fact, neither of these extreme views is plausible. Rather, this book offers an alternative (better) way to understand the future of aetiology in regard to the dialectic relationship between cause and effect -- while learning from different approaches in the literature but without favouring any one of them (nor integrating them, since they are not necessarily compatible with each other). More specifically, this book offers a new theory (that is, the pluralist theory of aetiology) to go beyond the existing approaches in a novel way, and is organised in four chapters.

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Book SynopsisIs the traditional understanding of cause and effect in aetiology so certain that Arthur Eddington therefore proposed in 1927 "the arrow of time, or time''s arrow" involving "the ''one-way direction'' or ''asymmetry'' of time", such that "a cause precedes its effect: the causal event occurs before the event it affects. Thus causality is intimately bound up with time''s arrow"? (WK 2014) This certain view on cause and effect can be contrasted with an opposing view by Michael Dummett, who suggested instead, back in 1957, that "there was no philosophical objection to effects preceding their causes", or what is now known as "retrocausality". (WK 2014a) Contrary to these opposing views (and other ones as will be discussed in the book), aetiology (in relation to cause and effect) are neither possible (or impossible) nor desirable (or undesirable) to the extent that the respective ideologues (on different sides) would like us to believe. Of course, this questioning of different opposing views on cause and effect does not mean that the study of aetiology is useless, or that those diverse fields (related to aetiology) -- like physics, engineering, biology, philosophy, medicine, epidemiology, government, geography, spatial analysis, psychology, statistics, mathematics, economics, management, history, law, sociology, theology, and so on -- are worthless. (WK 2014b & 2014c) In fact, neither of these extreme views is plausible. Rather, this book offers an alternative (better) way to understand the future of aetiology in regard to the dialectic relationship between cause and effect -- while learning from different approaches in the literature but without favouring any one of them (nor integrating them, since they are not necessarily compatible with each other). More specifically, this book offers a new theory (that is, the pluralist theory of aetiology) to go beyond the existing approaches in a novel way, and is organised in four chapters.

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Book SynopsisThis proposed book on human evolution will be a comprehensive book covering all uncovered issues relevant to human evolution. This book deals with human evolution in exhaustive detail. Up-to-date literature and work (2013-14) have been incorporated, thus including every possible piece of information relevant to the subject. Chapter 1 deals with the historical overview of the subject citing the pre-Darwinian and Darwinian eras, and also covers the genesis of human evolution with Africa as the cradle of human existence. Chapter 2 describes different species of the genus "omo" and also various theories of human dispersal. Chapter 3 is devoted to the anatomical and morphological modifications in the body plan and their role in evolving and diversifying Hominins from their Great Ape ancestors. Chapter 4 discusses evidence from molecular biology, genetics and fossils to validate Hominin evolution. Additionally, fossil evidence and lack thereof for different body parts is also described. Chapter 5 and 6 are especially devoted to the behavioral, social-cultural and cognitive aspects of human evolution. They also describe in detail the development and organization of social structure, and social systems with a note on their role in evolving humans. Chapter 7 is included to analyze the biggest controversy of modern time related to human evolution: "Ida as a missing-link". It critically examines different literature to arrive at impartial and rational conclusion about the controversy. Wherever necessary, text is supplemented with figures, ray diagrams and appendices. Appendices and bullet points are provided at the end of the book for a quick recap of the complete evolutionary process.

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Book SynopsisSince the 20th century, there have been many exciting achievements in the field of ecology and evolution, many of which were formulated using statistical and mathematical functions. In particular, statistical and mathematical models are a necessity for developing some sub-disciplines and theories like population genetics and ecology, neutral theory of molecular evolution and biodiversity, and machine-learning techniques for species distribution modeling. This book serves as an elementary guide to showcase some statistical and mathematical models that have been applied and used in contemporary ecological or evolutionary research. Some models may be old-fashioned, whilst some others have been further extended or developed so as to better address special research questions presented in each chapter of the book. Technical aspects of each statistical model are presented in detail to allow readers to follow and apply their own research and practices.

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Book SynopsisDarwin's theory has become so much part of science that for many it has the standing of biological law. This book challenges the basis of the Darwinian theory of evolution and brings together many discoveries from a variety of fields which cast serious doubts on Darwinian theory. The book has been written to enable non-scientists to assess the validity of the findings for themselves.Table of ContentsThe biblical creation; Darwin's theory of evolution; neo-Darwinian evolution of life on earth; bones; bone; cells; life; the evolution which actually occurred; theories about the origin and the evolution of life on earth.

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Book SynopsisWhat is Man? What is his nature? Where is he going? These are but some of the questions this book is trying to find answers to. They are questions that will take us on a fascinating intellectual journey encompassing politics, history, sociology, philosophy, religion, and science. Along the way you will encounter many great thinkers such as Aristotle and Nietzsche (to name but two) as well as be confronted by some of humanity's most sublime achievements and horrific failures. After reading this book, you will have a better understanding of humankind's potential for good and evil and our chances for survival and transcendence in the not too distant future.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisBy the author of the acclaimed bestseller The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, a brilliant and beautifully told new history of mammals, illuminating the lost story of the extraordinary family tree that led to us [New Scientist; The Times UK]National Bestseller • Top 10 Nonfiction of the Year: Kirkus • Best Science Book of the Year: The Times UKWe humans are the inheritors of a dynasty that has reigned over the planet for nearly 66 million years, through fiery cataclysm and ice ages: the mammals. Our lineage includes saber-toothed tigers, woolly mammoths, armadillos the size of a car, cave bears three times the weight of a grizzly, clever scurriers that outlasted Tyrannosaurus rex, and even other types of humans, like Neanderthals. Indeed humankind and many of the beloved fellow mammals we share the planet with today—lions, whales, dogs—represent only the few survivors of a sprawling and astonishing family tree that has been pruned by time and mass extinctions. How did we get here?In his acclaimed bestseller The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs—hailed as “the ultimate dinosaur biography” by Scientific American—American paleontologist Steve Brusatte enchanted readers with his definitive history of the dinosaurs. Now, picking up the narrative in the ashes of the extinction event that doomed T-rex and its kind, Brusatte explores the remarkable story of the family of animals that inherited the Earth—mammals— and brilliantly reveals that their story is every bit as fascinating and complex as that of the dinosaurs.Beginning with the earliest days of our lineage some 325 million years ago, Brusatte charts how mammals survived the asteroid that claimed the dinosaurs and made the world their own, becoming the astonishingly diverse range of animals that dominate today’s Earth. Brusatte also brings alive the lost worlds mammals inhabited through time, from ice ages to volcanic catastrophes. Entwined in this story is the detective work he and other scientists have done to piece together our understanding using fossil clues and cutting-edge technology.A sterling example of scientific storytelling by one of our finest young researchers, The Rise and Reign of the Mammals illustrates how this incredible history laid the foundation for today’s world, for us, and our future.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisIn this fascinating book, John Maynard Smith and Eors Szathmary present an original picture of evolution. They propose that during evolution there have been a number of major transitions in the way in which information is passed between generations. These transitions include the appearance of the first replicating molecules, the emergence of co-operative animal societies, and the unique language ability of humans. Containing many new ideas, this book is contemporary biology on the grandest scale, from the birth of life to the origin of language.Trade ReviewI can recommend this book as a thoroughly interesting read * Biologist 01/02/2002 *exhilarating reading ... challenging ... stimulates the reader to think deeply on the many issues it raises. * Margaret Ginzburg, Science and Christian belief, Vol.13, No.1, April 2001 *...the authors provide a clear-eyed review of a large part of modern biology. * Scientific American *...the book is well written, stimulating, and full of information nuggets. * Choice *Table of ContentsPREFACE; 1. LIFE AND INFORMATION; 2. THE MAJOR TRANSITIONS; 3. FROM CHEMISTRY TO HEREDITY; 4. FROM THE RNA WORLD TO THE MODERN WORLD; 5. FROM HEREDITY TO SIMPLE CELLS; 6. THE ORIGIN OF EUKARYOTIC CELLS; 7. THE ORIGIN OF SEX; 8. GENETIC CONFLICT; 9. LIVING TOGETHER; 10. THE EVOLUTION OF MANY-CELLED ORGANISMS; 11. ANIMAL SOCIETIES; 12. FROM ANIMAL TO HUMAN SOCIETIES; 13. THE ORIGIN OF LANGUAGE; GLOSSARY; NOTES; FURTHER READING; INDEX

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Book SynopsisIn what will certainly be one of the key works in the emerging science of complexity, Kauffman here presents a brilliant new paradigm for evolutionary biology. It extends the basic concepts of Darwinian evolution to accommodate recent findings and perspectives from the fields of biology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics. The book drives to the heart of the exciting debate on the origins of life and maintenance of order in complex biological systems. It focuses on the concept of self-organization - the first time this concept has been incorporated into evolutionary theory. The book shows how complex systems, contrary to expectations, can spontaneously exhibit stunning degrees of order, and how this order in turn is essential for the emergence and development of life on Earth. Origins of Order will advance our understanding of evolution and provoke considerable discussion among evolutionary, molecular, and developmental biologists.Trade Review. . . an integrative book that will become a landmark and a classic as we grope towards a more comprehensive and satisfying theory of evolution. * Stephen Jay Gould *Stuart Kauffman's book . . . is a global representation of a new field, that will greatly enhance our physical understanding of Nature . . . A superb reading, not limited to physicists and biologists, having most important implications in natural philosophy. * Manfred Eigen *Here is a big book with a big purpose. . . . The Origins of Order is the first book to be written by any of the complexity theorists themselves, and it presents Kauffman's view of the biological realm. . . . The Origins of Order will be seen as a major work in the progression of biological theory. At the very least, Kauffman has made a persuasive case to have his bold hypothesis heard. * Roger Lewin *Table of ContentsPART I: ADAPTATION ON THE EDGE OF CHAOS; PART II: THE CRYSTALLIZATION OF LIFE; PART III: ORDER AND ONTOGENY

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Book SynopsisCan evolutionary theory explain depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders? The authors re-examine this old question in light of current research and show that evolution may provide the essential framework for understanding both everyday human behavior and a range of mental disorders. Their discussion includes up-to-date research on emotions, moods, symptoms, and mental processing. The authors make a compelling case for the view that prominent features of mental disorders are simply adaptive responses to the environment and life''s circumstances and that these responses can only be understood in the context of our long evolutionary past.Trade Review"The authors are psychiatrists who have done distinguished experimental work in primatology. They summarize evolutionary influences on everyday behavior, and argue convincingly for this area as a science basic to psychiatry."--The Quarterly Review of Biology "Darwinian Psychiatry represents a encyclopedic, ambitious and well-argued attempt to convince its readers that the field of psychiatry would benefit from the explicit incorporation of evolutionary theory, and offers nothing short of a complete reconceptualization of mental disorders. McGuire and Troisi are writers of considerable distinction in the psychiatry literature...their scholarship is unmistakable and their shared knowledge startlingly comprehensive. The overall tone of the work is relatively conversational, a style that well befits the obvious familiarity of the authors with the tenets of evolutionary theory and their knowledge of mental conditions. Well thought out, well-structured, and well written...the application of their ideas is both comparatively straightforward and appropriately provocative." -- Metapsychology (Mental Help Net's Bookstore) "The authors are psychiatrists who have done distinguished experimental work in primatology. They summarize evolutionary influences on everyday behavior, and argue convincingly for this area as a science basic to psychiatry."--The Quarterly Review of Biology "Darwinian Psychiatry represents a encyclopedic, ambitious and well-argued attempt to convince its readers that the field of psychiatry would benefit from the explicit incorporation of evolutionary theory, and offers nothing short of a complete reconceptualization of mental disorders. McGuire and Troisi are writers of considerable distinction in the psychiatry literature...their scholarship is unmistakable and their shared knowledge startlingly comprehensive. The overall tone of the work is relatively conversational, a style that well befits the obvious familiarity of the authors with the tenets of evolutionary theory and their knowledge of mental conditions. Well thought out, well-structured, and well written...the application of their ideas is both comparatively straightforward and appropriately provocative." -- Metapsychology (Mental Help Net's Bookstore)Table of ContentsI. Introduction ; 1. Darwinian psychiatry - the context ; 2. Diagnosing and explaining disorders/conditions ; II. An evolutionary context for disorders ; 3. Evolutionary concepts important to psychiatry ; 4. A theory of behavior ; 5. Mechanisms, emotions, moods, symptoms, and affects ; 6. Information processing ; 7. Evolutionary models of disorders/conditions ; 8. Regulation-dysregulation theory ; III. Disorders and conditions in evolutionary context ; 9. Personality disorders ; 10. Anorexia nervosa ; 11. Schizophrenia ; 12. Phobias ; 13. Other conditions ; 14. Dysthymic disorder: a study of infrastructural suboptimality ; IV. Treatment in evolutionary context ; 15. Treatment in evolutionary context ; V. Conclusion ; 16. Summary and conclusion

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Book SynopsisDeath, for bacteria, is not inevitable. Protect a bacterium from predators, and provide it with adequate food and space to grow, and it would continue living--and reproducing asexually--forever. But a paramecium (a slightly more advanced single-cell organism), under the same ideal conditions, would stop dividing after about 200 generations--and die. Death, for paramecia and their offspring, is inevitable. Unless they have sex. If at any point during that 200 or so generations, two of the progeny of our paramecium have sex, their clock will be reset to zero. They and their progeny are granted another 200 generations. Those who fail to have sex eventually die. Immortality for bacteria is automatic; for all other living beings--including humans--immortality depends on having sex. But why is this so? Why must death be inevitable? And what is the connection between death and sexual reproduction? In Sex and the Origins of Death, William R. Clark looks at life and death at the level of the cell, as he addresses such profound questions as why we age, why death exists, and why death and sex go hand in hand. Clark reveals that there are in fact two kinds of cell death--accidental death, caused by extreme cold or heat, starvation, or physical destruction, and programmed cell death, initiated by codes embedded in our DNA. (Bacteria have no such codes.) We learn that every cell in our body has a self-destruct program embedded into it and that cell suicide is in fact a fairly commonplace event. We also discover that virtually every aspect of a cell''s life is regulated by its DNA, including its own death, that the span of life is genetically determined (identical twins on average die 36 months apart, randomly selected siblings 106 months apart), that human tissue in culture will divide some 50 times and then die (an important exception being tumor cells, which divide indefinitely). But why do our cells have such programs? Why must we die? To shed light on this question, Clark reaches far back in evolutionary history, to the moment when inevitable death (death from ageing) first appeared. For cells during the first billion years, death, when it occurred, was accidental; there was nothing programmed into them that said they must die. But fierce competition gradually led to multicellular animals--size being an advantage against predators--and with this change came cell specialization and, most important, germ cells in which reproductive DNA was segregated. When sexual reproduction evolved, it became the dominant form of reproduction on the planet, in part because mixing DNA from two individuals corrects errors that have crept into the code. But this improved DNA made DNA in the other (somatic) cells not only superfluous, but dangerous, because somatic DNA might harbour mutations. Nature''s solution to this danger, Clark concludes, was programmed death--the somatic cells must die. Unfortunately, we are the somatic cells. Death is necessary to exploit to the fullest the advantages of sexual reproduction. In Sex and the Origins of Death, William Clark ranges far and wide over fascinating terrain. Whether describing a 62-year-old man having a major heart attack (and how his myocardial cells rupture and die), or discussing curious life-forms that defy any definition of life (including bacterial spores, which can regenerate after decades of inactivity, and viruses, which are nothing more than DNA or RNA wrapped in protein), this brilliant, profound volume illuminates the miraculous workings of life at its most elemental level and finds in these tiny spaces the answers to some of our largest questions.Trade ReviewAnyone who reckons that science writing is dry stuff may find their outlook broadened by this little book about the biology of death. * New Scientist *

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Book SynopsisFor many of us, the great scientific discoveries of the modern age -- the Big Bang, evolution, quantum physics, relativity -- point to an existence that is bleak, devoid of meaning, pointless. But in The Sacred Depths of Nature, eminent biologist Ursula Goodenough shows us that the scientific world view need not be a source of despair. Indeed, it can be a wellspring of solace and hope. This eloquent volume reconciles the modern scientific understanding of reality with our timeless spiritual yearnings for reverence and continuity. Looking at topics such as evolution, emotions, sexuality, and death, Goodenough writes with rich, uncluttered detail about the workings of nature in general and of living creatures in particular. Her luminous clarity makes it possible for even non scientists to appreciate that the origins of life and the universe are no less meaningful because of our increasingly scientific understanding of them. At the end of each chapter, Goodenough''s spiritual reflections Trade ReviewThe groundwork for a religious naturalism is superbly laid - in this respect the detail and precision with which she [Goodenough] presents the context of our human experience is an important advance on previous authors. The structure of her book is also an important innovation, in its alternation of third-person and first-person perspectives. Most importantly of all, she presents a highly coherent case for the possibility of a planetary ethic which bypasses the authority of scriptural tradition deriving its authority instead from science * Ecotheology *

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Book SynopsisThis text unifies conceptual and empirical advances in evolutionary ecology and provides a volume that can be used as a primary textbook or supplemental reading in an advanced undergraduate or graduate course. The focus is on current concepts in evolutionary ecology and the empirical study of these concepts. Chapters are written by prominent biologists who have made significant contributions to this field and both synthesize the current state of knowledge and identify areas for future investigation. It is divided into five major sections: an overview of the major topics in evolutionary biology for ecologists, and sections on life histories, behaviour, co-evolution, and adaptation to anthropogenic change.Trade Review"[A]n excellent overview of research in evolutionary ecology. The book is extremely up-to-date, authoritative, well written, and ... well produced. ... The editors certainly are to be commended on the list of authors that they have gathered. The table of contents reads like a miniature who's who of evolutionary ecology ... The authors and editors have done a better job of referring between chapters than in any other edited volume I have read. ... a valuable book for a wide audience."--Ecology "This work introduces many of the important topics in evolutionary ecology. ... [the] chapters [are] written almost exclusively by notable scientists ..."--Choice "[E]ven experts working within particular areas of the field will find many of the chapters outside their primary area of research interesting and stimulating ... the 35 authors constitute a vertiable "who's who" in the field. ... the breadth of coverage is impressive ... In many respects the book has a cohesiveness usually found only in single authored works."--The Quarterly Review of Biology "Evolutionary ecology, according to the editors of this collection of essays, combines the two approaches to examine variation in organisms in relation to both past and the present. Edited collections often disappoint but this one does not. One factor in its success is the broad, conceptual theme given to each contribution, covering such topics as variation, natural selection, adaptation, phenotypic plasticity, population structure, inbreeding and outbreeding. . .Each essay sets out the theoretical basis for the topic covered and then it illustrates it with experimental and field examples. . .The level at which the essays are constructed would be suitable for advanced undergraduate studies and ideal for postgraduate students wishing to assimilate an authoritative account on the subject and should be introduced to the current literature. All teachers in such courses should certainly have this book on their shelves."--British Ecological Society "It is a daunting task to develop an integrated text that successfully draws from the diverse disciplines within ecology and evolutionary biology, yet Fox et al. have done this quite well.This text should prove especially useful to professors seeking a well-organized and thorough volume for advanced undergraduate and graduate level courses focusing on evolutionary ecology. ..Given the void of textbooks for teaching evolutionary ecology at the graduate level and the high quality of this volume, we expect Fox et al.'s text to become a standard reader for evolution and ecology graduate programmes, as well as for researchers seeking an up-to-date overview of evolutionary ecology research."--Animal Behaviour "Provides an overview of evolutionary ecology, a field spanning the disciplines of ecology and evolutionary biology and incorporating the techniques and approaches of each. Chapters are written by prominent researchers and are organized into five sections: themes in evolutionary ecology, life histories, behavior, co-evolution, and adaptation to anthropogenic change. For researchers seeking a current overview and graduate or advanced undergraduate students seeking an introduction to the field."--SciTech Book News "[A]n excellent overview of research in evolutionary ecology. The book is extremely up-to-date, authoritative, well written, and ... well produced. ... The editors certainly are to be commended on the list of authors that they have gathered. The table of contents reads like a miniature who's who of evolutionary ecology ... The authors and editors have done a better job of referring between chapters than in any other edited volume I have read. ... a valuable book for a wide audience."--Ecology "This work introduces many of the important topics in evolutionary ecology. ... [the] chapters [are] written almost exclusively by notable scientists ..."--Choice "[E]ven experts working within particular areas of the field will find many of the chapters outside their primary area of research interesting and stimulating ... the 35 authors constitute a vertiable "who's who" in the field. ... the breadth of coverage is impressive ... In many respects the book has a cohesiveness usually found only in single authored works."--The Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of ContentsPART 1: RECURRING THEMES ; 1. Nature and Causes of Variation ; 2. Evolutionary Significance of Variation ; 3. Natural Selection ; 4. Adaptation ; 5. Phenotypic Plasticity ; 6. Population Structure ; 7. Inbreeding and Outbreeding ; PART 2: LIFE HISTORIES ; 8. Age and Size at Maturity ; 9. Offspring Size and Number ; 10. Senescence ; 11. Life Cycles ; 12. Sex and Gender ; 13. Sex Ratios and Sex Allocation ; 14. Ecological Specialization and Generalization ; PART 3: BEHAVIOR ; 15. Mating Systems ; 16. Sexual Selection ; 17. Cooperation and Altruism ; 18. Foraging Behaviour ; 19. The Evolutionary Ecology of Management ; PART 4: INTERSPECIFIC INTERACTIONS ; 20. Ecological Character Displacement ; 21. Predator-Prey Interactions ; 22. Parasite-Host Interactions ; 23. Plant-Herbivore Interactions ; 24. Mutualisms ; 25. The Geographic Dynamics of Coevolution ; PART 5: ADAPTATION TO ANTHROPOGENIC CHANGE ; 26. Pesticide Resistance ; 27. Predicting the Outcome of Biological Control ; 28. Evolutionary Conservation Biology ; REFERENCES ; INDEX

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Book SynopsisGame theory has revolutionized the study of animal behavior. The fundamental principle of evolutionary game theory--that the strategy adopted by one individual depends on the strategies exhibited by others--has proven a powerful tool in uncovering the forces shaping otherwise mysterious behaviors. In this volume, the first since 1982 devoted to evolutionary game theory, leading researchers describe applications of the theory to diverse types of behavior, providing an overview of recent discoveries and a synthesis of current research. The volume begins with a clear introduction to game theory and its explanatory scope. This is followed by a series of chapters on the use of game theory to understand a range of behaviors: social foraging, cooperation, animal contests, communication, reproductive skew and nepotism within groups, sibling rivalry, alternative life-histories, habitat selection, trophic-level interactions, learning, and human social behavior. In addition, the volume includes aTrade Reviewan authoritative and widely accessible overview of the advances in this area * Ethology, Ecology, Evolution *Describes many interesting examples of animal behaviour, including games between foraging producers and scroungers, reciprocal grooming in impala, territorial defence by birds and spiders, animal communication, parent-offspring conflict, and colony founding by ants. There are many accounts of experimental tests of game theory models, along with clear discussions of the limitations of the game theory approach. The quality of writing (often a problem in edited volumes) is uniformly good. The chapter by R. Gomulkiewicz is especially important, because it connects game theory, other optimization methods, and quantitative genetics with a focus on an empirical strategy for detecting adaptation and constraint. --NatureThe book is a worthwhile addition to graduate collections and some undergraduate collections emphasizing behavioral ecology, as most chapters are sufficiently general to be of use for a longer time than the typical symposium volume.--ChoiceListed in Wildlife ActivistTable of Contents1. What is evolutionary game theory ; 2. Game theory and social foraging ; 3. Game theory and cooperation ; 4. Game theory and animal contests ; 5. Game theory and communication ; 6. Game theory, reproductive skew, and nepotism ; 7. Game theory, sibling rivalry, and parent-offspring conflict ; 8. Game theory and inheritance in the conditional strategy ; 9. Game theory and habitat selection ; 10. Game theory and predator-prey response races ; 11. Game theory and learning ; 12. Game theory and human behavior ; 13. Game theory, optimization, and quantitative genetics ; 14. Why we need evolutionary game theory

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Book SynopsisThis book brings together an impressive group of leading scholars in the sciences of complexity, and a few workers on the interface of science and religion, to explore the wider implications of complexity studies. It includes an introduction to complexity studies and explores the concept of information in physics and biology and various philosophical and religious perspectives. Chapter authors include Paul Davies, Greg Chaitin, Charles Bennett, Werner Loewenstein, Paul Dembski, Ian Stewart, Stuart Kauffman, Harold Morowitz, Arthur Peacocke, and Niels H. Gregersen.Trade ReviewMelanie Mitchell's book is most enjoyable, truly inspiring, skillfully written, and, above all, beautifully clear. The author's enthusiasm and passion for the field make the book fascinating to read. Her rigor, clarity, and healthy skepticism make the book sound and the field scientifically stronger. It is an excellent and rigorous account of the scientific field of complexity. She proves by example that it is possible to explain complex systems science with rigor, breadth, depth, and - above all - exquisite clarity * Artificial Life *Table of ContentsPart 1: Introduction ; 1. Towards an Emergentist Worldview ; Part 2: Defining Complexity ; 2. Randomness and Mathematical Proof ; 3. "How to define Complexity in Physics, and Why?" ; Part 3: The Concept of Information in Physics and Biology ; 4. The Emergence of Autonomous Agents ; 5. Complexity and The Arrow of Time ; 6. Can Evolutionary Algorithms Generate Specified Complexity? ; 7. The Second Law of Thermodynamics and the Fourth Law of Thermodynamics ; 8. Two Arrows from a Mighty Bow ; Part 4: Philosophical and Religious Perspectives ; 9. Emergence of Transcendence ; 10. Complexity, Emergence and Divine Creativity ; 11. From Anthropic Design to Self-Organized Complexity

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Book SynopsisA new voice in the nature-nurture debate can be heard at the interface between evolution and development. Phenotypic integration--or, how large numbers of characteristics are related to make up the whole organism, and how these relationships evolve and change their function--is a major growth area in research, attracting the attention of evolutionary biologists, developmental biologists, and geneticists, as well as, more broadly, ecologists, physiologists, and paleontologists. This edited collection presents much of the best and most recent work the topic.Trade ReviewI think this volume will provide stimulating reading for most students, teachers and researchers in a variety of biological disciplines. HeredityTable of ContentsForeword: The diversity of complexity ; Phenotypic Integration: Studying the Ecology and Evolution of Complex Phenotypes ; SECTION I: ADAPTATION AND CONSTRAINTS ; 1. Floral integration, modularity, and accuracy: distinguishing complex adaptations from genetic constraints ; 2. Integration and modularity in the evolution of sexual ornaments: An overlooked perspective ; 3. the Evolution of allometry in modular organisms ; 4. Phenotypic integration as a constraint and adaptation ; 5. Evolvability, stabilizing selection, and the problem of stasis ; SECTION II: PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY AND INTEGRATION ; 6. Studying the plasticity of phenotypic integration in a model organism ; 7. Integrating phenotypic plasticity when death is on the line: Insights from predator-prey systems ; SECTION III: GENETICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF PHENOTYPIC INTEGRATION ; 8. QTL Mapping: a first step towards an understanding of molecular genetic mechanisms behind phenotypic complexity/integration ; 9. Integration, modules, and development: molecules to morphology to evolution ; 10. Studying mutational effects on G-matrices ; SECTION IV: MACROEVOLUTIONARY PATTERNS IN PHENOTYPIC INTEGRATION ; 11. the Macroevolution of phenotypic integration ; 12. Form, Function and Life-History: Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Integration ; 13. Morphological Integration in Primate Evolution ; SECTION V: THEORY AND ANALYSIS OF PHENOTYPIC INTEGRATION ; 14. Phylogenetic comparative analysis of multivariate data ; 15. The Evolution of genetic architecture ; 16. Multivariate phenotypic evolution in developmental hyperspace ; 17. the Relativism of constraints on phenotypic evolution ; 18. The Developmental Systems Perspective: Organism-environment systems as units of development and evolution ; Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThis title consists of 17 papers on the contributions of John Holland by a group of scholars from a wide range of fields, including the Nobel laureates Kenneth Arrow and Herbert Simon, and also Douglas Hofstadter, Brian Arthur, Robert Axelrod, and Melanie Mitchell.Table of ContentsLashon Booker, Stephanie Forrest, Melanie Mitchell, and Rick Riolo: Introduction: Adaptation, Evolution, and Intelligence PART 1: GENETIC ALGOROTHMS AND BEYOND 1: Kenneth DeJong: Genetic Algorithms: A 30 Year Perspective 2: John R. Koza: Human-Competitive Machine Intelligence by Means of Genetic Algorithms 3: David E. Goldberg: John Holland, Facetwise models, and Economy of Thought PART 2: COMPUTATION, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND BEYOND 4: Arthur W. Burks: An Early Graduate Program in Computers and Communications 5: Oliver G. Selfridge: Had We But World Enough and Time 6: Bernard P. Zeigler: Discrete Event Abstraction: An Emerging Paradigm for Modeling Complex Adaptive Systems 7: Herbert A. Simon: Good Old-Fashioned AI and Genetic Algorithms: An Exercise in Translation Scholarship 8: Douglad R. Hofstadter: Moore's Law, Artificial Evolutionm and the Fate of Humanity PART 3: THE NATURAL WORLD AND BEYOND 9: Julian Adams: Evolution of Complexity in Microbial Populations 10: Bobbi S. Low, Doug Finkbeiner, and Carl Simon: Favored Places in the Selfish Herd: Trading Off Food and Security 11: Rick Riolo, Robert Axelrod, and Michael D. Cohen: Tags, Interaction Patterns and the Evolution of Cooperation 12: Robert G. Reynolds and Salah Saleem: The Impact of Environmental Dynamics on Cultural Emergence 13: Kenneth J. Arrow: John Holland and the Evolution of Economics 14: W. Brian Arthur: Cognition: The Black Box of Economics Index

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Book SynopsisThis edition of Are We Hardwired addresses the role of genes in governing behaviour. It explains the genetic and molecular basis of human behaviour within the broader context of animal behaviour generally. Behaviour is treated as a complex interaction of nature and nurture; to understand ourselves fully, neither can be dismissed out of hand.Trade ReviewThis book tells the story of how genes and other aspects of biology such as pheromones and neurotransmitters affect important behaviours such as aggression, eating disorders, drug use and abuse, sexual preference, learning and memory, and mental function. The story begins with the real stars of genetic research - sea slugs, roundworms, and fruit flies - and builds up to what we know about our own species. The story is told in a captivating way--exciting yet erudite. Excellent! * Robert Plomin, MRC Research Professor, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London and author of the upcoming fourth edition of Behaviour Genetics *Are we hardwired? Do billion-year old genes play an important role in human behaviour? Pick up this book. You won't be able to put it down. * Thomas J. Bouchard, Jr., Professor of Psychology, University of Minnesota *Table of Contents1. Mirror, mirror ; 2. In the beginning: the evolutionary origins of behaviour ; 3. The nose knows ; 4. As the worm turns: learning and memory in the roundworm C. elegans ; 5. About genes and behaviour ; 6. Life in the fourth dimension: the role of clocks in regulating behaviour ; 7. You must remember this: the evolution of learning and memory ; 8. The role of neurotransmitters in human behaviour ; 9. The genetics of aggression ; 10. The genetics of consumption, Part 1: eating disorders ; 11. The genetics of consumption, Part II: alcoholism and drug abuse ; 12. The genetics of human mental function ; 13. The genetics of human sexual preference ; 14. Genetics, the environment and free will ; Appendix 1: finding and identifying genes ; Appendix 2: a brief history of eugenics

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Book SynopsisThis book looks back at the simpler versions of mental life in apes, Neanderthals, and our ancestors, back before our burst of creativity started 50,000 years ago. When you can''t think about the future in much detail, you are trapped in a here-and-now existence with no What if? and Why me? William H. Calvin takes stock of what we have now and then explains why we are nearing a crossroads, where mind shifts gears again. The mind''s big bang came long after our brain size stopped enlarging. Calvin suggests that the development of long sentences--what modern children do in their third year--was the most likely trigger. To keep a half-dozen concepts from blending together like a summer drink, you need some mental structuring. In saying I think I saw him leave to go home, you are nesting three sentences inside a fourth. We also structure plans, play games with rules, create structured music and chains of logic, and have a fascination with discovering how things hang together. Our long traTrade ReviewCalvin's history will stretch your mind.... The Seattle scientist writes in a conversational style, often referring to 'stuff.' But it's high-level stuff with surprising insights. * Associated Press *Conversational and colorful, uncluttered by intimidating footnote references.... Calvin is a master both of how minds work in a cultural context, and how brains work on a neuron level. He's also a master at helping ordinary readers understand neurobiology. * Nashville Scene *As always, the author's erudition demands close attention but makes science entertaining and accessible for the layman. * Kirkus Reviews *As a work of writing, A Brief History of the Mind is not just a summary of Calvin's thoughts; it is full of eloquent quotes from other thinkers. It has a good bibliography for readers who wish to explore this subject.... It is hard to imagine a subject of more fundamental interest to human beings. If you've ever wondered why you are who you are, 'A Brief History of the Mind' is a good place to start. * Seattle Times *

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Trade ReviewI have used this book for years * it never fails to engage the students.Nan E. Woodruff, Pennsylvania State University *Excellent for collateral reading in my history and philosophy of education class. * D. Gough, Washington Bible College *An intriguing book well suited to stimulating discussion in an upper-level course. It addresses issues rented to the social and intellectual history of 20th century American. * Daniel B. Murphy, Hanover College *Very valuable in helping students understand the Scopes Trial and modern Creationists. * Lois N. Magner, Purdue University *Very good for supplemental reading in a survey course on religion in America. Lively and stimulating. The book provokes students to get involved. * W. Calvin Smith, University of South Carolina at Aiken *In his brilliant account of the Tennessee 'monkey trial' of 1925, Mr. Ginger gives us a book where history not only records the events of a time but illuminates their significance for all time. * The New Republic *This volume provides a clear, informative and interesting chronicle of the 1925 Scopes trial. It relates the trial to the Zeitgeist of the era. * William Simons, SUNY-Oneonta *

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