Description
Book SynopsisA firsthand account of how a modest moth demonstrated Darwin's theory of natural selection. The extraordinary tale of the humble peppered moth is at the very foundation of our acceptance of Darwinian evolution. When scientists in the early twentieth century discovered that a British population of the small, speckled Biston betularia had become black over the course of mere decades in response to the Industrial Revolution's encroaching soot, the revelation cemented Darwin's theory of natural selection. This finding was the staple example of evolution in action until the turn of the millennium, when proponents of Creationism fomented doubts about the legitimacy of early experiments. In the midst of this upheaval, evolutionary biologist Bruce S. Grant and his contemporaries were determinedly building a dataset that would ultimately vindicate the theory of industrial melanism in the peppered moth and, by extension, the theory of natural selection itself. Observing Evolution tells the rem
Trade ReviewHighly recommended.
—Malcolm Peaker,
Zoology JottingsGrant's writing is accessible, his explanations of complex science easily digestible, and he is full of genuinely amusing stories. If you ever doubted the validity of this iconic example of rapid evolution,
Observing Evolution will set you straight.
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Natural History BookshopFor others who simply enjoy a good scientific detective story, this is among the best.
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British Journal of Entomology and Natural HistoryIn this engaging book, Grant documents the places he went and the extraordinary people he met, on this quest to understand parts of the peppered moth story that did not quite add up.
—James Mallet, Harvard University,
EvolutionHighly recommended for all biology students, especially those interested in entomology and evolutionary biology...It's a real treat to read about some of the giants of entomological research.
—Andrew Wakeham-Dawson,
Entomologist's Monthly MagazineProvides a rare, unfiltered glimpse into what doing science is actually like....For Grant, the process of becoming an authority on peppered moths was a truly ground-up affair that began unplanned, with nothing more than a question. To begin working with Biston, he needed to step outside of what, at the time, was his well-defined scientific comfort zone of lab-based research....On a fundamental level, this book reveals that there's an art to doing science.
—Richard Gawne, Tufts University,
Journal of Experimental Zoology: Molecular and Developmental EvolutionFascinating...Grant's story is both personal and engaging...His book presents a validation of natural selection data plus a critical assessment of speculation over 50 years in a gripping personal science adventure story.
—Stephen J. O'Brien,
Journal of HeredityThis book chronicles Grant's efforts to wrestle with details of the operation of natural selection in wild populations of widely geographically separated species of the peppered moth....Grant is a good writer and a great storyteller....[He] is clearly devoted to the scientific process, and wide open to his research subjects showing him something completely unexpected.
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The American Biology TeacherPerhaps what is most special about Grant's chronicle is the passion with which he writes about scientific practice. His love of biology shines through, and it is quite contagious.
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History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences[Grant] beautifully describes how science works and what it is like to be a practicing evolutionary scientist. I recommend his book to all readers, but especially to students. I cannot think of another volume that might be as great an inspiration.
—Douglas J. Futuyma,
Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of ContentsPreface
Acknowledgments
Part I
1. Passing the Baton
2. Peppered Moths 101
3. Catching Moths Using Light Traps
4. Camouflage
5. The Rest-Site Selection Controversy
6. A Feeling for the Organism
7. Elizabethan Moths
8. Non-Random Rest-Site Selection in Captivity
9. Life at Mountain Lake
10. Travel Arrangements
Part II
11. Wirral Welcome
12. Coffee with the Clarkes
13. Clockwork Orange
14. Surface Reflectance
15. How to Pick Up a Moth
16. The Birch Moth
17. Cultural Assimilation
18. Caterpillars
19. Long Season's End
20. Yankees Go Home
Part III
21. From Field to Lab
22. The Talk
23. The Grand Pub
Part IV
24. Summer School
25. Coauthors
Part V
26. Nihongo
27. Gaijin
28. Reception
29. Around Town
30. In The Field
31. Tajima
32. Fisheries Lab
33. Hokkaido
34. Tourists
35. Nagano
36. East Meets West
Part VI
37. Serendipity
38. Allelic Melanism
39. Conspecific Pheromones
40. Howard Hughes Lecture
41. Mr. Parallel Evolution
42. Aerogrammes
43. Edwin S. George Reserve
44. Farewell and Welcome
45. Nature
46. Round Two
47. Oxfordshire
48. New York Times
49. Expanding Views
50. Epilogue
Bibliography
