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Evolution's Bite: A Story of Teeth, Diet, and Human Origins
by Peter S. UngarWhat teeth can teach us about the evolution of the human speciesWhether we realize it or not, we carry in our mouths the legacy of our evolution. Our teeth are like living fossils that can be studied and compared to those of our ancestors to teach us how we became human. In Evolution's Bite, noted paleoanthropologist Peter Ungar brings together for the first time cutting-edge advances in understanding human evolution and climate change with new approaches to uncovering dietary clues from fossil teeth to present a remarkable investigation into the ways that teeth—their shape, chemistry, and wear—reveal how we came to be. Ungar describes how a tooth's "foodprints"—distinctive patterns of microscopic wear and tear—provide telltale details about what an animal actually ate in the past. These clues, combined with groundbreaking research in paleoclimatology, demonstrate how a changing climate altered the food options available to our ancestors, what Ungar calls the biospheric buffet. When diets change, species change, and Ungar traces how diet and an unpredictable climate determined who among our ancestors was winnowed out and who survived, as well as why we transitioned from the role of forager to farmer. By sifting through the evidence—and the scars on our teeth—Ungar makes the important case for what might or might not be the most natural diet for humans.Traveling the four corners of the globe and combining scientific breakthroughs with vivid narrative, Evolution's Bite presents a unique dental perspective on our astonishing human development.
Evolution's Captain: The Story of the Kidnapping That Led to Charles Darwin's Voyage Aboard the "Beagle"
by Peter NicholsThe story of a visionary but now forgotten English naval officer and the events without which the name Charles Darwin would be unknown to us today.Captain Robert FitzRoy’s first voyage aboard the HMS Beagle had concluded with the kidnapping of four “savages” from Tierra del Fuego. But when his plan to bring them back to England to civilize them as Christian gentlefolk backfired, the second and most famous voyage of the Beagle was born. In naval terms, this second voyage—with twenty-two-year-old Charles Darwin in tow—was a stunning scientific success. But FitzRoy, a fanatical Christian was horrified by the heretical theories Darwin began to develop. As these ideas came to influence the most profound levels of religious and scientific thinking in the nineteenth century, FitzRoy’s knowledge that he had provided Darwin the vehicle for his sacrilegious ideas propelled him irrevocably toward suicide.Praise for Evolution’s Captain“A powerful story played out against a beguiling landscape. . . . Nichols has a finely tuned sense of history.” —New York Times Book Review“A fascinating account. . . . A finely researched, engaging book.” —Atlanta Journal-Constitution“It’ll prove hard not to share [Nichols’s] fascination with how FitzRoy’s naval career inadvertently set off a scientific controversy still flaring to this day.” —Publishers Weekly
Evolution's Empress: Darwinian Perspectives On The Nature Of Women
by Maryanne Fisher Justin Garcia Rosemarie Chang Sarah HrdyOver the last decade, there has been increasing debate as to whether feminism and evolutionary psychology can co-exist. Such debates often conclude with a resounding "no," often on the grounds that the former is a political movement while the latter is a field of scientific inquiry. In the midst of these debates, there has been growing dissatisfaction within the field of evolutionary psychology about the way the discipline (and others) have repeatedly shown women to be in passive roles when it comes to survival and reproduction. Evolutionary behavioral research has made significant strides in the past few decades, but continues to take for granted many theoretical assumption that are perhaps, in light of the most recent evidence, misguided. As a result, the research community has missed important areas of research, and in some cases, will likely come to inaccurate conclusions based on existing dogma, rather than rigorous, theoretically driven research. Bias in the field of evolutionary psychology echoes the complaints against the political movement attached to academic feminisms. This is an intellectual squabble where much is at stake, including a fundamental understanding of the evolutionary significance of women's roles in culture, mothering, reproductive health and physiology, mating, female alliances, female aggression, and female intrasexual competition. Evolution's Empress identifies women as active agents within the evolutionary process. The chapters in this volume focus on topics as diverse as female social interactions, mate competition and mating strategies, motherhood, women's health, sex differences in communication and motivation, sex discrimination, and women in literature. The volume editors bring together a diverse range of perspectives to demonstrate ways in which evolutionary approaches to human behavior have thus far been too limited. By reconsidering the role of women in evolution, this volume furthers the goal of generating dialogue between the realms of women's studies and evolutionary psychology.
Evolution's Eye: A Systems View of the Biology-Culture Divide
by Susan OyamaIn recent decades, Susan Oyama and her colleagues in the burgeoning field of developmental systems theory have rejected the determinism inherent in the nature/nurture debate, arguing that behavior cannot be reduced to distinct biological or environmental causes. In Evolution's Eye Oyama elaborates on her pioneering work on developmental systems by spelling out that work's implications for the fields of evolutionary theory, developmental and social psychology, feminism, and epistemology. Her approach profoundly alters our understanding of the biological processes of development and evolution and the interrelationships between them. While acknowledging that, in an uncertain world, it is easy to "blame it on the genes," Oyama claims that the renewed trend toward genetic determinism colors the way we think about everything from human evolution to sexual orientation and personal responsibility. She presents instead a view that focuses on how a wide variety of developmental factors interact in the multileveled developmental systems that give rise to organisms. Shifting attention away from genes and the environment as causes for behavior, she convincingly shows the benefits that come from thinking about life processes in terms of developmental systems that produce, sustain, and change living beings over both developmental and evolutionary time. Providing a genuine alternative to genetic and environmental determinism, as well as to unsuccessful compromises with which others have tried to replace them, Evolution's Eye will fascinate students and scholars who work in the fields of evolution, psychology, human biology, and philosophy of science. Feminists and others who seek a more complex view of human nature will find her work especially congenial.
Evolution's Purpose
by Steve McintoshDoes the science of evolution really prove that life, humanity, and the universe as a whole are meaningless accidents? On the contrary, as science has increasingly shown how everything in the universe is subject to evolution-including matter, life, and human culture-these very facts reveal that the process of evolution is unmistakably progressive. As we come to see how evolution has progressed throughout our cosmology, biology, and human culture, this reveals evolution's purpose-to grow toward ever-widening realizations of beauty, truth, and goodness. McIntosh argues that the purpose of evolution is not "intelligently designed" or otherwise externally controlled; rather, its purpose is being creatively and originally discerned through the choices of evolutionary creatures themselves. Without relying on any spiritual authorities, the author shows how the scientific story of our origins is actually a profound and sacred teaching compatible with many forms of contemporary spirituality. In EVOLUTION'S PURPOSE, McIntosh discusses:* Science's growing recognition of the phenomenon of emergence, which ties together all forms of evolution* Why traditional philosophies no longer adequately explain the fullness of evolution* Why the idea that evolution is accidental or meaningless is just as mythical as the idea that the world was created in six days* Why growth toward beauty, truth, and goodness harmonizes with scientific truth* Reconciling evolution's purpose with the presence of evil and suffering in the world Taking us from pre-biotic forms of life right up through the development of human consciousness and our global civilization, McIntosh presents a fresh and compelling view of evolutionary science and philosophy that will inspire a deeper understanding of evolution itself and show how it can lead directly to a more evolved world.
Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People
by Joan RoughgardenA celebration of the enormous diversity of genders and sexuality found in animals and among human cultures. Roughgarden explores how and why this range of bodies and behaviors evolved and exposes how biology, medicine, anthropology and Christianity have obstructed the recognition and acceptance of this diversity.
Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People
by Joan RoughgardenIn this innovative celebration of diversity and affirmation of individuality in animals and humans, Joan Roughgarden challenges accepted wisdom about gender identity and sexual orientation. A distinguished evolutionary biologist, Roughgarden takes on the medical establishment, the Bible, social science--and even Darwin himself. She leads the reader through a fascinating discussion of diversity in gender and sexuality among fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals, including primates. Evolution's Rainbow explains how this diversity develops from the action of genes and hormones and how people come to differ from each other in all aspects of body and behavior. Roughgarden reconstructs primary science in light of feminist, gay, and transgender criticism and redefines our understanding of sex, gender, and sexuality. A new preface shows how this witty, playful, and daring book has revolutionized our understanding of sexuality.
Evolution, Complexity and Artificial Life
by Stefano Cagnoni Marco Mirolli Marco VillaniEvolution and complexity characterize both biological and artificial life - by direct modeling of biological processes and the creation of populations of interacting entities from which complex behaviors can emerge and evolve. This edited book includes invited chapters from leading scientists in the fields of artificial life, complex systems, and evolutionary computing. The contributions identify both fundamental theoretical issues and state-of-the-art real-world applications. The book is intended for researchers and graduate students in the related domains.
Evolution, Creationism, and Other Modern Myths: A Critical Inquiry
by Vine Deloria Jr.In his lucid overview of the evolution-creationism debate, a Native American scholar points out that science and religion are divorced only in traditional Western thought. The author of "Custer Died For Your Sins" discusses non-Western belief systems, and cites newer research on animal intelligence as an example of efforts toward a paradigm synthesis. Such phenomena as the ancient astronaut thesis and sacred rocks' power remain to be explained in scientific terms.
Evolution, Creationism, and the Battle to Control America'S Classrooms
by Michael Berkman Eric PlutzerWho should decide what children are taught in school? This question lies at the heart of the evolution-creation wars that have become a regular feature of the U. S. political landscape. Ever since the 1925 Scopes 'monkey trial' many have argued that the people should decide by majority rule and through political institutions; others variously point to the federal courts, educational experts, or scientists as the ideal arbiter. Berkman and Plutzer illuminate who really controls the nation's classrooms. Based on their innovative survey of 926 high school biology teachers they show that the real power lies with individual educators who make critical decisions in their own classrooms. Broad teacher discretion sometimes leads to excellent instruction in evolution. But the authors also find evidence of strong creationist tendencies in America's public high schools. More generally, they find evidence of a systematic undermining of science and the scientific method in many classrooms.
Evolution, Development and Complexity: Multiscale Evolutionary Models of Complex Adaptive Systems (Springer Proceedings in Complexity)
by Georgi Yordanov Georgiev John M. Smart Claudio L. Flores Martinez Michael E. PriceThis book explores the universe and its subsystems from the three lenses of evolutionary (diversifying), developmental (converging), and complex (adaptive) processes at all scales. It draws from prolific experts within the academic disciplines of complexity science, physical science, information and computer science, theoretical and evo-devo biology, cosmology, astrobiology, evolutionary theory, developmental theory, and philosophy.The chapters come from a Satellite Meeting, "Evolution, Development and Complexity" (EDC) hosted at the Conference on Complex Systems, in Cancun, 2017. The contributions will be peer-reviewed and contributors from outside the conference will be invited to submit chapters to ensure full coverage of the topics.This book explores many issues within the field of EDC such as the interaction of evolutionary stochasticity and developmental determinism in biological systems and what they might teach us about these twin processes in other complex systems. This text will appeal to students and researchers within the complex systems and EDC fields.
Evolution, Development and Ecology of Anemonefishes: Model Organisms for Marine Science
by Vincent Laudet and Timothy RavasiAnemonefishes, one of the most popular and recognizable of fishes in the world, are much more than film characters; they are also emerging model organisms for studying the biology, ecology, and evolution of coral reef fishes. They are a group of 28 species often employed to study patterns and processes of social organization, intra- and inter-specific competition, sex change, mutualism, dispersal and connectivity of fish populations, habitat selection, pigment pattern formation, lifespan and predator-prey interactions. This multi-authored book covers all these areas and provides an update on the research done with this model and the perspective it opens for the future. Key Features Contains basic and up-to-date information on an emerging fish model Allows non-specialist readers to grasp the relevance of a wide research area Provides accurate and easy to access information on each of the 28 species Includes guidance for establishing a breeding colony Documents that anemonefishes are useful model organisms for ecological, developmental and climate research The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.
Evolution, Ecology and Conservation of Lorises and Pottos (Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology)
by Anne M. Burrows Nekaris K. A. I.Furry and wide-eyed, lorises and pottos are small, nocturnal primates inhabiting African, Asian and Southeast Asian tropical and subtropical forests. Their likeable appearance, combined with their unusual adaptations - from a marked reduction of the tail to their mostly slow, deliberate locomotion, powerful grasping and, in some species, a venomous bite - has led to a significant rise in research interest in the family Lorisidae over the last decade. Furthermore, lorises in particular have featured frequently in international media largely due to illegal trade, for example as pets. This is the first volume to present a full picture of the breadth of research being undertaken on lorisids to aid future studies as well as conservation efforts. Focusing on five key topics: evolutionary biology, ecomorphology, behavioural ecology, captive management and conservation, this book is a vital read for graduate students and researchers in primatology, biological anthropology, evolutionary biology, animal behaviour and conservation.
Evolution, Games, and God
by Sarah Coakley Martin A. NowakEvolution, Games, and God explores how cooperation and altruism, alongside mutation and natural selection, play a critical role in evolution, from microbes to human societies. Inheriting a tendency to cooperate and self-sacrifice on behalf of others may be as beneficial to a population’s survival as the self-preserving instincts of individuals.
Evolution, Kultur und Kriminalität
by Christian LaueDie Evolutionsbiologie gilt einerseits als Königsdisziplin der Biologie, andererseits wird sie nach den erschreckenden Erfahrungen mit der Kriminalbiologie vor allem mit Eugenik, Sozialdarwinismus und Rassismus in Verbindung gebracht. Tatsächlich bietet die Evolutionstheorie viele Antworten auf kriminologisch interessante Fragen. Der Autor überbrückt den Graben zwischen sozialwissenschaftlich orientierter Kriminologie und den Biowissenschaften und untersucht, inwieweit neue Erkenntnisse aus der Evolutionsbiologie die Kriminologie bereichern können.
Evolution, Morality and the Fabric of Society (Elements in the Philosophy of Biology)
by R. Paul ThompsonRecent interest in the evolution of the social contract is extended by providing a throughly naturalistic, evolutionary account of the biological underpinnings of a social contract theory of morality. This social contract theory of morality (contractevolism) provides an evolutionary justification of the primacy of a moral principle of maximisation of the opportunities for evolutionary reproductive success (ERS), where maximising opportunities does not entail an obligation on individuals to choose to maximise their ERS. From that primary principle, the moral principles of inclusion, individual sovereignty (liberty) and equality can be derived. The implications of these principles, within contractevolism, are explored through an examination of patriarchy, individual sovereignty and copulatory choices, and overpopulation and extinction. Contractevolism is grounded in evolutionary dynamics that resulted in humans and human societies. The most important behavioural consequences of evolution to contractevolism are reciprocity, cooperation, empathy, and the most important cognitive consequences are reason and behavioural modification.
Evolution, Origin of Life, Concepts and Methods
by Pierre PontarottiThis book presents 15 selected contributions to the 22nd Evolutionary Biology Meeting, which took place in September 2018 in Marseille. They are grouped under the following major themes: · Origin of Life · Concepts and Methods · Genome and Phenotype Evolution The aims of these annual meetings in Marseille are to bring together leading evolutionary biologists and other scientists who employ evolutionary biology concepts, e.g. for medical research, and to promote the exchange of ideas and encourage interdisciplinary collaborations. Offering an up-to-date overview of recent advances in the field of evolutionary biology, this book represents an invaluable source of information for scientists, teachers and advanced students.
Evolution, the Logic of Biology
by John S. Torday Virender K. RehanBy focusing on the cellular mechanisms that underlie ontogeny, phylogeny and regeneration of complex physiologic traits, Evolution, the Logic of Biology demonstrates the use of homeostasis, the fundamental principle of physiology and medicine, as the unifying mechanism for evolution as all of biology. The homeostasis principle can be used to understand how environmental stressors have affected physiologic mechanisms to generate condition-specific novelty through cellular mechanisms. Evolution, the Logic of Biology allows the reader to understand the vertebrate life-cycle as an intergenerational continuum in support of effective, on-going environmental adaptation. By understanding the principles of physiology from their fundamental unicellular origins, culminating in modern-day metazoans, the reader as student, researcher or practitioner will be encouraged to think in terms of the prevention of disease, rather than in the treatment of disease as the eradication of symptoms. By tracing the ontogeny and phylogeny of this and other phenotypic homologies, one can perceive and understand how complex physiologic traits have mechanistically evolved from their simpler ancestral and developmental origins as cellular structures and functions, providing a logic of biology for the first time. Evolution, the Logic of Biology will be an invaluable resource for graduate students and researchers studying evolutionary development, medicine and biology, anthropology, comparative and developmental biology, genetics and genomics, and physiology.
Evolution-Revolution: Patterns of Development in Nature Society, Man and Knowledge (Routledge Revivals)
by Ervin Laszlo Rubin GoetskyOriginally published in 1971 Evolution – Revolution is an interdisciplinary volume examining inquiry around the central topic of evolution and revolution. Containing contributions from a number of eminent academics of the time, the book addresses the meaning and application of evolution and revolution in the context, not of what things are, or even how they behave, but how they become. The broad interdisciplinary range of essays explores this concept through the idea of development and change and argues that both change, and development must be measured against concepts of flux and that which endures. The editors of the book suggest that these are the ‘invariants’ which contemporary thinkers are beginning to accept as the process-counterparts of Platonic ‘immutables’. Thus this volume examines the two ‘immutables’ of evolution and revolution. The book covers the concept through essays in science, philosophic concepts of rationalism and existentialism, art and religion.
Evolution-adjusted Tumor Pathophysiology: The Novel Language of Tumor Biology
by Albrecht ReichleCombined modularized therapies for metastatic cancer are pointing to central problems of communication among 'systems participators'. A communication theory explains 'social engineering', endogenously induced or by implementing non-normative boundary conditions. Evolution-adjusted tumor pathophysiology is borne by an evolution theory, which contrasts narrative evolution histories. The tool of rationalizations constituting the tumor's normativity (inflammation, immune response etc.) represents the non-genomic counterpart of the tumor genome and should be additionally assessed during tumor staging. Evolution-adjusted tumor pathophysiology allows implementing applied systems biology, a novel clinical and pharmaceutical technology for bioengineering tumor response and personalizing tumor therapy. Combined modularized therapy, evolution-adjusted tumor pathophysiology, and 'universal' biomarkers concertedly address genetically based tumor heterogeneity.
Evolution: A Beginner's Guide (Beginner's Guides)
by Burton GuttmanCovering everything from fossilized dinosaurs to intelligent apes, this is an accessible guide to one of the most important scientific theories of all time. Burt Guttman assumes no prior scientific knowledge on the part of the reader, and explains each of the key ideas and concepts, including natural selection, genetics and the evolution of animal behavior, in a lively and informative way. Looking ahead to the future of evolutionary theory, and assessing its possible implications for the way we understand morality, human nature and our place in the world, this book provides the perfect starting point for understanding what evolution is and why it matters.
Evolution: A Developmental Approach
by Wallace ArthurThis book is aimed at students taking courses on evolution in universities and colleges. Its approach and its structure are very different from previously-published evolution texts. The core theme in this book is how evolution works by changing the course of embryonic and post-embryonic development. In other words, it is an evolution text that has been very much influenced by the new approach of evolutionary developmental biology, or 'evo-devo'. Key themes include the following: developmental repatterning; adaptation and coadaptation; gene co-option; developmental plasticity; the origins of evolutionary novelties and body plans; and evolutionary changes in the complexity of organisms. As can be seen from this list, the book includes information across the levels of the gene, the organism, and the population. It also includes the issue of mapping developmental changes onto evolutionary trees. The examples used to illustrate particular points range widely, including animals, plants and fossils. "I have really enjoyed reading this book. One of the strengths of the book is the almost conversational style. I found the style easy to read, but also feel that it will be invaluable in teaching. One of our tasks in university level teaching is to develop students' critical thinking skills. We need to support them in their intellectual development from a "just the facts" approach to being able to make critical judgements based on available evidence. The openness and honesty with which Arthur speaks to uncertainty in science is refreshing and will be a baseline for discussions with students." -Professor Patricia Moore, Exeter University "This book, written as an undergraduate text, is a really most impressive book. Given the burgeoning interest in the role of developmental change in evolution in recent times, this will be a very timely publication. The book is well structured and, like the author's other books, very well written. He communicates with a clear, lucid style and has the ability to explain even the more difficult concepts in an accessible manner." ---Professor Kenneth McNamara, University of Cambridge The companion site can be found at www.wiley.com/go/arthur/evolution. Here you download all figures from the book, captions, tables, and table of contents.
Evolution: A Very Short Introduction
by Brian CharlesworthThis book covers the crucial role of evolutionary biology in transforming our view of human origins and relation to the universe, and its impact on traditional philosophy and religion. Furthermore, it explains the most important basic findings and procedures in the area, and how it has developed since the first publications of Darwin and Wallace 150 years ago.
Evolution: An Evolving Theory
by Charles Devillers Jean ChalineIs evolution predictible? Taking into account the results of such diverse disciplines of natural sciences as e. g. genetics embryology, ecology, palaeontology on the threshold of the coming century, the authors stretch out their ideas for discussing this question. Charles Devillers, biologist, and Jean Chaline, palaeontologist and geologist, developed a new assessment of the historic framework of evolution, based on their longterm experiences in scientific research, also including philosophical aspects to life. They aimed the book at a publicreceptive to problems of the origin and evolution of life and especially of mankind to teachers and scientists of various topics in the sciences of life, Earth and the Universe.
Evolution: Classical Philosophy Meets Quantum Science
by Somnath BhattacharyyaThis book reconceptualizes the ancient philosophy of 'dualism' and a 'trinity' applied to classical and quantum nonequilibrium phenomena. In addition to classical mechanics and electrodynamics, a remarkable connection of this philosophy with quantum mechanics is established, which can be useful for quantum computing and the development of quantum artificial intelligence. Packed with the recent theoretical models, quantum simulations of black holes, and experimental observations of quantum phase transitions, this book brings a holistic approach that can be useful to refine the concept of the 'Creation', i.e., the evolution of the Universe from the condensed state of matter, and explain the artificial vision. The approch is: Unique: Connects ancient philosophy, classical and quantum mechanics, materials, and the latest quantum technologies. Novelty: High level of scientific interpretation of ancient philosophy, creation, interactions, and disorder. Multidisciplinary: Guides students to learn quantum simulations and develop philosophical ideas. The book contains over ten years of in-depth research by the author on the ancient eastern (Indian) philosophy and the latest scientific research in condensed matter and quantum technology. This book will simplify the picture of ancient eastern philosophy, which can be read by the general audience, particularly undergraduate/postgraduate students interested in quantum information science without any mathematical treatment. However, some parts of the book will be ideal for senior academicians and professional researchers in both worlds.