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Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Life sciences: general issues > Evolution
Crustaceans, due to the great diversity of their body organization,
segmentation patterns, tagmatization, limb types, larval forms,
cleavage, and gastrulation modes, are highly desirable for the
study of questions at the interface of evolution and development.
Modern interest in evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo)
rests on the molecular genetic approach and a variety of molecular
techniques have proven fruitful when performed on crustaceans.
Where and when did man make his first appearance on this earth? The object of this book is to bring before the public such further facts and values regarding the evolution of man. After studies Churchwood made during many years, he is now fully convinced that the hitherto preconceived ideas of many scientists regarding the origin of the human race, both as to place and date, are erroneous, and evidence will be brought forward to prove that the human race did not originate in Asia, but in Africa.
"Evolutionism in Cultural Anthropology"traces the interaction of evolutionary thought and anthropological theory from Herbert Spencer to the twenty-first century. It is a focused examination of how the idea of evolution has continued to provide anthropology with a master principle around which a vast body of data can be organized and synthesized. Erudite and readable, and quoting extensively from early theorists (such as Edward Tylor, Lewis Henry Morgan, John McLennan, Henry Maine, and James Frazer) so that the reader might judge them on the basis of their own words, "Evolutionism in Cultural Anthropology" is useful reading for courses in anthropological theory and the history of anthropology.
Crisis in Sociology presents a compelling portrait of sociology's current troubles and proposes a controversial remedy. In the authors' view, sociology's crisis has deep roots, traceable to the over-ambitious sweep of the discipline's founders. Generations of sociologists have failed to focus effectively on the tasks necessary to build a social science. The authors see sociology's most disabling flaw in the failure to discover even a single general law or principle. This makes it impossible to systematically organize empirical observations, guide inquiry by suggesting falsifiable hypotheses, or form the core of a genuinely cumulative body of knowledge. Absent such a theoretical tool, sociology can aspire to little more than an amorphous mass of hunches and disconnected facts. The condition engenders confusion and unproductive debate. It invites fragmentation and predation by applied social disciplines, such as business administration, criminal justice, social work, and urban studies. Even more dangerous are incursions by prestigious social sciences and by branches of evolutionary biology that constitute the frontier of the current revolution in behavioral science. Lopreato and Crippen argue that unless sociology takes into account central developments in evolutionary science, it will not survive as an academic discipline. Crisis in Sociology argues that participation in the "new social science," exemplified by thriving new fields such as evolutionary psychology, will help to build a vigorous, scientific sociology. The authors analyze research on such subjects as sex roles, social stratification, and ethnic conflict, showing how otherwise disconnected features of the sociological landscape can in fact contribute to a theoretically coherent and cumulative body of knowledge.
This multidisciplinary book focuses on the relationships and interactions between palaeobiogeography, biogeography, dispersal, vicariance, migrations and evolution of organisms in the SE Asia-Australasian region. The book investigates biogeographic links between SE Asia and Australasia which go back more than 500 million years. It also focuses on the links between geological evolution and biological migrations and evolution in the region. It was in the SE Asian region that Alfred Russell Wallace established his biogeographic line, now known as Wallace's Line, which was the beginning of biogeography. Wallace also independently developed his theory of evolution based on his work in this area.;The book brings together, for the first time, geologists, palaeontologists, zoologists, botanists, entomologists, evolutionary biologists and archaeologists, in the one volume, to relate the region's geological past to its present biological peculiarities. The book is organized into six sections. Section 1 Paleobiogeographic Background provides overviews of the geological and tectonic evolution of SE Asia-Australasia, and changing patterns of land and sea for the last 540 million years. Section 2 Palaeozoic and Mesozoic Geology and Biogeography discusses Palaeozoic and Mesozoic biogeography of conodonts, brachiopods, plants, dinosaurs and radiolarians and the recognition of ancient biogeographic boundaries or Wallace Lines in the region. Section 3 Wallace's Line focuses on the biogeographic boundary established by Wallace, including the history of its establishment, its significance to biogeography in general and its applicability in the context of modern biogeography.;Section 4 Plant biogeography and evolution includes discussion on primitive angiosperms, the diaspora of the southern rushes, and environmental, climatic and evolutionary implications of plants and palynomorphs in the region. The biogeography and migration of insects, butterflies, birds, rodents and other non-primate mammals is discussed in section 5, Non Primates. The final section 6 Primates focuses on the biogeographic radiation, migration and evolution of primates and includes papers on the occurrence and migration of early hominids and the requirements for human colonization of Australia.
Tracing evolution over millions of years, Michael Graziano shows how neurons first allowed animals to develop simple forms of attention: taking in messages from the environment, prioritising them and responding as necessary. Then covert attention evolved-a roving, mental focus separate from where the senses are pointed. To monitor and control covert attention, Graziano posits in his attention schema theory, the brain evolved a simplified model of it-a cartoonish self-description depicting an internal essence with a capacity for knowledge and experience. In other words, consciousness. That self model gives us our intuitions about consciousness and makes us empathetic social beings as we attribute it to others. The theory implies that uploading the data structure of consciousness into machines will be possible and he discusses what artificial consciousness will mean for our evolutionary future.
Martin Nowak, one of the world's experts on evolution and game theory, working here with bestselling science writer Roger Highfield, turns an important aspect of evolutionary theory on its head to explain why cooperation, not competition, has always been the key to the evolution of complexity. In his first book written for a wide audience, this hugely influential scientist explains his cutting-edge research into the mysteries of cooperation, from the rise of multicellular life to Good Samaritans, and from cancer treatment to the success of large companies. With wit and clarity, and an eye to its huge implications, Nowak and Highfield make the case that cooperation, not competition, is the defining human trait. "SuperCooperators "will expand our understanding of evolution and provoke debate for years to come.
Economics is traditionally taken to be the social science concerned with the production, consumption, exchange, and distribution of wealth and commodities. Economists carefully track the comings and goings of the human household, whether written small (microeconomics) or large (macroeconomics) and attempt to predict future patterns under different situations. However, in constructing their models of economic behavior, economists often lose sight of the actual characteristics and motivations of their human subjects. In consequence, they have found the goal of an explanatory and predictive science to be elusive. Economics as an Evolutionary Science reorients economics toward a more direct appreciation of human nature, with an emphasis on what we have learned from recent advances in evolutionary science. The authors integrate economics and evolution to produce a social science that is rigorous, internally coherent, testable, and consistent with the natural sciences. The authors suggest an expanded definition of "fitness," as in Darwin's survival of the fittest, emphasizing not only the importance of reproduction and the quality of offspring, but also the unique ability of humans to provide material wealth to their children. The book offers a coherent explanation for the recent decline in fertility, which is shown to be consistent with the evolutionary goal of maximizing genetic success. In addition, the authors demonstrate the relevance to economics of several core concepts derived from biologists, including the genetics of parent-offspring conflict, inclusive fitness theory, and the phenomena of R-selection and K-selection. The keystone of their presentation is a cogent critique of the traditional concept of "utility." As the authors demonstrate, the concept can be modified to reflect the fundamental evolutionary principle whereby living things-including human beings-have been selected to behave in a manner that maximizes their genetic representation in future generations. Despite the extraordinary interest in applying evolutionary biology to other disciplines, Economics as an Evolutionary Science marks the first major attempt at a synthesis of biology and economics. Scholarly yet accessible, this volume offers unique and original perspectives on an entire discipline. Arthur E. Gandolfi is vice president and senior portfolio manager for Citicorp Bank Cards Treasury. He is co-author of The International Transmission of Inflation. Anna Sachko Gandolfi is professor of economics, finance, and management at Manhattanville College at Purchase, NY. David P. Barash is professor of psychology and zoology at the University of Washington where he has taught since 1973. He is the author of twenty books and more than 170 technical articles.
The issues surrounding Darwin's theory of evolution as a function of the survival of the fittest have hardly abated since they were initially promulgated about 150 ago. The reason is clear: behind the theory of evolution is a doctrine of the structure of organisms that can be explained only by fitting the adaptation to the external world. The older doctrines of creation have been at odds with evolutionism from the outset--sometimes utilizing straight theological arguments and at other times employing sophisticated scientific arguments. Into the breach steps Friedrich S. Rothschild, a trained neurologist, psychologist and physician. On the basis of his research in comparative embryology, Rothschild argues that the central nervous system of animals as well as humans conveys meaning just like language, and is not just a system aimed at adaptation to the external environment. His theory of biosemiotics introduces the concept of inner adaptation. This adaptation to the principal forces assigns meaning to life. In monotheistic religions this force is called God. The issue of adaptation is therefore both external and internal, related to the growth of the person no less than it is to the environment. This book is intended for those who are interested in life and its varied meanings, to students of sociobiology and medicine as well as those concerned with humanities. " Friedrich S. Rothschild" graduated from medical school in 1923, went on to specialize in psychiatry, studying under Erich Fromm and Kurt Goldstein. In 1936 he emigrated from Germany to Palestine. After the establishment of the State of Israel, he served as professor of psychiatry at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is the author of "Symbolism of Brain Structure; The Ego and the Regulation of the Perception Process; "and "The Central Nervous System as Symbolic Perception. "
In this new fourth edition, Campbell has revised and updated his classic introduction to the field. "Human Evolution "synthesizes the major findings of modern research and theory and presents a complete and integrated account of the evolution of human beings. New developments in microbiology and recent fossil records are incorporated into the enormous range of this volume, with the resulting text as lucid and comprehensive as earlier editions. The fourth edition retains the thematic structure and organization of the third, with its cogent treatment of human variability and speciation, primate locomotion, and nonverbal communication and the evolution of language, supported by more than 150 detailed illustrations and an expanded and updated glossary and bibliography. As in prior editions, the book treats evolution as a concomitant development of the main behavioral and functional complexes of the genus "Homo" - among them motor control and locomotion, mastication and digestion, the senses and reproduction. It analyzes each complex in terms of its changing function, and continually stresses how the separate complexes evolve "interdependently" over the long course of the human journey. All these aspects are placed within the context of contemporary evolutionary and genetic theory, analyses of the varied extensions of the fossil record, and contemporary primatology and comparative morphology. The result is a primary text for undergraduate and graduate courses, one that will also serve as required reading for anthropologists, biologists, and nonspecialists with an interest in human evolution.
Late-1990s developments in the study of thermophiles have had
considerable significance on theories of evolution. These
micro-organisms are able to thrive at temperatures near or even
above 100 degrees Celsius, and scientists have begun to study their
biology in an attempt to provide clues about the beginnings of life
on our planet.
We live in a world surrounded by remarkable cultural achievements of human kind. Almost every day we hear of new innovations in technology, in medicine and in the arts which remind us that humans are capable of remarkable creativity. But what is human creativity? The modern world provides a tiny fraction of cultural diversity and the evidence for human creativity, far more can be seen by looking back into prehistory. The book examines how our understanding of human creativity can be extended by exploring this phenomenon during human evolution and prehistory. The book offers unique perspectives on the nature of human creativity from archaeologists who are concerned with long term patterns of cultural change and have access to quite different types of human behaviour than that which exists today. It asks whether humans are the only creative species, or whether our extinct relatives such as Homo habilis and the Neanderthals also displayed creative thinking. It explores what we can learn about the nature of human creativity from cultural developments during prehistory, such as changes in the manner in which the dead were buried, monuments constructed, and the natural world exploited. In doing so, new light is thrown on these cultural developments and the behaviour of our prehistoric ancestors. By examining the nature of creativity during human evolution and prehistory these archaeologists, supported by contributions from psychology, computer science and social anthropology, show that human creativity is a far more diverse and complex phenomena than simply flashes of genius by isolated individuals. Indeed they show that unless perspectives from prehistory are taken into account, our understanding of human creativity will be limited and incomplete.
Primate Evolution and Human Origins compiles, for the first time, the major ideas and publications that have shaped our current view of the evolutionary biology of the primates and the origin of the human line. Designed for freshmen-to-graduate students in anthropology, paleontology, and biology, the book is a unique collection of classic papers, culled from the past 20 years of research. It is also an important reference for academicians and researchers, as it covers the entire scope of primate and human evolution (with an emphasis on the fossil record). A comprehensive bibliography cites over 2000 significant articles not found in the main text.
A portable and pocket-sized guide to foundational bioscience and biomedical science laboratory skills The newly revised Second Edition of Basic Bioscience Laboratory Techniques: A Pocket Guide delivers a foundational and intuitive pocket reference text that contains essential information necessary to prepare reagents, perform fundamental laboratory techniques, and analyze and interpret data. This latest edition brings new updates to health and safety considerations, points of good practice, and explains the basics of molecular work in the lab. Perfect for first year undergraduate students expected to possess or develop practical laboratory skills, this reference is intended to be accessed quickly and regularly and inform the reader's lab techniques and methods. It assumes no prior practical knowledge and offers additional material that can be found online. The book also includes: A thorough introduction to the preparation of solutions in bioscience research Comprehensive explorations of microscopy and spectrophotometry and data presentation Practical discussions of the extraction and clarification of biological material, as well as electrophoresis of proteins and nucleic acids In-depth examinations of chromatography, immunoassays, and cell culture techniques Basic Bioscience Laboratory Techniques: A Pocket Guide is an indispensable reference for first year students at the BSc level, as well as year one HND/Foundation degree students. It's also a must-read resource for international masters' students with limited laboratory experience. In addition, it is a valuable aide-memoire to UG and PG students during their laboratory project module.
From breasts and orgasms to periods, pregnancies, and menopause-A Brief History of the Female Body is a fascinating science book explaining the mysteries of the female body through an evolutionary lens. Let's face it: The female body is an enigma. For teenagers first experiencing their periods, the monthly arrival of mood swings and cramps can be agonizing and inconvenient. With pregnancy-perhaps the most miraculous of bodily events-comes countless potential complications, including high blood pressure, diabetes, premature birth, and postpartum depression. And menopause is equally mystifying. Why do females lose their fertility over time and experience the notorious side effects-like hot flashes, weight gain, and hair loss-while males maintain their fertility forever? Evolutionary geneticist and educator Dr. Deena Emera has spent much of her career studying the evolution of female reproduction. A Brief History of the Female Body draws on her vast expertise as a biologist, her experience as a mother of four children, and her love of teaching to look far into our evolutionary past, illuminating how and, more importantly, why the female form has transformed over millions of years and its effects on women's health.
"Instinct and Revelation" revolves around the hypothesis that mystical awareness in early hominids may have helped to spawn the evolution of the human brain and human consciousness. Using an integral perspective comparable with systems theory, the book carefully interweaves fact and theory from physical and cultural anthropology, psychobiology and the brain sciences, psychology, and to a lesser degree, Eastern philosophy. This book breaks from tradition by discussing, from a purely anthropological perspective, the origin of human consciousness within a philosophical framework that embraces precepts from human evolution, evolutionary psychobiology, biocultural anthropology and cultural symbolic anthropology. The book's central theme is that transcendental awareness of one of its precursors may have existed in proto-humans who lived over one million years ago. The author proposes that some form of transcendental consciousness proved to be a significant but neglected force that helped shape the biological evolution of the hominid brain.
What a pity it would have been if biologists had refused to accept
Darwin's theory of natural selection, which has been essential in
helping biologists understand a wide range of phenomena in many
animal species. These days, to study any animal species while
refusing to consider the evolved adaptive significance of their
behavior would be considered pure folly--unless, of course, the
species is "homo sapiens." Graduate students training to study this
particular primate species may never take a single course in
evolutionary theory, although they may take two undergraduate and
up to four graduate courses in statistics. These methodologically
sophisticated students then embark on a career studying human
aggression, cooperation, mating behavior, family relationships, or
altruism with little or no understanding of the general
evolutionary forces and principles that shaped the behaviors they
are investigating. This book hopes to redress that wrong.
Darwinism is fast becoming an orthodoxy of modern thought, a framework within which a wide range of knowledge communities conduct their discourse. Ever since its formation, Darwinian theory has experienced a close, though not always comfortable, association with economics. Evolutionary economists now appear to show little concern for the consistency of knowledge in their embrace of Darwinism. Darwinism and Evolutionary Economics brings together contributions from eminent authors who, building on Darwin's own insights and on developments in evolutionary theory, offer challenging views on how economics can use evolutionary ideas effectively. This collection of critical essays provides a thorough examination of the application of Darwinian theory to economic thought, and will appeal to evolutionary economists and all those with an interest in Darwin, innovation and evolutionary science. |
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