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Evolutionary Theory and the Creation Controversy
by Olivier RieppelEvolutionary theory addresses the phenomenon of the origin and diversity of plant and animal species that we observe. In recent times, however, it has become a predominant ideology which has gained currency far beyond its original confines. Attempts to understand the origin and historical development of human culture, civilization and language, of the powers of human cognition, and even the origin of the moral and ethical values guiding and constraining everyday life in human societies are now cast in an evolutionary context. In "Evolutionary Theory and the Creation Controversy" the author examines evolutionary theory from a historical perspective, explaining underlying metaphysical backgrounds and fundamental philosophical questions such as the paradoxical problem of change, existence and creation. He introduces the scientists involved, their research results and theories, and discusses the evolution of evolutionary theory against the background of Creationism and Intelligent Design.
Evolutionary Thinking Across Disciplines: Problems and Perspectives in Generalized Darwinism (Synthese Library #478)
by Agathe Du Crest Martina Valković André Ariew Hugh Desmond Philippe Huneman Thomas A. C. ReydonThis volume aims to clarify the epistemic potential of applying evolutionary thinking outside biology, and provides a survey of the current state of the art in research on relevant topics in the life sciences, the philosophy of science, and the various areas of evolutionary research outside the life sciences. By bringing together chapters by evolutionary biologists, systematic biologists, philosophers of biology, philosophers of social science, complex systems modelers, psychologists, anthropologists, economists, linguists, historians, and educators, the volume examines evolutionary thinking within and outside the life sciences from a multidisciplinary perspective. While the chapters written by biologists and philosophers of science address theoretical aspects of the guiding questions and aims of the volume, the chapters written by researchers from the other areas approach them from the perspective of applying evolutionary thinking to non-biological phenomena. Taken together, the chapters in this volume do not only show how evolutionary thinking can be fruitfully applied in various areas of investigation, but also highlight numerous open problems, unanswered questions, and issues on which more clarity is needed. As such, the volume can serve as a starting point for future research on the application of evolutionary thinking across disciplines.
The Evolutionary Trajectory: The Growth of Information in the History and Future of Earth
by Richard L CorenCoren's empirically based Evolutionary Trajectory is the result of an innovative application of a cybernetic model of change and growth to the study of evolution.
Evolutionary Transitions to Multicellular Life
by Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo Aurora M. NedelcuThe book integrates our understanding of the factors and processes underlying the evolution of multicellularity by providing several complementary perspectives (both theoretical and experimental) and using examples from various lineages in which multicellularity evolved. Recent years marked an increased interest in understanding how and why these transitions occurred, and data from various fields are providing new insights into the forces driving the several independent transitions to multicellular life as well as into the genetic and molecular basis for the evolution of this phenotype. The ultimate goal of this book is to facilitate the identification of general and unifying principles and mechanisms.
The Evolutionary World: How Adaptation Explains Everything from Seashells to Civilization
by Geerat J. Vermeij"One of the master naturalists of our time" (American Scientist) reveals how evolutionary theory explains and affects not just the natural world but our society---and its future.Evolution has outgrown its original home in biology and geology. The Evolutionary World shows how evolution---descent with modification---is a concept that organizes, explains, and predicts a multitude of unconnected facts and phenomena. Adaptation plays a role not only in the development of new species but the development of human civilization. By understanding how evolutionary theory has played out in areas such as our economic system, our preparation for catastrophes, and even the development of communities, we can learn not just how these systems work but also what challenges lie ahead.Blind since the age of three, Dr. Geerat J. Vermeij has become renowned for his unique abilities to recognize details in the natural world that other scientists would never have noticed. In this book, he presents a new argument for evolution's broader importance. He explores similarities between genomes and languages, the contrasting natural economies of islands and continents, the emergence and importance of human values, the long-range consequences of global warming, and the perils of monopoly. He also shows that the lessons of evolution have implications for education, our system of laws, and economic growth. The Evolutionary World makes a fascinating argument about the broad-reaching impact and importance of evolution. It offers a way for us to understand and work with evolution's principles so that we can devise better solutions for our own lives, society, and the environment around us.
Evolutions: Fifteen Myths That Explain Our World
by Oren Harman“An absolute joy to read . . . it is Harman’s skill in blending contemporary science and traditional storytelling that makes this book truly brilliant.” —Randy Rosenthal, New York Journal of BooksWe no longer think, like the ancient Chinese did, that the world was hatched from an egg, or, like the Maori, that it came from the tearing-apart of a love embrace. The Greeks told of a tempestuous Hera and a cunning Zeus, but we now use genes and natural selection to explain fear and desire, and physics to demystify the workings of the universe.Science is an astounding achievement, but are we really any wiser than the ancients? Has science revealed the secrets of fate and immortality? Has it provided protection from jealousy or love? There are those who believe that science has replaced faith, but must it also be a death knell for mythology?Evolutions brings to life the latest scientific thinking on the birth of the universe and the solar system, the journey from a single cell all the way to our human minds. Reawakening our sense of wonder, Oren Harman uses modern science to create new and original mythologies. Here are the earth and the moon presenting a cosmological view of motherhood, a panicking mitochondrion introducing sex and death to the world. Science may not solve our existential puzzles, but like the age-old legends, its magical discoveries can help us continue the never-ending search.“Breathtaking . . . The processes of evolution are at times so huge and ungraspable for the mind—so magical—that they can perhaps only be fathomed through the language of myth . . . Brilliant.” —Karin Altenberg, Wall Street Journal“Harman is a marvelous intellectual companion.” —David B. Green, Haaretz
Evolutions
by Raphaël Martin Henri CapFrom the first cells to the appearance of humans on Earth, here is the great history of evolution in a single illustrated book. The most recent scientific information is made available to young readers through simple prose, with many anecdotes and concrete examples given by this team of three authors: a journalist, a specialist researcher, and a designer illustrator. From chapter to chapter, the reader understands that each part of his body comes to him from distant ancestors, some of them very surprising, such as archaea, viruses, jellyfish—or even strange fish from the oceans. Everything is clearly explained with the help of small paragraphs and very playful and educational illustrations, which allow children to learn while having fun. Are you ready to go on a journey of over four billion years to unravel the mysteries of evolution, the natural phenomenon that explains the wonderful diversity of the living world?
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 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'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.
Evolutionsbiologie
by Volker Storch Ulrich Welsch Michael WinkDie gut eingeführte "Evolutionsbiologie" von Volker Storch, Ulrich Welsch und Michael Wink liegt inzwischen in 3., sehr gründlich überarbeiteter und aktualisierter Neuauflage vor. Die Autoren schildern den bisherigen Ablauf der Evolution der Organismen durch die Jahrmillionen, die molekularen Grundlagen der Evolution und - unter verschiedenen Aspekten - die Evolution des Menschen und seiner nächsten Verwandten. Zahlreiche Exkurse, viele von renommierten Wissenschaftlern verfasst, erläutern besonders aktuelle Themen.
Evolutionsbiologie
by Michael Wink Volker Storch Ulrich WelschDie gut eingeführte "Evolutionsbiologie" von Volker Storch, Ulrich Welsch und Michael Wink liegt inzwischen in 3., sehr gründlich überarbeiteter und aktualisierter Neuauflage vor. Die Autoren schildern den bisherigen Ablauf der Evolution der Organismen durch die Jahrmillionen, die molekularen Grundlagen der Evolution und - unter verschiedenen Aspekten - die Evolution des Menschen und seiner nächsten Verwandten. Zahlreiche Exkurse, viele von renommierten Wissenschaftlern verfasst, erläutern besonders aktuelle Themen.
Evolutionstheorie - Akzeptanz und Vermittlung im europäischen Vergleich
by Dittmar GrafDie Evolutionstheorie hat sich in den letzten 150 Jahren von einer speziellen naturwissenschaftlichen zur universellen wissenschaftlichen Theorie entwickelt. Sie bezieht Phänomene von der Lebensentstehung bis zu den kulturellen und geistigen Entwicklungen des Menschen ein. Die Evolutionstheorie ist das Fundament der modernen Biologie. Dennoch ist sie bis heute die vermutlich umstrittenste Theorie der Menschheitsgeschichte. Ein großer Teil der Menschen in aller Welt lehnt sie bis heute vehement ab. Das Buch nähert sich diesem Phänomen, indem es einerseits einen interdisziplinären Einblick in die evolutionäre Forschung ermöglicht und damit Wissenschaftler aus unterschiedlichen Disziplinen die Möglichkeit bietet, über ihre Forschung zu berichten. Andererseits schildern Forscher aus verschiedenen europäischen Ländern die spezifischen Schwierigkeiten bezüglich der Akzeptanz der Evolutionstheorie.
Evolutionstheorie im Wandel: Ist Darwin überholt?
by Axel LangeDie klassische Evolutionstheorie ist unvollständig. Zwar ist die heutige Theorie, die auf Darwin basiert, anhaltend erfolgreich. Doch auf viele Fragen bietet sie keine Erklärung. Welche Vererbungsformen existieren neben der genetischen? Wie entstehen komplexe Variationen im Embryo und evolutionäre Innovationen, z.B. Vogelfeder oder Schildkrötenpanzer? Wie wirkt die Umwelt auf die Entwicklung der Arten und wie verändern Arten ihre Umwelt? Warum ist die Evolution von Vögeln, Korallen oder menschlicher Kultur mit der natürlichen Selektion allein nicht erklärbar? Immer stärkere Forderungen treten auf, die Synthetische Theorie umfassend zu erweitern. Die Erkenntnisse der letzten Jahrzehnte machen ein erhebliches Um- und Neudenken erforderlich. Unsere KI-basierte, nicht-biologische Technosphäre ist in die Evolutionstheorie zu integrieren. Das verständlich geschriebene, exzellent recherchierte Buch liefert spannende neue Erkenntnisse und ist gespickt mit faszinierenden neuen Beispielen aus der Evolutionsbiologie.
Evolutionstheorie im Wandel: Ist Darwin überholt?
by Axel LangeDie klassische Evolutionstheorie ist unvollständig. Zwar ist die heutige Theorie, die auf Darwin zurückgeht, anhaltend erfolgreich. Doch auf viele Fragen bietet sie keine Erklärung. Welche Vererbungsformen existieren neben der genetischen? Wie entstehen komplexe Variationen im Embryo und vor allem evolutionäre Innovationen, z.B. Vogelfeder oder Schildkrötenpanzer? Wie wirkt die Umwelt auf die Entwicklung der Arten und wie verändern Arten zugleich ihre eigene Umwelt? Warum ist die Evolution von Vögeln, Korallen oder menschlicher Kultur mit der natürlichen Selektion allein nicht erklärbar?Immer stärkere Forderungen treten auf, die Synthetische Theorie umfassend zu erweitern. Die wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnisse der letzten Jahrzehnte machen ein erhebliches Um- und Neudenken erforderlich. Unsere KI-basierte, nicht-biologische Technosphäre ist in die Evolutionstheorie zu integrieren. Das verständlich geschriebene und exzellent recherchierte Buch liefert die spannenden neuen Erkenntnisse hierzu und ist gespickt mit faszinierenden neuen Beispielen aus der Evolutionsbiologie. Alle Kapitel wurden für diese Ausgabe auf den neuesten Stand gebraucht. Noch deutlicher als die erste Auflage vermitteln die aktualisierten Inhalte in diesem Band das starke Um- und Neudenken in der Evolutionstheorie.
Evolvability: A Unifying Concept in Evolutionary Biology?
by Thomas F. Hansen, David Houle, Mihaela Pavličev, and Christophe PélabonEssays on evolvability from the perspectives of quantitative and population genetics, evolutionary developmental biology, systems biology, macroevolution, and the philosophy of science.Evolvability—the capability of organisms to evolve—wasn&’t recognized as a fundamental concept in evolutionary theory until 1990. Though there is still some debate as to whether it represents a truly new concept, the essays in this volume emphasize its value in enabling new research programs and facilitating communication among the major disciplines in evolutionary biology. The contributors, many of whom were instrumental in the development of the concept of evolvability, synthesize what we have learned about it over the past thirty years. They focus on the historical and philosophical contexts that influenced the emergence of the concept and suggest ways to develop a common language and theory to drive further evolvability research. The essays, drawn from a workshop on evolvability hosted in 2019–2020 by the Center of Advanced Study at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, in Oslo, provide scientific and historical background on evolvability. The contributors represent different disciplines of evolutionary biology, including quantitative and population genetics, evolutionary developmental biology, systems biology and macroevolution, as well as the philosophy of science. This pl[urality of approaches allows researchers in disciplines as diverse as developmental biology, molecular biology, and systems biology to communicate with those working in mainstream evolutionary biology. The contributors also discuss key questions at the forefront of research on evolvability.Contributors:J. David Aponte, W. Scott Armbruster, Geir H. Bolstad, Salomé Bourg, Ingo Brigandt, Anne Calof, James M. Cheverud, Josselin Clo, Frietson Galis, Mark Grabowski, Rebecca Green, Benedikt Hallgrímsson, Thomas F. Hansen, Agnes Holstad, David Houle, David Jablonski, Arthur Lander, Arnaud LeRouzic, Alan C. Love, Ralph Marcucio, Michael B. Morrissey, Laura Nuño de la Rosa, Øystein H. Opedal, Mihaela Pavličev, Christophe Pélabon, Jane M. Reid, Heather Richbourg, Jacqueline L. Sztepanacz, Masahito Tsuboi, Cristina Villegas, Marta Vidal-García, Kjetil L. Voje, Andreas Wagner, Günter P. Wagner, Nathan M. Young
Evolved: An Illustrated Guide to Evolution
by Lucas RieraFollow the story of evolution! The illustrated children&’s book is a beautiful introduction to the evolution of species over millions of years.What&’s made animals survive and naturally go extinct? Why are fish scaled? Why do birds have wings? Find out about the changing animal anatomy discoveries made by Swedish zoologist Charles Linneas.Animals and evolution are fascinating subjects to teach little minds. Discover the ways that animals have adapted to survive and the amazing reasons behind these adaptations. The illustrated guide includes: • Beautiful artwork, perfect for fans of Owen Davey. • Many different animal features (like eyes, scales, claws, hair and many more), as well as feature spreads on topics like fast evolution. • Highly accessible text about a key school subject. Kids age 7 and older will be delighted by the scientific facts in this wildlife book. It&’s filled with incredible bits of information that spark a deep curiosity in the natural world, evolution and the animal kingdom. The book highlights that evolution is an ongoing process, and allows kids to look at the world around them and notice the continuing evolution of species. Evolved also features more in-depth explanations of animal body parts, how they work and how they&’re different from other species. Children will understand how evolution made certain elements of the natural world unnecessary, and others integral to survival. Explanations of Charles Linneas&’ classification system of all living things are included and give kids, adults and educators a fantastic reference to the magnificent living world.
Evolved
by Maximilian Werner John AlcockFrom which side of the bed you sleep on to where to play a backyard game of hide-and-go-seek, Maximilian Werner examines elements of everyday behavior through the eye-opening lens of evolutionary theory in this memoir-infused nonfiction. Werner applies an intriguingly fresh take to seldom-explored habits of humans and animals alike, guiding readers backward in time to the Pleistocene."Werner's prose is compelling, his natural history is thoroughly engaging, and his line of curious inquiry is an admirable attempt to better understand humanity and its changing relationship with the external world."-Publishers Weekly"This book provides an entry in to the great epic of evolution in a way that makes it both accessible and inspiring. This is no small accomplishment and we are all indebted to Maximilian Werner."-Mary Evelyn Tucker, co- author, Journey of the Universe"Join this sensitive and perceptive naturalist as he explores his yard and nearby caves and mountains, carefully observing the activities of myriad life forms, and then reflecting insightfully on the evolutionary story we share with them. Learn from him how to feel completely at home in the world."-Loyal Rue, author of Religion is Not about God: How Spiritual Traditions Nurture Our Biological Nature and What to Expect When They Fail"Werner's book, thought-provoking and emotionally satisfying, takes us on a journey, a journey that ultimately urges each one of us to get up, go outside and hunt around the edges of our homes for the mysteries that await."-Sylvia Torti, author of The Scorpion's Tail
The Evolved Apprentice: How Evolution Made Humans Unique (Jean Nicod Lectures)
by Kim SterelnyA new theory of the evolution of human cognition and human social life that emphasizes the role of information sharing across generations.Over the last three million years or so, our lineage has diverged sharply from those of our great ape relatives. Change has been rapid (in evolutionary terms) and pervasive. Morphology, life history, social life, sexual behavior, and foraging patterns have all shifted sharply away from those of the other great apes. In The Evolved Apprentice, Kim Sterelny argues that the divergence stems from the fact that humans gradually came to enrich the learning environment of the next generation. Humans came to cooperate in sharing information, and to cooperate ecologically and reproductively as well, and these changes initiated positive feedback loops that drove us further from other great apes. Sterelny develops a new theory of the evolution of human cognition and human social life that emphasizes the gradual evolution of information-sharing practices across generations and how these practices transformed human minds and social lives. Sterelny proposes that humans developed a new form of ecological interaction with their environment, cooperative foraging. The ability to cope with the immense variety of human ancestral environments and social forms, he argues, depended not just on adapted minds but also on adapted developmental environments.
Evolving
by Daniel J. FairbanksThis persuasive, elegantly written book argues that understanding evolution has never mattered more in human history. The author not only uses evidence from archaeology, geography, anatomy, biochemistry, radiometric dating, cell biology, chromosomes, and DNA to establish the inescapable conclusion that we evolved and are still evolving, he also explains in detail how health, food production, and human impact on the environment are dependent on our knowledge of evolution. This is essential reading for gaining a fuller appreciation of who we are, our place in the great expanse of life, and the importance of our actions.
The Evolving Animal Orchestra: In Search of What Makes Us Musical (The\mit Press Ser.)
by Henkjan HoningA music researcher's quest to discover other musical species.Even those of us who can't play a musical instrument or lack a sense of rhythm can perceive and enjoy music. Research shows that all humans possess the trait of musicality. We are a musical species—but are we the only musical species? Is our musical predisposition unique, like our linguistic ability? In The Evolving Animal Orchestra, Henkjan Honing embarks upon a quest to discover if humans share the trait of musicality with other animals.Charles Darwin believed that musicality was a capacity of all animals, human and nonhuman, with a clear biological basis. Taking this as his starting point, Honing—a music cognition researcher—visits a series of biological research centers to observe the ways that animals respond to music. He has studied scientists' accounts of Snowball, the cockatoo who could dance to a musical beat, and of Ronan, the sea lion, who was trained to move her head to a beat. Now Honing will be able to make his own observations.Honing tests a rhesus monkey for beat perception via an EEG; performs a listening experiment with zebra finches; considers why birds sing, and if they intend their songs to be musical; explains why many animals have perfect pitch; and watches marine mammals respond to sounds. He reports on the unforeseen twists and turns, doubts, and oversights that are a part of any scientific research—and which point to as many questions as answers. But, as he shows us, science is closing in on the biological and evolutionary source of our musicality.