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The title The Great Human Diasporas implies that this book is a history of human migration, but it is much more. It is a readable, accessible summary of the lifework of Luca Cavalli-Sforza, who has done more than anyone else to reveal the genetic makeup of human populations. Originally written in Italian with Cavalli-Sforza's filmmaker son Francesco, it maintains some qualities of an interview: The Great Human Diasporas is full of anecdotes about the Pygmies with whom Cavalli-Sforza works, the text is frequently personal yet not self-serving, and it clearly shows how he helped tie together population genetics, linguistics, and anthropology to offer a new, non-racist view of human diversity.
Customer Reviews:
Good introduction to anthropology.......2006-02-25
This is a book covering a wide range of topics relating to anthropology. Cavalli-Sforza tells of his experiences with African Pygmies in the Congo, and relates these experiences to ideas as to what hunter-gatherer life was like. He explains the discovery and history of the theory of evolution, and explains the human tree. The spread and migration of humans since the dawn of their evolution is described in good detail. Molecular biology is easily explained. He also describes theories of agriculture's emergence and significance. Cavalli-Sforza juxtaposes what we know of human migrations from DNA with what we know from linguistic evidence. He also discusses cultural anthropology and the concept of race. It is impressive that Cavalli-Sforza has such a good command of a wide range of subjects.
The book is a good read, especially for the layman. Overall, it is an account of humanity's evolution viewed from a variety of fields.
good account of human history.......2002-10-27
Great Huaman Diaspporas covers the history of humanity from its origins in Africa and how it spread through different parts of the world. It goes into homo saphiens forefathers and how homo saphiens forefathers evolved into modern man. It also deals with how gene environments influenced genes. It also deals with how language language and race developed.
Overall, a account of how humanity developed it in terms of genes, race and langage.
genes, languages, prehistoric human migrations.......2002-09-22
The most rewarding part of this popular science book is the middle, fifth to seventh chapters, in which Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza, Professor of Genetics at Stanford Medical School, draws on scientific research in human population genetics, in which he has been a well respected pioneer, to describe the migration of human populations beginning about 100,000 years ago out of Africa until recent times. Because patterns of genetic and linguistic evolution exhibit high intercorrelations--even though their respective elements and mechanics differ--he also cites linguistic evidence for this account of migratory prehistory.
The most valuable contribution of this book to popular understanding is that population genetics provides possibly the best though not sole scientific basis on which to construct the prehistory of human "races." By this evidence, we learn, for example, about the migration of modern Homo sapiens to Southeast Asia and Australia approximately 55,000 to 60,000 years ago or about the spread of Neolithic farmer-cultivators from the Middle East into Europe beginning about 9,000 to 10,000 years ago. I suspect that readers unfamiliar with modern human evolution will find the genetic tree of the world's populations on page 119 intriguing. The diagram shows, for example, that Northeast Asians are more closely related to Europeans than Northeast Asians are to Southeast Asians.
For as rapidly advancing a science as human population genetics, it should not be surprising that some findings are dated. Recent evidence suggests, for instance, that North Asians descended from both southern China populations that gradually migrated northward as well as Caucasian populations that migrated eastward, so that some genetic mixing all across North Asia took place and is the source of the observed racial connections between North Asians and Caucasians.
In other chapters, Cavalli-Sforza tackles related topics somewhat unevenly. His anecdotes about the African pygmies are light and sympathetic. While his description of the hominid line is accurate for the time of publication, there are more insightful not to mention updated accounts now in print. His discussion of the links between genes and culture is engaging and humane but from the standpoint of science, no better than educated. His rejoinder to the controversial The Bell Curve (1994) is scientifically persuasive.
I very much enjoyed reading this book, the first I purchased at amazon.com.
Good, but no clear objective........2002-05-29
Much interesting material, and some difficult concepts explained clearly for the general lay person. However, the book has no clear objective. It is best read as a supplement to the Pulitzer Prize winning book by Jared Diamond, "Guns, Germs and Steel".
Really good, I Recommend it.......2002-05-15
Ok, this will be a short one. The book is really good, I recommend it vastly. As a molecular biologist I am impressed with the expertise of L. L. Cavalli-Sforza in varios areas of science. He does not only manage to comunicate in an easy manner the complexities of genetics and molecular biology (related to this subject), but also accomplishes to clarify lots of linguistic information gathered through his life studies. This last topic was the hardest for me to understand, though I believe language studies are not easy. So, as said in the beginning, this book is highly recommended.
Customer Reviews:
A great read all around!.......1999-08-22
I was digging for books about amber to write a genetics report and chose this one. I couldn't have chosen a better book! It was more than a scientific study, it was an all around adventure book! The author draws you right in. I'd suggest this book to anyone anyday!
Very interesting and easy to see the scientific adventure........1998-09-28
This book is very interesting and easy to readers who want to know about scientific quest for ancient animals and plants in amber. The authors wrote this book very well to describe and explain scientists' life for exploring secret and truth of Nature. It isn't too scientific for people to understand about amber. And it isn't too plain to describe the scientific quest. I think this book is good for both students who are going to study biology and people who would like to explore the world of science.
Book Description
This expanded and updated second edition offers a comprehensive look at macroevolution and its underpinnings, with a primary emphasis on animal evolution. From a Neodarwinian point of view, the book integrates evolutionary processes at all levels to explain the diversity of animal life. It examines a wide range of topics including genetics, speciation, development, evolution, constructional and functional aspects of form, fossil lineages, and systematics, and --in a major new chapter--takes a hard look at the Cambrian explosion. The author delves into the age of molecular science and integrates important recent contributions made to our understanding of evolution.
Download Description
An engaging area of biology for more than a century, the study of macroevolution continues to offer profound insight into our understanding of the tempo of evolution and of the evolution of biological diversity. What regulates biological diversity and its historical development? Can it be explained by natural selection alone? Has geologic history regulated the tempo of diversification? This expanded and updated second edition offers a comprehensive look at macroevolution and its underpinnings, with a primary emphasis on animal evolution. From a Neodarwinian point of view, it integrates evolutionary processes at all levels to explain the diversity of animal life. It examines a wide range of topics including genetics and speciation, development and evolution, the constructional and functional aspects of form, fossil lineages, and systematics, and it takes a hard look at the Cambrian explosion. It delves into the age of molecular science, and integrates important recent contributions made to our understanding of evolution. Researchers and graduate students will find this insightful book a most comprehensive and up-to-date examination of macroevolution.
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- 3.5 stars. Skepticism and Spirituality for the average human
- Everyone should read this book
- An exciting, fascinating, informative survey of theories
- The Human Question Review
- How Life Began
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The Human Question: What People Believe About Evolution Human Origins, and the Beginning of Life
Hervey Cunningham Peoples
Manufacturer: Red Lion Press
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ASIN: 0972233067 |
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The Human Question is a frank examination of all sides of the human origins debate. From Evolution to creation science and reincarnation to life on other planets, the book peels away the emotion from controversial topics to reveal the most common beliefs about human origins. Personal Interviews highlight each chapter and reveal why we often believe what aint so. Written with clarity and candor by a scientist for a general audience. Topics include The Five Most Common Beliefs About Human Origins - and the best evidence for each How and Where Did Life Begin? Seven Habits of a Healthy Skeptic The ABCs of the Evolution Controversy Five New Ways to Think About Evolution The Scientific Search for the Soul Is There Life on Other Planets? Reconciling Science and Faith The Answer
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3.5 stars. Skepticism and Spirituality for the average human.......2004-07-29
I wish I could give 3.5 stars for this book, which was an easy, fast and interesting read, but which left me wanting more detail in many sections. Written for a general audience, this book may not satisfy a reader with a scientific background who, like me, may find the passages on logical fallacies and on the basics of evolutionary theory to be old hat. However, a reader who knows little about evolution and hopes to learn will probably find this an enjoyable and non-intimidating introduction to the subject.
For me, the most interesting sections were those that traced the development of the American creationist movement. Underlying the book are a plea for a truce between the warring camps of strict creationists and strict evolutionists and a case for a more moderate approach that makes room for both science and religion -- inspiring food for thought.
What you should *not* expect from this book: Don't expect any substantial discussion of the belief systems of non-Western cultures. Do not expect the latest scientific findings on evolution and genetics or a large number of truly scientific and representative surveys of beliefs. Much use is made of interview snippets, which concretely demonstrate the broad range of beliefs about human origins in the United States. But although the 'Belief Survey' in the book was intriguing, since the sample was highly biased (ethnically, economically, and by education level) it left me wanting more and harder data. This was disappointing for a book that includes a whole chapter on scepticism -- and how data can be misleading.
Finally, do not expect that Peoples is neutral. She is not. While she is neither a strict evolutionist nor a strict creationist, she is certainly pushing a particular point of view. Read this book with an open mind and lots of critical reflection and you will undoubtably enjoy exploring one of the greatest questions of human existence: where did we come from?
Everyone should read this book.......2004-03-19
I enjoyed this book very much. Instead of this being a evolutionist vs. creationist debate it just states all of the different theories and facts, and goes into the psychology of why we believe the things we believe. The most interesting aspect of the book was the discussion of the Moderates, people that believe in God and the facts of evolution. It surprised me how many people have their own theories of religion mixed with science. If a creationist read this book with a very open mind, they may see that they can take a deep breath, and possibly add evolution to their belief systems as well as their own personal ideas of God.
An exciting, fascinating, informative survey of theories.......2003-03-11
The Human Question, by molecular geneticist and avocational anthropologist Hervey Cunningham Peoples, is a thoughtful and studious presentation of all that is known and all that is currently speculated about the scientific origin of humankind. Ranging from Darwin's famous theory of evolution, to more recent hypotheses on how life itself may have began, to the conflicts of secular scientific research with creationist theory, The Human Question is a compendium addressing the process of theory and debate in this continuing controversial issue. Summarizing both old and new finds in a prose text which is readily accessible to non-specialist general readers, The Human Question is recommended as an exciting, fascinating, informative survey of theories regarding the presence and evolution of human life on planet Earth.
The Human Question Review.......2003-03-04
The Human Question by Hervey Cunningham Peoples is an easy to read exploration of human origins. The text is well researched and deals with the issues of God, evolution and bibical teachings. The author succeeded in answering The Human Question. This text will enhance any individual's understanding of the process of evolution and will certainly help in refining their own personal opinions. The book is must reading for both amateurs and professionals Jerry from Alabama
How Life Began.......2003-02-23
I found this book to be highly entertaining. The author has taken a deep subject and clarified it for the general public. I was very fascinated with the interviews and various outlooks on subjects I have often wondered about. In many instances, my opinions were reinforced. Other areas left me with questions to ponder. The book reawakened an interest to think about and discover how we came to inhabit the earth. I felt the book showed how religion and science are not necessarily at opposite ends of the pole. This is a book every human being should read.
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Primate Biogeography: Progress and Prospects (Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects)
Manufacturer: Springer
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Primate Origins (Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects)
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Infectious Diseases in Primates: Behavior, Ecology and Evolution (Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution)
ASIN: 0387298711 |
Book Description
Biogeography is a vital component in many aspects of Primatology, including studies of evolution, speciation systematics, population genetics, and community ecology. Despite its integral position in studies of primate evolution and ecology and the broad representation of research on this subject in journals, field guides, and edited volumes on different regions of the world, Primate Biogeography is a subject that is rarely addressed as a discipline in its own right.
This comprehensive source introduces the reader to Primate Biogeography as a discipline, highlights the many factors that may influence the distribution of primates, and reveals the wide range of approaches that are available to understanding the distribution of this order.
Customer Reviews:
Ann Gibbons, the First Human.......2007-09-28
Very informative summary of more recent discoveries and their significance w.r.t. older finds. The competition among field workers is not surprising although at times the story becomes a bit "gossipy"
Inspired Narrative .......2007-07-21
`The First Human' was a surprisingly literary and detailed read about the fossil hunters and their discoveries over the past half-century. While it is primarily historical, the science behind the discoveries is explained quite satisfyingly and succinctly. A great deal of time is spent explaining the politics involved and the professional disputes among the leading figures in the field. But in so doing, the scientific discussions interwoven throughout are all the more memorable.
Gibbons does a good job explaining the limitations of what is known ...and just how scientists can sometimes draw larger conclusions from an isolated fossilized bone. Also interesting is the realization that of all the ancestral hominid remains found in Africa, apart from a few isolated fossilized teeth, there have been no ancestral gorilla or chimpanzee remains found to which they can be compared.
On a lighter note, Gibbons applauds the French for their interest in this subject... and impugns the average American for their ignorance. But after reading 'The First Human' one is left with the impression that science can really do little more than guess about such matters anyway. The hominid fossil evidence is so scarce. Much of the science , in the end, is wishful thinking. And the fact that 45% of Americans think man appeared intact roughly 10,000 years ago...to that I say... their guess is as good as any.
A Human who can write!.......2007-07-03
The First Human by Ann Gibbons is a good book for any armchair paleoanthropologist. She reviews concisely the history of the search for human origins and reveals in great detail the recent discoveries made over the last few decades.
The book is well written and analytical with in depth reporting from actual interviews with the principals who have made the most recent finds.
I highly recommend this book.
Fascinating read!.......2006-12-06
As a student of paleoanthropology, I was slightly wary of reading another popular account of fossil hunting in Africa. After finishing "The First Human," however, I can say with certainty that not only did Ann Gibbons do her homework, but that she was able to deftly weave together both the science and the politics in one of the most fascinating narratives I've read in some time. One really begins to understand both the hardship of paleoanthropological fieldwork and the thrill of discovery. But that of course is only the beginning. Her descriptions of the ensuing scientific cross-fire, often tainted by personal and political conflict, is clear and engaging. All in all, a well-written and up-to-date chronicle of the science of human origins.
Makes You Want to Watch for Anything Else She Writes.......2006-11-05
As best I can tell this is Ann Gibbons first book. And it makes you want to keep an eye out for anything else she publishes.
Nominally this book is a report on the search for our first ancestors. But in reality it is a book on the people doing the searching. Big time science, be it physics or medicine or, as in this case, paleontologists the struggle is only partially one of finding the answer to the problem. The real problems are in getting funded, then when you discover something, going to war against your fellow scientists whole will be attacking your results because if you get more funding, more support, more prizes they will suffer, or at least they think they will.
Ms Gibbons primarily follows four teams who are looking for evidence about our earliest ancestors. Our ancestors didn't conveniently die in nice places that you'd want to visit. Having to go where the fossils are. And in the case of human ancestors, that means Africa. And not the nicest places in Africa but dry hot deserts in Ethiopia, Chad and places like that.
While I suspect that the discoveries described in this book will be replaced by the next finding somewhere else, the interplay of the people will remain constant.
Next, Ms. Gibbons, how about looning into astronomy/cosmology.
Average customer rating:
- o.k.
- Smart and accurate, this book asks a lot of, "what ifs."
- A must read for anyone interested in science.
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The Science of Jurassic Park and the Lost World
Rob Desalle , and
David Lindley
Manufacturer: Harpercollins
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Jurassic Park
ASIN: 0060977353 |
Customer Reviews:
o.k........1999-07-05
Ian Malcolm and John Hammond both die at the end of Jurassic park and yet in the sequal Lost World they are both alive again.
Smart and accurate, this book asks a lot of, "what ifs.".......1998-11-04
I am a budding biology teacher, and I found the book to be very factual and technically accurate. I have had a fascination for dinosaurs since I was a kid, and genetics became an interest in college. The books and blockbuster movies have intrigued me greatly. This book brought the printed page and the film strips from the silver screen and the bookshelves to the dissecting table in a unique fashion that is fair truthful and quite humorous at times.
A must read for anyone interested in science........1998-06-24
This book is a very easy to read, amazingly detailed look at what it would take, in reality, to bring a dinosaur back to life with fossilized DNA (fragments). In his step-by-step approach he takes you through the test-tubes, the centrifuges, and especially the problems that would be associated with each step. This book would be very interesting for anyone with the remotest interest in science. It is helpful (not required) to have some general science background to help understand some of the concepts fully. The ONLY slight drawback that I found was that the book has pessimestic overtones throughout about the film "Jurassic Park."
Amazon.com
Despite the title, Darwin's Origin of Species doesn't really explain how new species are born. Scientists have been struggling with that thorny problem ever since its publication, and the recent revolution in molecular biology has turned up great piles of new evidence. Anthropologist Jeffrey H. Schwartz takes a close look at this evidence, as well as the more traditional paleontological material, in Sudden Origins: Fossils, Genes, and the Emergence of Species. He claims that the tide is turning in favor of "punctuated equilibrium"--the theory that species typically remain static for great lengths of time and then experience brief spurts of accelerated change--thanks in no small part to the discovery of homeobox genes.
These remarkable structures are the genetic equivalent of the proverbial butterfly wings that cause hurricanes halfway around the world--small changes can produce enormous effects. Homeobox genes regulate development and are remarkable similar between species and even between phyla--you share some with fruit flies, for example. By turning our attention toward embryology and development, Schwartz shows us that fossils can't tell the whole story, since much of it lies within the womb. He covers a lot of ground and stretches the reader's intellectual muscles; the scope of Sudden Origins and the greater understanding of Darwin's problem make the challenge well worth it. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
"Fascinating."-Nature
Finally a compelling answer to the question that has plagued scientists for centuries . . .
"A detailed and informative historical account."-Nature
"This is an intriguing and significant work."-Library Journal
"A provocative new theory to explain how species arise."-Scientific American
"A worthwhile attempt at bridging the new developments in how species may change and the evidence for the patterns of those changes."-American Scientist
Darwin may have argued that new species emerge through a slow, gradual accumulation of tiny mutations, but the fossil record reveals a very different scenario-the sudden emergence of whole new species, with no apparent immediate ancestors.
In this provocative and timely book, Jeffrey Schwartz presents a groundbreaking and radical new theory that explains exactly how evolution works. Turning to the marvels of genetics, paleontology, embryology, and anatomy, and introducing the recent discovery of an extraordinary type of gene, known as homeobox genes, Schwartz provides an evocative answer to the long-standing question: How do species emerge?
Writing with the expert knowledge only an insider can bring, Schwartz tells the intriguing history of the study of evolution, from the initial breakthrough discoveries to the famous Piltdown controversy up through the genetics revolution. Sudden Origins is a monumental book that ties together all the threads of evolutionary theory while providing a compelling answer to one of life's most enduring conundrums. This book is crucial reading for anyone who has ever pondered the mysteries of our evolutionary heritage.
Customer Reviews:
Hoxgenes to the rescue?.......2001-05-14
The first ten chapters is merely a historical survey of evolutionary discourse, and I shall not comment on them. It is the two final chapters that are supposed to offer a hopeful alternative to the beleaguered neo-Darwinian approach to evolution. Here the author relies on the role of homeobox genes, and highlights their effects on changes in morphology. His argument can be briefly summarised by referring to two of the examples he gives: the Rx gene in eye development, and the Manx gene in the development of the notochord during the larval stage of a species of tunicate.
Experiments with mice showed that individuals which carry a mutated (and therefore non-functioning) Rx gene failed to develop either an eye or its bony socket if the condition is homozygous, but individuals that are heterozygous in Rx undergo normal eye development. Schwartz argues that the reverse situation must have occurred in the past, i.e., a precusor mutated into the Rx gene. This was initially in the recessive state, as mutated genes generally are. This then spread widely through the population via heteroxygotes, until eventually homozygotes were produced in sufficient numbers to mate with each other. The mutant gene, i.e. Rx, was then expressed in the homozygotes, which developed eyes.
It is helpful to juxtapose the facts that the author appeals to, and the inferences he draws from them. The facts are that mutations in functioning genes render them non-functional - a loss of information. Schwartz turns this on its head and hypothesises that a mutation in a non-functioning DNA segment could render it functional - the emergence of novel information by natural processes.
One can get any complex multi-functioning mechanism, make a random change to one of its components, and render a part of the mechanism non-functional. It does not follow from this fact that the faulty component could have come about by chance, waiting for a random change to put it into working order. This is the kind of inverted logic employed above. The real world abounds in examples of natural processes producing degeneration, and causing malfunction in previously functioning mechanisms. The reverse process, however, has no basis in fact.
The case of the tunicate illustrates the importance Schwartz attaches to embryonic development in evolution. The homeobox gene, Manx, is responsible for the development of the notochord during the tunicate's larval stage. At a later stage the gene is deactivated and the adult tunicate does not possess a notochord. Schwartz hypothesises that at some point in the tunicate's evolution a mutation in some regulatory gene extended the duration of activation of the Manx gene, resulting in an adult with a notochord. This is a case of heterochrony, specifically paedomorphosis. Such a discrete change would be consistent with what one finds in the fossil record.
The author argues convincingly for the discrete nature of the fossil record, as many others have done before him. In doing so he poses an effective challenge to the neo-Darwinian model. But the substitute he offers is hardly able to provide the solution. Schwartz hypothesises on the possible discrete evolutionary changes that could be brought about by changes in the control genes, given a fully functioning genetic apparatus to start with. The real problem for evolution, however, is to explain how that fully functioning apparatus got there in the first place. Deactivation of a homeobox gene may possibly explain the reduction of a three-toed horse into a one-toed horse, as Schwaltz suggests, but it can hardly account for the origin of horses.
Since mutant genes are useless or lethal, it is hardly surprising that they are recessive rather than dominant. It is most reasonable to infer that this is part of life's defense mechanism, designed to protect the organism from potential damage from mutations.
Sits atop an important trend, but maybe too history-heavy.......2000-12-28
This is an excellent book that provides a reasonable introduction and much historical context to the concepts behind a class of theories of speciation that are gradually becoming less controversial.
The notion of cumulative gradual change in allele frequencies as the only source of variety has been a thorn in the side of serious biology for some time. Not least because it leaves the door open to claims that speciation itself is "improbable" in higher species. Richard Dawkins' brave attempts to rescue biology from "Mount Improbable" may very well turn out to be partly an exercise in futility.
Schwartz joins a number of recent authors and researchers to face head on the challenge of improving our understanding of evolutionary biology by recognizing that it makes perfect sense of much otherwise confusing data to allow for sudden "saltational" changes in species. As hard as it remains for many to swallow, S.J. Gould was probably right about much of this, and deserves credit for bucking the "received" view of Darwinism.
This book is disappointing however, in that it seems to revel in telling the history rather than describing the new concepts. There's just so much politics behind this issue that authors can't seem to avoid the temptation to add their own spin to the history in every book. But that part has been done already. Sterlny and Griffiths' "Sex and Death" does a great job of discussing all of the various chinks in the armor of the received view of how evolution works, without spending so much time interpreting intellectual history yet again.
The new part that is most exciting is the details of how regulatory genes work, their duplications and mutations, and the role they play in speciation. There is sadly relatively little of that in Schwartz's otherwise useful presentation.
A very recent release in the U.K. by Mark Ridley, "Mendel's Demon," looks like it handles similar deep questions but goes far more deeply into the genetics that forms the foundation for theories of sudden origins and other alternatives to simple cumulative gradual interpretations of Darwinism.
One point I wanted to make as a comment to a previous review. It was claimed at one point that this kind of theory is more congenial to the way many people view creation by God. That's something I think is a welcome sign. But they also commented that "creationists" is a meaningless label, and it seems to me that claim is simply nonsense. "Creationists" deny that speciation occurs at all, at least in the origin of humans. They don't argue that it could only occur suddenly. Whatever else they may accept or reject from evolutionary biology or genetics or paleoscience, it seems to me that they cannot accept that humans were not special creations of God separate from other animals. The United States is divided into those who find the close relationship of humans and apes ridiculous and those who pretty much take it for granted. That's not an easy line to cross, much less pretend it doesn't exist.
It would be very heartwarming and reaffirming to my faith in human reason of some people who consider themselves "creationists" were to find the theory of sudden origins in this book an acceptable version of evolutionary theory, but I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for it to happen.
The difference is critically important scientifically because the power of evolutionary thinking is not in whether we happen to be related to apes, but in the value of being able to apply adaptational thinking to species characteristics and describe and predict how characteristics relate to environments. Creationist interpretations deny the central concept of evolutionary thinking, that natural selection explains adaptation. The details of how it works and where other explanations supercede adaptational ones is what is left to ongoing research to discover.
That's where Schwartz contributes best to the literature, by placing "sudden origins" into its rightful historical context, (though I don't agree with some of his intellectual history in the medieval period). This is not something that creationists can honestly take any credit for, or honestly use in support of their agenda it is a theory of speciation not a denial of speciation.
Hox genes, and the new origin of the species.......2000-12-24
This is a very important source of information both as to the history of the Neo-Darwinian Synthesis and the recent discoveries of regulatory hox genes and the light they throw on the riddles of speciation and large scale evolutionary change. The realization that major morphological changes do not in fact occur in the fashion of microevolution (as presented by traditional Darwinists), due to the effect of homeobox genes, is a revolutionary discovery and confirmation of the importance of the developmental tradition moving in parallel to standard Darwinism. This data creates a foundation for the various theories of macroevolution and punctuated equilibrium proposed almost a generation ago but still sidelined by the Darwinian mainline. The book contains an invaluable review of paleoanthropological theories, issues of neotonous evolution, and the various genetical theories of Mendelism, from de Vries and Bateson, to Haldane, Wright, and Fisher. The views of Goldschmidt, and his near miss of this new perspective, is also treated. This confusing history of Mendelism sorted out is invaluable, and shows how cogent (in part) where the intimations of Bateson and Morgan. The new perspective both confirms the concept of 'macroevolution' while suggesting this can be seen as a microevolution of regulatory genes, a point open to debate perhaps. The next mystery is the evolution of these complex sequences of development. But that does not distract from the great usefulness of this account. One can dispense with much of the erroneous literature on evolution, a great saving in brain space. The endless debate over the slow evolution of the eye, etc, that went on and on and drove all parties batty is hopefully over if we know the right combination of homeobox genes will control the development of this and other organs. Times are changing in Darwin land. Highly recommended.
A New Take on an Old Theory -- But Watch Out!.......2000-03-29
Evolution, let's face it, is a creation myth for a post-industrial age. At the time Darwin (and Wallace) re-created the theory, which itself was old as time, PROGRESS was idolized by a Victorian society with many manners and little religion. The Industrial Revolution had proved that progress was not only beneficial, but necessary, and so Darwin's myth was taken to people's hearts. He believed in gradual progression, and was certain the fossil record would bear him out.
In fact, it doesn't. Part of that is the nature of fossils. To become a fossil a plant or animal must get itself stuck in a tarpit or a mudslide, and then stay there a few million years until done. By their nature, fossils cannot provide a record without gaps. And with the recent "winged dinosaur" fossil proven a hoax or forgery, there remains little trace of progression.
To cling to evolution as a philosophical framework, one must move to what the fossil record does show: saltation! New species appear in spurts and jumps. And this is, in fact, what Jeffrey Schwartz attempts to accomodate in this interesting new book. It's clear he knows his stuff.
But it isn't clear he knows his history. My own field is mediaeval scholastic thought rather than natural sciences. It's amazing how little scientists know about their own history, regurgitating long-exploded myths to show how dumb mediaeval thinkers were. I suppose part of this is because evolutionists frankly don't know and don't care about the difference between Creationists and people who believe in creation, but lump them all together. Creation is a belief that G-d Created the Universe. He did so in millions of years (look at the jumps, like the jump in the fossil record, between Gen. 1:1 and Gen 1:2). "Creationism" is an attempt to sneak Creation by the p.c. thought police who are terrified that G-d might be mentioned in a public place, especially when it might open the eyes of schoolchildren to alternative possibilities.
But Schwartz, possibly in an attempt to keep himself from being written off as a "Creationist" but to salvage his reputation as a legitimate scientist who does have a very valid take on evolution, not only makes this confusion, but he himself shows an utter lack of grasp on the development of science.
For instance, he writes that the church had a "stranglehold" on learning, which is a myth or at best a misconstruction. Ancient learning was preserved from antiquity, from barbarian marauders who destroyed everything in their path, in monasteries. When the barbarians and later the Vikings were calmed by their own acceptance of Christ, a flowering of intellectual activity resulted, particularly in the twelfth century, where Cathedral schools welcomed an amazingly wide variety of thought (even the development of the mode of thought now called humanism). Oxford, Cambridge, etc. through Europe were fostered by the scholastics, who wanted the propagation of education.
True, there was no universal literacy, but before the invention of printing. There is the illusion that "the church" controlled learning, because that's where the books were -- not only ancient works but the burgeoning numbers of books on all subjects, including natural sciences, such as they were able to study with the instruments at their disposal. One took orders to join in the intellecutal advancement because the monasteries and cathedral schools were where books were painstakingly copied by hand, and usually where they resided as they weren't appreciated elsewhere.
Today, PhDs are rewarded by bright young persons spending ten years writing and defending a micro-study dissertation, usually hammered out between the student and a master professor. Some are very interesting and shed new light; others are relegated to minor publications or even see no more light than the stacks of the university library. These days Universities, invented by the scholastics, represent just the same sort of "stranglehold" as Schwartz purports the church to have had. A bright amateur, say an obscure German railway clerk, might produce a paper that gains some acceptance, but it's increasingly unlikely.
Schwartz also mentions, as does everyone, that before Copernicus it was thought the earth was the center of the universe. What he fails to follow up with was that after Copernicus and into the 20th century a science long divorced from the church taught that the SUN was the center of the universe.
Indeed, it's important to study our historical roots. Scientists may find the subject uninteresting, and one can't expect a natural scientist to understand scholasticism, just as some, seeing a mediaevalist writing on evolution may be dismissed as ignorant.
He even has the temerity to say Augustine believed the earth was flat. He didn't, nor did his great mentor, St. Ambrose. There never was any such teaching, because no one believed it except a few oddballs who had no schools in the west and no following. What Augustine did say was that the earth may be round, but it was irrelevant to him.
One more problem with his historical presentation: somehow he manages to present an absolutely opposite case from the fact. He presents Creation as somehow racist, when it proves, as Thomas Jefferson wrote, "all men are created equal." Where he got the idea he floats about anyone who believes in Creation -- or ever did -- thinks there was more than one Creation, I can't say. There's only one in my Bible, although it is reiterated. His take seems to be that if someone writes a biography of Napoleon and they refer more than once to some aspect of Napoleon's life, that aspect must have repeated itself like a fugue from Toulouse to St. Helena! The fact is, evolution is the theory that can be construed as racist, and that was another reason Victorians adopted it. It not only confirmed their belief in progress, but their belief in the superiority of the white race, which was the "most progressed".
I was fascinated by Schwartz's presentation of his exciting new take on evolution. A natural scientist is more qualified to discuss it than I, and I hope Schwartz knows it better than he does the history of his discipline! His is a beautiful addition to the evolutionary myth and I would hate to see it dismissed by his peers.
A Courageous Scientist and His Flawed Theory.......2000-03-29
Saltations have always been a problem for evolutionary theorists, and supporters of saltations have generally been dismissed highhandedly. So has anyone who has questioned the dogmas of evolution. Authors of any books or articles questioning the status quo, for whatever reason, are branded "creationists", though most of those who dismiss them don't seem to understand the difference in those who believe in Creation, and the small coterie who cover themselves with the flimsy and meaningless term "creationist", and who do not represent believers in Creation. Creation cannot be proven in a laboratory -- but unfortunately, neither can evolution. And though for more than a century the fossil record has been scrutinized for proof, the evidence, if it proves any evolutionary theory, tends to support saltation. Since most evolutionary scientists, by their attitude, seem to live in terror under the misapprehension that by admitting their own theories are somehow incorrect means yeilding to the tiny but vocal "creationists", any suggestion that the holy writ of evolution can be questions on the slightest jot or tittle brings the scorn of the establishment on the questioner's head.
With this threat in mind, the author of SUDDEN ORIGINS has risks his reputation to propose a sweeping new theory in evolution that would account for the fossil record's evidence of saltations.
The major plus in the book is the history of evolutionary squabbles past. Frankly, this is something that evolutionary scientists need to heed. I've read too many scientific books where the author, usually some respected PhD at a prestigious institution, seems to have no grasp at all of the history of his topic. Certainly this is the case in astronomy, where myths of medieval cosmology and compete misunderstandings and misconstructions of astronomical development (not to mention outright lies taken as gospel) find their way into print as truth. Scientists ignore their history at their peril (cf: George Santayana). And perhaps examinations of the bickerings of evolutionary scientists within "the family" can help them to stop being so rigid.
If the book remained a history of evolutionary problems, it would be a five-star book -- such a book, from a scientific perspective, is necessary, but scientists seem too timid to do it themselves (what they need is a Teilhard in their ranks who will risk excommunication by the scientific elite) and leave it to the "creationists", who, like some scientists (and Teilhard) and unlike most genuine Christians, are not above fudging facts to reach their conclusions.
But he goes on with his theory, which is very specialized and interesting, but rather rough going for the lay reader. I eagerly await the author's forthcoming book, which promises to build on the history presented here. Unfortunately, his theory, like the double-sun theory for our solar system presented a few years ago in a book called NEMESIS, will most likely prove an interesting but ultimately futile study.
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Evolutionary Paleobiology of Behavior and Coevolution
A. J. Boucot
Manufacturer: Elsevier Publishing Company
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ASIN: 0444880348 |
Book Description
This book is the culmination of many years of research by a scientist renowned for his work in this field. It contains a compilation of the data dealing with the known stratigraphic ranges of varied behaviors, chiefly animal with a few plant and fungal, and coevolved relations. A significant part of the data consists of ``frozen behavior'', i.e. those in which an organism has been preserved while actually ``doing'' something, as contrasted with the interpretations of behavior of an organism deduced from functional morphology, important as the latter may be.
The conclusions drawn from this compilation suggest that both behaviors and coevolved relations appear infrequently, following which there is relative fixity of the relation, i.e., two rates of evolution, very rapid and essentially zero. This conclusion complies well with the author's prior conclusion that community evolution followed the same rate pattern. In fact, communities are regard
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