Charles
Darwin from 1859 until 1872 completely altered the biological understanding
of life on earth. Charles
Darwin from 1859 until 1872 completely altered the biological understanding
of life on earth. What Evolution Is, Ernst Mayr, New York: Basic Books, 2001.
The late (2005) Ernst Mayr, was emeritus professor of zoology at Harvard University, and my personal friend. He had long been one of the world's foremost researchers in genetic and evolutionary theory. In this overview of past and current scientific thought, he discusses key concepts and terms, among them the origin of species, the (somewhat metaphorical) "struggle for existence," and agents of micro- and macro evolution. Somewhat against the grain, he argues against reduction and for the study of evolution at the phenotypic, not genetic, level. In his concluding pages, Mayr offers a careful overview of human evolution, adding his view that humankind is indeed unique--though "it has not yet completed the transition from quadrupedal to bipedal life in all of its structures."
Class related web pages
- Darwin and the Darwinian Revolution's meaning.
- Darwin the person and naturalist.
- Darwinism, what was it and what did it mean?
- Steps in the Modern synthesis, based on the view of Darwinian scientists.
- Darwin's critical synthesis.
The Complete works of Darwin on the internet
Notes from the Origin of Species.
related pages: primary sources
Darwinism | Ernst Mayr | Consequences of Darwin's Revolutions
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